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LIC microbreweries to host a beer crawl

Feb. 13, 2015 By Michael Florio

Three Long Island City microbreweries are teaming up for a beer crawl.

Rockaway Brewing Company (46-01 5^th Street), Big Alice Brewing (8-08 43^rd Road) and Transmitter Brewing (53-02 11^th Street) are coming together to offer a brewery crawl during beer week, which runs from Feb. 20 to March 1.

Participants will receive a free brewery passport. A passport can be picked up at any of three breweries and will be stamped at each venue. After receiving a stamp from all three breweries, participants will then be entered into a raffle that will be drawn on March 1.

Justine Yeung, a distributor and marketer for Rockaway Brewing, said the prizes will all be beer related, including an assortment of T-shirts, growlers and growler fillers.

This is the first year that the breweries have organized a brewery crawl for beer week.

Yeung said they were unable to do it last year since Transmitter had only just opened and Big Alice was in the midst of expanding.

The three microbreweries decided to put on the event since they all have a common goal: to get the word out on their respective breweries and to help turn Long Island City into a beer destination.

“There are so many people that are moving into LIC,” Yeung said. “This helps us connect with the local community.”

The breweries are focusing on expanding their clientele and believe that the event will draw people who don’t typically frequent microbreweries, Yeung said.

Yeung said if the event proves to be a success that they will put together others.

“One idea is a reoccurring LIC brew weekend, like four weekends a year,” Yeung said. They would raffle off prizes at the events.

Participants in the brewery crawl will have to pay for their drinks, although the breweries will be offering free samples. Rockaway, which specializes in malts, will offer customers a free sample of each beer. However, a pint will cost $5 and a flight of beers, which consists of a number of four-ounce tasters, for $7.

Both Transmitter, which specializes in farmhouse ales, and Big Alice, which offers creative beers such as vanilla prune, will also offer tastings, Yeung said.