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27A Brewing Co. is bringing craft beer and some history to Lindenhurst

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The first brewery since the Prohibition Era has opened in the Lindenhurst area.

Earlier this month, lifelong Lindenhurst residents and high school sweethearts, Ryan Cooke and Melissa Bates, held a soft opening for their craft beer venture, 27A Brewing Company.

The local community has been chomping at the bit to get their first taste of the microbrewery. The two sold out of beer when they participated in this year’s Ales by the Rails beer festival in the village in August.

The excitement spilled over to last week’s sneak peek.

“We didn’t post anything, we just told some friends to test the waters, and it was very busy,” said Cooke on the soft opening.

A go-to beer so far, according to the two, has been their Cruel Sommar, which is a summer pale ale with mango and honey flavors.

“It’s sweet up front and then dry on the finish, perfect for a nice hot day,” said Cooke.

The soon-to-be-married team says 27A’s beers will range from traditional to “esoteric and obscure.”

“We are going to have culinary-inspired brews, such as milk-shake style, cinnamon, and coffee beers,” said Cooke, who previously worked at Greenpoint Brewery in Brooklyn while working for a mobile beer-canning company called Iron Heart.

“We are a small size so we can mess around,” he added.

As previously reported, the couple transformed an old, desolate building located at 173 North Wellwood Avenue into their dream brewery.

The tasting room, which holds up to 49 patrons, features a warm, cozy vibe with its dim lighting and homey furniture. There’s also a projector that plays Twilight Zone during operation hours.

“We want you to feel like you are walking into our house,” said Bates.

The Lindenhurst duo felt it was important to work the 120-year-old building’s history into the decorating.

Adorned on the walls are old posters, photos, receipts and checks that were owned by previous owners.

“We dug up a lot of these pieces from the closets here,” said Bates.

Prior to 27A, the building sat vacant for a decade. But, before then, there was a mix of uses for the space, including it being used as a bike shop called Bike Works, as well as a butcher shop named Benkert’s Meat Market in the late 1800s to mid-1900s.

“We kept the tin ceiling that was original to the butcher shop,” said Cooke.

And, that wasn’t the only thing they repurposed.

The countertop for the bar is the old marble butcher block— it is wrapped by wooden slats from the market’s freezer.

“You can see still see some of the cigar stains from back in the day,” said Cooke.

The two even pay homage to Linden Brewery, a brewery that used to be in town in the 1920s, by showcasing bottles from the old beer maker.

“Everything is coming together,” said the two on garnishing the place.

Later this month, 27A Brewing Company will open full time, which will be four days a week from Wednesday to Sunday.

Once in full motion, you can expect 27A to collaborate with its neighbors.

Before they opened, 27A already worked with W A Meadwerks to craft a mead, and they tag-teamed with Sand City Brewing Co. (which will be opening soon in the downtown) for an IPA called the “Talk of the Town.”

“There is so much going on [in Lindenhurst] now,” Cooke told GreaterBabylon, “and we love it.”

To learn more about 27A Brewing Company, check them out on Facebook.

Scroll down to see photos of the space.

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