Bubbling plans for a Queens brewery are finally on tap.
On Saturday, December 8, SingleCut Beersmiths will welcome the public into their den at 19-33 37th Street in Astoria for a cold pint.
“Queens has not had a brewery to call its own in a very long time,” said the company’s president and owner, Rich Buceta.
In celebration of its grand opening, SingleCut is offering fans of the froth a taste of five new beers available year round: 19-33 Lagrrr!, Bob Sunburst Finish Lagrrr!, Dean Pacific NW Mahogany Ale, Billy 18-Watt India Pale Ale, and Billy Half-Stack India Pale Ale. The shop will also carry an arsenal of seasonal ales for beer drinkers of every ilk, rotating every few months.
SingleCut’s facility will feature a tap room with scheduled beer tastings and a 5,000-square-foot stage for live musical performances. Patrons may take home half-gallon growlers of their favorite suds.
While currently SingleCut is the only major brewery in the borough, Queens housed several breweries before the Prohibition era – mainly around Ridgewood. According to Richard Hourahan of the Queens Historical Society, between 1905 and 1920, there were five beer makers within five blocks.
Bob Singleton, executive director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, said it’s probable that several brew hubs continued the craft even after the booze ban. Several years ago, he spotted labels on eBay for a business called “Burke’s Brewery” at an address in Long Island City. Singleton said he was unsure if the brewery was in Queens or if the labels were just printed in the neighborhood with a highly industrial past.
– Additional reporting by Ashley Welch
