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The newest craft brewery tap room on Long Island came to life in Bay Shore this weekend as Ghost Brewing Co. opened to the public for the first time.

The new brewery is located in the back of the building that also houses Great South Bay Brewery. The space was originally set to be the home of Fire Island Beer Co., but that brewery unexpectedly shut down in the fall of 2018. Ghost Brewing took over the space in early 2019 and hired veteran brewmaster Paul Komsic to lead the brewery. Komsic had been head brewer at Patchogue’s BrickHouse Brewery for almost a decade and was looking for a new challenge.

“I came from the oldest brewery on Long Island to launch the newest brewery,” said Komsic, “and I’m excited about having a much larger brewhouse to experiment with different beer styles.”

The new brewery has a 15-barrel brewhouse and on opening weekend Komsic had eight beers on tap, with plans to have as many as 12 beers on tap going forward. Komsic plans to brew a wide variety of beer styles and is committed to using locally sourced ingredients. He also plans to focus on wood-aged beer, using barrels from local companies such as East Coast Wood Barrels in Medford and Long Island Spirits in Baiting Hollow.

Among the beers on tap this weekend were several IPAs featuring a variety of hops including Knife Fight made with only Simcoe, West Coast Ghost made with Amarillo, Azacca, Centennial and Simcoe, and the deliciously dry Brutality made with a Champagne Enzyme. Komsic demonstrated his versatility with a range of other beer styles including Kentucky Common, Saison and Witbier. He also had a Strong Ale made with sweet molasses and a rich Cream Ale with banana and peanut butter flavors (named in honor of Elvis, of course).

The growth of the craft beer industry on Long Island continues to surge as Ghost Brewing became the ninth new tap room opening this year. The total number of brewery tap rooms and brewpubs across the Island is now 46, with several more expected to open in the next few months including HopWin’s Brewery in Bay Shore and Bright Eye Beer Co. in Long Beach.

Ghost Brewing’s taproom will be open on weekends through the end of December and then plans to add Wednesday and Thursday evening hours. The spacious room is highlighted by a long bar topped by the Ghost logo, and also has comfortable couches for lounging. The tap room is dog friendly and food is available from food trucks that also serve patrons of Great South Bay Brewery.

Ghost Brewing Co. is located at 25 Drexel Ave., Bay Shore. For more info, visit the brewery’s Facebook page @ghostbrewingco.

Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.