Big Alice Brewing

Joining Rockaway Brewing and SingleCut Beersmiths, this Long Island City nanobrewery bolsters the thriving Queens beer scene. After winning Heartland's 2011 home-brewing contest, amateurs Kyle Hurst, Robby Crafton and Scott Berger bought a 1,000-square-foot former Bible warehouse to turn their shared hobby into a career. Named after Big Allis—a gas-fueled LIC supergenerator from the '60s—the small-batch operation makes six one-off beers every month. Some offerings draw on New York purveyors, such as a Belgian-American red ale fermented with organic Cinderella pumpkin, and a coffee-wheat stout infused with beans from Park Slope's Gorilla. Along with a CSA-style "beer share"—allowing members to purchase a monthly batch of new suds—the brewery opens for retail every Friday night, with tours and tastings upon appointment.