Pine Island Brewing Company celebrates opening with ribbon-cutting ceremony

WARWICK — Last October Pine Island Brewing Company, 682 County Route 1, was established by converting an old firehouse into a microbrewery and it has been thriving ever since.
On Thursday, June 16, Orange County Legislator Paul Ruszkiewicz, Town of Warwick Deputy Supervisor James Gerstner and members of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce joined Mike Kraai, owner and brewmaster, and his Sales Manager, Eddie Gorter, for the official grand opening of Pine Island Brewing.
Kraai and his wife Suzanne have created a rustic-chic and inviting atmosphere, featuring a local re-claimed barn wood bar and a mason jar chandelier.
He stated that the brewery is committed to crafting the highest quality beer possible.
At TapNY 2016, for example, Pine Island was one of the most awarded breweries in New York State, winning four medals for its flagship beers including the Pine Island IPA, Scottish Ale and Big Brown.
In addition to these award-winning styles, the brewery is consistently releasing seasonal beers and limited edition batches.
Its most recent release is called Charlie's Pale Ale, which Kraai describes as an easy-going beer full of melon aromas and passion fruit flavors. This new brew was named after the newest addition to the Kraai family, Charles Michael Kraai, just born this past March.
Pine Island Brewing has also opened an outdoor beer garden on a large deck overlooking the Black Dirt farms.
The brewery is open Friday from 4-8 p.m., Saturday from 1-7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. with indoor/outdoor seating, games and live music. The brewery is also available for private parties.
- Roger Gavan