Greenport Harbor Brewery Oysterfest
Columbus Day weekend is the usual time for the Oysterfest at Greenport Harbor Brewery. This year the celebration took place at their Greenport, NY headquarters. It was a super day…
The Beer – Crème De Fork
Arriving at noon on Sunday, October 7, we headed upstairs to the brewery tasting room. Teams from the brewery and various oyster farms were still setting up, so we enjoyed some of their Creme de Fork cream ale. Delicious and strong. We met and chatted with John Liegey, one of the brewery’s founders, as the setup continued.
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- Enjoying Creme de Fork
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- Setup in Progress
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- The band warms up
The Basics
Soon enough the oyster farm stands were ready, the benches were in place, the beer truck was pumping, the band was playing, and the crowd was building. Last year, Marian and I enjoyed 3 dozen oysters, and we were bent on exceeding that. We did, by 1/2 dozen. We also enjoyed this year’s Oyster Stout, which was on tap from the beer truck. An excellent lubricant for those bivalves.
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- The crowd builds
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- The Beer Truck Pumps
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- The Stout is Rich!
The Oysters
Yes, there were plenty of oysters. Little Creek Oyster company served four varieties, one from the west coast. The other oyster farm stands featured their own special oysters. Per usual, we won’t name a favorite, but the Fire Island oysters were terrific! Here is a look at the participating oyster farms.
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- Little Creek Oysters
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- Southold Bay Oysters
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- Oyster Ponds Oysters
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- Lucky Thirteen Oysters
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- Founders Oysters
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- Fire Island Oysters
The Crowd
While not sunny, the day was comfortable and the crowd built. Lots of friendly enthusiastic oyster-lovers chatting about oysters, beer, and music. One of the things we love about Greenport and its festivals is the wonderful feeling of community. That feeling was clear on Sunday. Were you part of the day?
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- Are you in this shot?
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- Or how about here?
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- Well, doesn’t look like you are here…
1943
You might think that 3 1/2 dozen oysters and some tasty stout would prove satisfying. It did, but it was not filling. So, we walked over to the 1943 Pizza Bar in Stirling Square, for what we think is the best pizza anywhere. The crust is thin and crisp, the toppings fresh and delicious, and the service friendly and accommodating. We were not the only ones in Greenport with pizza on the brain. With a 45 minute wait, we shopped until we got the “come and get it” text. Weather permitting, you can dine alfresco, or sit inside. We chose the best of both worlds, sitting in the large picture window and enjoying the view.
Stirling Square from the picture window of 1943
Alice’s Fish Market
A reasonable person might think we had consumed enough… but it was not so. Before leaving on the Shelter Island North Ferry, we stopped by Alice’s to pick up some fish for dinner. This little shop has some delicious fresh fish and is worth a stop.
Next Time
Greenport will host Shellabration during the weekend of December 1, and we will be there. How about you?
Trip Around Town 