After years of brewing beer together, brothers Larry and Peter Frasca are branching out — with the opening of The Branch Brewing Co. on the North Fork.
The taproom and nano-brewery in Mattituck is the latest addition to Long Island’s budding craft beer scene and the realization of a longtime goal for brothers raised in Deer Park whose last name means “branch” in Italian.
“A couple of years ago, we decided it was time to make the dream a reality,” said Peter Frasca, 43. “It’s been quite a lot of hard work and long nights.”
The Branch Brewing Co. is set to open Thursday night, serving beers, wines and spirits with strictly local roots. The taproom will offer 30 beers brewed from Montauk to Brooklyn and Queens, along with wine from local vineyards and spirits from the Montauk Distilling Co. in Riverhead.
“We’re really lucky that Long Island now has such a great variety of breweries that we can source for anything — lagers, IPAs, sours,” Frasca said. “There is such a crazy variety now.”
Also on the menu are two of the Frasca brothers’ own Mattituck-made beers, the Branch Brewing Pith Happens Grapefruit IPA and Branch Brewing Glückspillen, a German-style pilsner.
“It’s as New York as New York can be,” said manager Vita Giannone, a Mattituck native, adding that there are plans for live music on Saturday nights, starting this week.
The space on Sound Avenue will eventually house its own on-site brewery with three-and-a-half barrels, Larry Frasca said, while offering plenty of local alternatives.
“The idea is to really be a collaborative place where we can showcase other beers,” said Frasca, 54.
The very New York approach extends to chef Derek Holmes’ menu, whose offerings include wings smoked in-house and sauces made on-site. Originally, the brothers had planned to stick to small plates alongside beers and cocktails, but that changed because of the size of the kitchen.
“The kitchen is fantastic, so we decided to expand the menu a bit,” said Peter Frasca, who promised the food will have “a little bit more of an elevated spin on it.”
For restaurant veteran Larry Frasca, the opening of a place that touts its cold beer and warm vibes, is the fulfillment of a dream that he said began when he was in his early 20s and took shape over the course of his career.
Now the brothers are ready to toast a dream come true.
“He’s been up and down the island helping all the different bars,” Peter Frasca. “He’s at the helm, but he’s also our ace in the hole.”
Scroll down for photos of the new The Branch Brewing Co. The photos were taken by Christopher Scott of Nomadic Friend Productions.
Details
- The Branch Brewing Co. is at 9095 Sound Ave. in Mattituck
- Its hours are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. from Friday through Sunday
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Photos
Top: Courtesy photo of brothers Larry (right) and Peter (left) Frasca inside their new venture, The Branch Brewing Co.
