Hurricane Sandy’s Impact On Craft Beer

Damaged equipment at Barrier Brewing (credit: Barrier Brewing facebook)

Businesses and individuals along the Eastern Seaboard are picking up the pieces following the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Among those impacted were a few notable names in the craft beer industry, some of whom were hit especially hard. Barrier Brewing – the Oceanside, New York-based craft brewer that launched in June of 2010 – may have taken the biggest beating.

Evan Klein, the founder and co-owner of Barrier told Brewbound.com that it could take until 2013 before the brewery begins producing beer again.

“The complete extent of the damage is hard to determine,” he said. “But we think it could total over $100,000.”

It’s a tough break for the small-batch producer who recently invested over $500,000 into the new facility in March. Klein said the company’s boiler, glycol chiller, mill, forklift, keg washer, delivery trucks and its ingredient inventory were all damaged during the storm. He also said that he’s not sure what the damage will be — if any — to three bright beer tanks that toppled over and may be lost.

Klein said that he’s filed claims with the company’s insurance provider and he’s hopeful the brewery will recover a significant portion of the losses.

But Barrier isn’t the only brewery feeling the effects. Brewbound.com received a number of reports that Sixpoint Brewery suffered serious damage to its brewhouse. Both Sixpoint and Barrier Brewing are working with FEMA officials to assess the damage and will are beginning to remedy the situation. Brewbound is also being told that the warehouses at Union Beer Distributors and Beehive beer Distributors flooded. Union is reportedly claiming a loss on all its packaged goods and still assessing the damage — if any — to its kegged beer.

This story is still developing and Brewbound.com will do its best to update the situation as news is received.