Moustache Brewing Co. celebrates first birthday, looks ahead to year two

Moustache Brewery couldn’t have asked for better weather for the craft brewing company’s first birthday celebration yesterday and the warm spring air and sunshine beckoned hundreds of friends and fans of Riverhead’s newest brewery to gather for a day-long birthday bash at the Polish Town Civic Association pavilion.

“It’s a beautiful location on a beautiful day,” said Lauri Spitz who owns the brewing company with her husband, Matt.

The brewery’s first year exceeded expectations, Spitz said. The startup’s main problem was being able to keep up with demand for its products — never a bad thing for any business, especially a new one.

“We have so many accounts that want beer that we haven’t been able to provide,” Spitz said.

Moustache just added two barrel fermenters so it can increase production and service accounts.

“Our big goal for year two is more distribution,” Spitz said. Business has been unexpectedly robust at the brewery’s tiny tasting room on Hallett Street that they haven’t been able to produce enough beer to satisfy the demand of restaurant and bar owners across the North Fork.

The Spitzes, who started dating in high school, began brewing together about eight years ago. Their passion for their craft and their reaction from friends, family and a growing army of fans led them to think about taking their craft from a hobby to a business. They looked into possible locations all over the island. Greg Martin and Dan Burke, co-owners of Long Ireland Beer Co., which opened its brewery on Pulaski Street in September 2011 suggested they look at Riverhead.

“We visited their place, the town supervisor happened to be there and he said Riverhead would love to have another microbrewery. Everyone in the town’s been great,” Lauri Spitz said in an April 2014 interview.

With the help of a hugely successful KickStarter campaign that raised more than $30,000, the Spitzes renovated and equipped the Hallett Street industrial space in 2013, began brewing there and celebrated a grand opening last April, becoming Riverhead’s third microbrewery (following Long Ireland in 2011 and Crooked Ladder in 2013.)

The breweries are great for downtown revitalization, Spitz said yesterday.

“At the end of the day, they are things that are going to bring more business and help revitalize downtown,” she said. Spitz and her husband live in a Main Street apartment and “absolutely love living downtown,” she said.

“We both grew up in East Islip. I lived there most of my life. I’ve never felt as at home anywhere as I do now,” she said. “You see people you known downtown every day. We have a plot in the community garden. There’s such a sense of community. It’s exactly like you see on TV,” she said.

Spitz said she believes the year ahead will be “a crucial year” for downtown Riverhead — “a game changer,” as she put it.

“With Parabell and Sonoma opening, and Brew Crew Cycles starting operation, there will always be a lot going on,” Spitz said.

Brew Crew Cycles is a 14-passenger bike that will peddle its way among the the three downtown microbreweries. The novel company is also headquartered on Hallet Street. It’s going to launch its service with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the downtown riverfront May 2.

“It’s a super-fun, awesome thing to do,” Spitz said.

Downtown Riverhead will be alive with activity in 2015, she said. “It’s great to see because it’s a great place to live and do business.”

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Katie Blasl.