Bayside — a neighborhood famous for its bars — will now be able to drink beer created by one of its very own with the arrival of the newest craft beer startup, Bayside Brewery.
Neighborhood native Anthony Losardo founded the company at age 21 in 2012. At the time, he was looking for a way to control his own schedule and ensure that he would always have free time to enjoy nights and weekends.
He first thought up the name “Bayside Brewery,” and then steeled himself to make that dream a reality without having any knowledge of the business.
“I decided to devote myself 1,000 percent, and now it’s happening,” said Losardo, who still resides on Francis Lewis Boulevard.
His first recipes were developed in a Bayside garage. Losardo — a self-proclaimed perfectionist looking to create a quality product — reportedly dumped more than 1,000 gallons of beer down the drain during his quest to get the right recipe.
The startup has come a long way since then, with three different beers set to launch in July that are currently being marketing to bar and restaurant owners.
Queens residents will be proud to drink two of the beers named after borough locations, dubbed Bayside Ale and Cross Island IPA. The third is the Long Island Ice Tea Ale, inspired by the drink of the same name and meant to be served with a lemon garnish.
Losardo’s business operation has also since grown into a whole team of young men all working toward the success of Bayside Brewery.
Finance student Nick Butera is a recent addition to the company, having met Losardo last semester at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University.
Butera had just finished a summer internship at a private equity firm when he heard that the Bayside Brewery founder was looking for help in managing the fledgling business. He now serves as the brand’s director of finance.
“I always wanted to be a part of a startup company and there was an opportunity so I decided to go for it,” Butera said.
Bayside Brewery also boasts its own in-house scientist, Safraz Bacchus, a biology major who cultivates fresh yeast for each brew.
“There’s a lot of time that’s been going into this,” Losardo said. “Everything is being done very professionally.”
According to Losardo, at only 18 years old the brand’s yeast guru is not even of drinking age but he contributes important research which helps to eliminate waste during the production process.
The growing brewery is set to soon move to a larger production site in a secret location that has yet to be revealed; the brewery is also hosting an online fundraiser to finance the next steps of making the product commercially available.
