Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale Served at the Holy Family Festival

Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale will be served at the Holy Family Festival in Hicksville, New York this week.

Running from Wednesday, August 12th through Saturday, August 15th this great community event features rides, food, and fun for the whole family. The Festival is sponsored by the Parish of the Holy Family in Hicksville, New York.

For directions and event times, be sure to visit: http://sites.google.com/site/holyfamilyfestival/

North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival

Voted North Fork Event of the Year in 2007, the North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival returns to the picturesque Martha Clara Vineyard on August 8, 2009. The event will showcase 50 of the finest craft breweries from across the country and will pair them with outstanding BBQ prepared by Maple Tree BBQ and award-winning wines from Martha Clara Vineyards and other local wineries. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample over 100 of the nation’s finest micro-brews, including Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale, recently named Official Beer of Summer by NBC New York (5/09).

For more information, please visit the official North Fork Craft Beer Festival Website: http://www.northforkcraftbeerfestival.com/

The Making of a Brew: See the Story Behind the Beer Inspired by Fire Island!

Talking seagulls? You betcha! Check out the new video from the guys at Fire Island Beer Company, and learn the story behind the beer:

Pines Party Weekend 2009

Fire Island Beer Company will be a sponsor at the upcoming Pines Party Weekend!

With more sun, surf, and sand than you can shake your long board at, the Pines Party Weekend is a legendary celebration of surf culture on Fire Island.

Friday, July 24 kicks off the event with a VIP party entitled “Where the Boys Are!” featuring a musical tribute to classic Muscle Beach Movies starring hunky hardbodies like Nick Adams, Marty Thomas, and Max von Essen. But don’t get too hot and bothered—Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale will be on tap to cool you down!

Following this up at 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 25th the Pines Party opens to the public, with “Endless Summer.” Using the beach as an all access dance floor, DJ Paulo will rock your board shorts with a tidal wave of heavy beats, while Berlin’s DJ Mickey Friedmann spins it down with the cool progressive feel of an electric sunset—which is good because the music doesn’t stop until the break of dawn.

But don’t be fooled, this isn’t some low-tech dance around a bonfire with your friends. The boys over at the Pines Party are pulling out all the stops with a state-of-the-art sound system, a light show, and a VIP viewing deck that lets you enjoy the beach babes with the comfort of a private bar and bathroom.

The Summer may be endless, but the Pines Party does have a finale, winding down on Sunday, July 26th with “Boogie Fever.” In the booth, veteran Dj Warren Gluck will round out the program, giving partiers good vibrations with upbeat mixes to keep the party going. Assisting in this final day of revelry, Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale will be offered on tap.

To find out more about the ultimate party of the summer, visit the Pines Party website at: http://www.pinesparty.com .

Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation Fundraiser

Join Fire Island Beer Company at the 6th Annual Hamptons Happening!

The benefit will be held on July 25, 2009 from 6-9 p.m. at Susan and Louis Meisel’s beautiful Sculpture Field in Sagaponack. About 500 guests are expected at an event that will feature 25 gourmet food stations, including our very own Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale.

Funds raised at the event will go toward the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. For more information on this event, please visit:
http://www.waxmancancer.org/hamptons_happening/

Fire Island Beer Company is Now on Facebook!

Be the first to know about Fire Island Beer Company special events, beers, and promotions! Join our new FaceBook page, located at: www.facebook.com/fireislandbeer .

Our page is run by real, living human beings that actually check our page (surprise), so feel free to send us a message, some feedback on our beers, or even pictures from one of our events! We'd love to hear from you!

How Did “Fire Island” Get Its Name?

We get asked this all the time, but the truth is that the precise origin of Fire Island’s name is often disputed. It’s kind of like asking grandpa how he met grandma- each story comes out a little bit different and nobody seems to have been around to verify any of them. Originally, the Native Americans called the Island "Sictem Hackey," or “Land of the Secatogues” (the name of the tribe located in Bay Shore, New York). One historian has suggested that its current name comes from a corruption of the Dutchword “vijf,” (“five”) or “vier” (“four”), referring to the number of islands near the Fire Island inlet.

Others say its name comes from the fires built along the sea’s edge by pirates intent on luring ships to their destruction along the shallow sandbars for looting and pillaging. The stories just get stranger from here, with some suggesting that the name comes from the fiery-looking foliage in autumn and others insisting (with a straight face) that the name comes from the “burning” rash people get from the Island’s abundant poison ivy (ouch!). So basically, if it was grandpa telling the story, you would have fed him an extra helping of plumb pudding and left the table long ago. We’ve found that it’s just better to take a nice long swig of Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale and move along.

Name aside, Fire Island has gradually become known as a calm and comfortable atmosphere in which a wide array of individuals, from families, to couples, to young revelers can come to relax and vacation. Over the years, Fire Island has woven itself into the fabric of pop culture, and numerous films have been shot on the location, including, Frank Perry’s "Last Summer" and "Returning Mickey Stern." In the world of music, France Joli even jump-started her career in 1979 on Fire Island whenDonna Summer cancelled her performance at the last minute, and Joli stepped in to wow an ocean-side crowd of over 5,000 people with her song "Come to Me."

Now Joli’s big break may be an unusual phenomenon, but in a calm fun-loving atmosphere like Fire Island anything seems possible. And that’s why we came up with Fire Island Beer Company’s Lighthouse Ale. We wanted a beer that’s as cool and smooth as Fire Island, with a light caramel finish for just a touch of the playfulness found off shore. We know it’s hard to take a break among the hustle and bustle of the big city, but the next time you have a chance, pop open a cold bottle of Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale and take a time-out to imagine the pure white sands and softly rolling waves of our little island.

Beer. People. They’re both better when they’re chilled.