A Queens microbrewery is planning a big move.
Bridge and Tunnel Brewery, a “nano-scale” brewery in Maspeth, signed a lease for a warehouse space in Ridgewood, the brewery announced.
Currently, the brewery has been operating through a tiny 150-square-foot space, but the new 2,300-square-foot building will “allow for more production” and be home to a brewery that patrons can visit, owner Rich Castagna said.
Castagna founded Bridge and Tunnel and received a license to operate in 2012. It has been a one-man operation and distribution system since the brewery’s inception, but Castagna is now planning to hire some employees to help with the expanded brewery.
The new location will be around the intersection of Decatur Street and Wyckoff Avenue, near eatery Houdini Kitchen Laboratory, which already carries some Bridge and Tunnel beers. There could be collaborations with the restaurant in the future.
“We have a pretty good working relationship,” Castagna said. “We’re kind of both excited about things we can do together.”
Castagna is happy Ridgewood has become a more desirable neighborhood recently, but wants the brewery to be a place where people who have known the area for a long time can enjoy the history of the neighborhood.
Ridgewood is where he had his first beer, attended grammar school and high school and played little league, among other firsts.
“It’s where my roots are,” Castagna said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
Castagna didn’t give a specific time for when the new brewery location will open up, but said he will begin moving into the space shorty.
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