Barrier Brewing regains footing after pandemic, opens new taproom in Long Beach

Oceanside craft beer maker Barrier Brewing is opening its second Long Island taproom in an effort to regain its footing after the pandemic curtailed the brewery’s national distribution operations, the owner said.

Barrier Brewing, founded in 2009 and known for its flagship Money IPA, held a soft opening of its new 1,500-square-foot taproom Monday at 135 E. Park Ave., roughly five blocks from the Long Beach boardwalk, said owner and brewmaster Evan Klein.

The taproom features 20 draft lines that will offer a selection of eight signature beers year-round, two or three that will offer non-beer options like cider, and another eight or nine for a rotating selection of limited small-batch brews, Klein said.

“The goal is to have four to six different new batches coming on tap every month,” Klein said as he prepared for Monday’s noon opening.

Early in the pandemic, the brewery’s distribution sales took a hit as bars and restaurants shuttered, and many of Barrier’s distributors consolidated or went out of business. “We were in 12 different states, and a bunch of our distributors sold or closed their doors,” Klein said.

Barrier still does some distribution in upstate New York and in Florida, Wisconsin and Connecticut, he said.

Despite challenges selling its brews outside of New York, Klein said the Oceanside taproom, which is attached to the brewery, kept the business afloat. Now, he hopes continued focus on taprooms will make Barrier “a more sustainable operation.”

“I’m hoping that it does well, and we can think about opening something in Suffolk or something upstate,” he said.

Amid changing consumer trends and costs increased by inflation, more breweries throughout the state are leaning on their taproom operations, said Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, a Rochester-based industry trade and lobbying group.

“What breweries are really finding now is they make their most revenue selling out of their own taps,” Leone said. The margins on selling directly to customers make taprooms a more profitable operation for smaller operations, he said.

“They are finding that that’s where they need to focus,” he said.

Long Island is home to 58 craft breweries, according to the Brewers Association, a national trade group and market researcher for the craft beverage industry.

New York State has 486 operational craft breweries, according to the group. Breweries in the state support more than 22,000 jobs and generate an estimated $4.8 billion economic impact statewide, according to a state announcement made in April.