Blue Point gets its brew on at festival

The back lot of Blue Point Brewing Co. was packed Saturday with people taking locally brewed beer out for a spin. The seventh annual Cask Ales Festival was hosted by the 13-year-old brew house in an effort to give New York brewers an opportunity to show off their products.

“The brewing business is a little different from other businesses,” said Peter Cotter, co-owner and founder of Blue Point. “There’s a brotherhood, and we’re just so happy that the beer scene on Long Island now is really picking up.”

Cotter got the idea for the festival from his head brewer, Alan Brady, in 2005, and the event has grown ever since. This year's event was sold out, with the more than 1,000 attendees who had bought tickets receiving a tasting glass to keep and six tastings.

More than 30 breweries showed up from across the state. The Empire Brewing Company’s assistant brewer, John Sullivan, trekked to Long Island all the way from Syracuse.

“It’s important for us to have a presence,” he said. “It’s pretty impressive, a lot of casks, a lot of people, a lot of good beer.”

Photo: Assorted brewers prepare to share their selections with attendees of Saturday's Cask Ales Festival at Blue Point Brewing Co. (April 9, 2011)