STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael J. Friedman’s love of beer, social gatherings and supporting local businesses developed into a successful Facebook group a decade ago.
His creation shows no signs of slowing down.
The Staten Island Beer Club has met monthly for the past 10 years at multiple bars and restaurants across the borough. Friedman tracks down local breweries and schedules free tastings for the club, so beer brands can gain exposure on Staten Island. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the group kept its meeting socially distant every Thursday at the Hop Shoppe in Stapleton.
“We call it a club, but it’s an appreciation society more than that," Friedman told the Advance/SILive.com. “It’s not like you have to join or anything. It’s free for anyone to come in."
The group, originally called the Richmond County Beer Club, met at Staten Island establishments such as Cargo, Full Cup and the Wild Goose. After its rebranding, Friedman said there are now more than 80 active members. Friedman doesn’t work alone, though. Laura Gardner and Nick Rozak assist him in managing and orchestrating the group and its upcoming events.
Scenes from a Staten Island Beer Club meeting. (Courtesy of Michael J. Friedman)
The typical rundown of a Staten Island Beer Club event involves Friedman tracking down a brewer in the New York or New Jersey area. A club meeting is set with a time and date when the brewer can pitch the brand to a crowd. After hearing the brand history and brewing methods, free samples of the beer are supplied.
At the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in March, the club was forced to stop meetings. The group slowly got back up and running once indoor dining was allowed. After holding a few outdoor meetings, and battling the weather changes, the group has decided to move indoors. Most recently, the club welcomed Non Sequitur Beer Project from Brooklyn.
Scenes from a Staten Island Beer Club meeting with Non Sequitur Beer Project from Brooklyn. (Courtesy of Michael J. Friedman)
“This past week was the first time we had an event indoors again,” Friedman said. “The turnout was a little bit lighter though. I think people are not quite sure they want to be indoors yet, but we still had a nice time."
Friedman needed to create a new Facebook group for the club after its rebrand, and the Staten Island Beer Club page is open to all. Those interested in seeing event listings and joining a community or beer enthusiasts are urged to join.
Friedman has 25 years of import and export logistics experience under his belt, which entails order handling, transportation, inventory management, storage, packaging and clearing of the exported goods.
After losing a passion for what he was doing, he decided to transition his effort to providing beer programs. Gardner introduced him to the management at Hop Shoppe, and soon Friedman was supplying a beer program for the bar and restaurant. He then expanded his expertise to Richmond Republic, once it opened. Currently, Friedman is the general manager of the Hop Shoppe and proudly says he does “beer for a living.”
Gardner, who holds the title of “Bloody Mary Maven,” has more than 10 years' experience in bartending and brewing. In 2017, Gardner gave a seminar on how to home brew at Flagship Brewery with the Women’s Craft Beer Society. Here’s a snippet of her behind the bar:
Rozak assists in promoting the club’s events and has his own experience bartending in the borough. Those interested can find the group on Facebook at “Staten Island Beer Club” for more updates on future gatherings. The next event, featuring Catskill Brewery, will take place Nov. 19 at the Hop Shoppe, 372 Van Duzer St.
“The purpose of this club is simply to acquaint people with beer brands that they don’t know,” Friedman said. “The goal is to send them out to the world, and have people ask for that brand when they go out.”
November 08, 2020 at 07:00PM
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Staten Island Beer Club celebrates 10 years of socializing, supporting local businesses - SILive.com
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