FARMINGDALE, NY — Lithology Brewing Company of Farmingdale earned the gold medal for its Lithology Brown Ale this year at the New York State Craft Beer Competition.
The NYS Craft Beer Competition, presented by Ultimate Brew Service, is open to all 500-plus craft breweries. More than 1,200 entries were included this year, which were judged in 31 style categories by industry professionals.
Lithology shared gold in the brown ale category with Watershed Brewing Company.
Lee Kaplan, one of the co-founders of Lithology, came up with the idea of doing the Lithology Brown Ale, said fellow co-founder Manny Coelho. Them and their other co-founders, Kevin Cain and Marc Jackson, would brew it two or three times a week and kept tweaking it to improve it.
“It’s our baby, it’s one of our original recipes brought over when we became a professional brewery in 2015,” Coelho said in a news release. “Today it remains one of our favorite recipes and also our flagship. So when we won it was really emotional and vindicating! Come over and taste it!”
Coelho said his “leg was shaking” when the brown ale category came up at the competition. Of all the beers Lithology entered, this was the one Coelho wanted to medal in most of all.
“It is my baby, and it is my favorite beer that I brew, and I really thought that this batch was the best we’ve ever had it,” Coelho told Patch.
As Wood Kettle Brewing was announced the bronze winner, and Brooklyn Brewery was announced the silver medalist, Coelho said he started feeling nervous.
“Turns out we tied for gold with another brewery that was announced before,” Coelho said. “Then I screamed out, so happy after getting the medal, and the adrenaline settling in. I got very emotional about the past of this beer. The amount of work that goes into the small brewery in this economy. Winning the gold was a very huge emotional response. I definitely had some tears of joy and happiness come down my eyes. All of the last couple of years since COVID hit me all at once.”
Lithology Brewing Co. is at 211A Main Street.
“In Farmingdale Village, we take pride in acknowledging and welcoming everyone, are PRO
BUSINBSS and We Toast to Lithology – CONGRATULATIONS!” the village wrote in a statement.
Lithology Brewing Co. is a award-winning, licensed New York State farm brewery. Their brewing process blends science, technology, new and traditional techniques as well as the best available ingredients to craft balanced, drinkable beers using scientific backgrounds, local ingredients and love of beer.
The goal is to have their beer spark conversations and be enjoyed in the company of friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances. The entire process, from ingredient selection, to brewing and kegging, is done with the purpose of creating an “exceptional drinking experience” — the brewery’s motto. If the brew doesn’t taste right, they won’t sell it.
As a farm brewery, they use at least 60% locally harvested New York ingredients, including hops, grain and their own yeast strains. The brewery produces four barrels of craft beer at a time.
Coelho and Cain have hand assembled many of the components of the brewery in order to coax the best possible brew out of each batch.