Spider Bite Beer brings locals a taste of Long Island
By Chad Kushins
In recent years, small-business owners of all trades have faced the daunting task of utilizing the digital age to kick-start their dream projects, while also facing the realities of an uncertain economic market. In the case of Nesconset resident Larry Goldstein, however, there has been one business philosophy that has guided him since the beginning: share your personal passion with likeminded people, and the customers will come. And it has been that grassroots way of thinking that has made Goldstein’s own Spider Bite Beer an instant classic among Long Island’s microbrewery fans.
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Larry Goldstein
While originally from Long Island, Goldstein moved to Atlanta for a number of years in order to pursue a career as a chiropractor. There, his own interest in “micro beers,” or those made by small, independent companies for a more personal and unique taste, only grew. By buying kits and making his own special blends and flavors of beer at home, Goldstein slowly learned the machinations of his hobby to the point of honing a true craft. Formally trained by the American Brewers Guild, Goldstein soon won numerous brewing awards and notices throughout the region. It wasn’t long before friends told him how advanced and visionary his homebrews were becoming and, once back in New York, he was able to couple with a partner to bring their “Spider Bite” label to the local market in November of last year.
Owning and running your own business may be reward enough for most people, but as Goldstein told Smithtown Matters, there’s just nothing quite like kicking back at your favorite pub, looking down the bar-top, and seeing satisfied faces sipping your home-made label.
Smithtown Matters: Although there are plenty of specialized, micro-brew enthusiasts, many people may be intimidated in starting a business of their own, or even sharing what they’ve been creating with the public. What were some obstacles when you were starting out?
Larry Goldstein: Well, we’ve been officially “open” for business since November, but it certainly took a while to get anything that has to do with liquor going, in a business sense. I actually incorporated in 2008, but there was plenty of red tape with the federal laws and the state to be worked out. When you work within this market, they want to know where the taxes will go and things like that – and that takes a while.
SM: So you’ve been incorporated as a business for a while, which is something that’s key to any local-business owner when they start at the very beginning. But, do you currently have an actual location for Spider Bite, or is this still a homebrew operation?
LG: We’re located in Holbrook for the manufacturing, but one of the major goals that we have is to convert the location into a place that could be visited by customers, samples could be given, or events booked – very much like either the larger beer company’s home bases that are open to the public, or a winery or vineyard. As of right now, that goal could happen by the end of the year, but it’s still in-progress. I think there’s also a real demand for such a place; I get calls from customers all the time asking, “Is it possible to visit and try this beer or that beer?” I’d like to be able to say yes.
SM: That’s a good sign when people are calling to see what else you have to offer.
LG: Oh, yes [laughs]. It’s the best kind of feedback.
SM: So, Spider Bite is officially based in Holbrook, but does that also dictate where your beer is distributed to and, ultimately, carried to meet consumers?
LG: Well, we’re in numerous pubs and bars and beverage stores all over the island. Restaurants, too. I think, right now, our total reach goes from East Hampton in the east to about Westchester, going up.
SM: So, is it fair to say that it’s a quintessential New York beer?
LG: Right, in many ways, it’s really a New York beer.
SM: Are there plans for expansion?
LG: Ultimately, yes. But, you know, there is such a market here and our first order of business is to fulfill the demand of local outlets and local retailers. That’s our plan before we expand past the state.
SM: What made you originally want to get into brewing on a professional level? It seems like there is a lot to learn.
LG: Yes, definitely. But, for a long time, I was a beer aficionado and into those “craft” beers and other microbrews. I’ve been “homebrewing” for almost 20 years and I’ve really always been into it, into the process. From that, I started entering into competitions and things like that. I started to get serious about it when my wife and I were living in Atlanta for a while and I carried that interest back to New York with me. My wife finally said, “If you really want to do this, you should.”
SM: Is it fair to say that you started as more of a “passionate hobbyist” then an entrepreneur with a business in mind?
LG: Absolutely. That’s how it started.
SM: Were you involved marketing or distribution before founding Spider Bite?
LG: Actually, no – I’m a licensed chiropractor [laughs]. I worked for someone and also had my own practice for 10 years. But, like, on weekends or on days off, I would make my homebrews or volunteer at breweries to learn and watch.
SM: Was there a big learning curve when you finally turned your personal passion into a real business?
LG: Well, there was definitely a learning curve when it came to, say, the paperwork side of founding the company. With a product that is an alcoholic beverage, it can get pretty strict, what with label registration and things like that. But as I moved from Atlanta back to New York and made that transition, I joined an American Breweries program and that definitely helped quite a bit, as far as formal training. I also interned out west at West Abbey, another major brewery, in San Diego.
SM: As far as the business side of things, who do you work with at Spider Bite?
LG: I have a business partner, my neighbor Anthony LiCausi, who shares the same passion about microbrews as I do. He became very interested from the moment that I got back to New York and shared what I was up to.
SM: I’m interested in the product itself. With Spider Bite, are you hands-on with the flavors, the designs, even the packaging?
LG: Yes. Currently, we have two beers for the summer months, and five total for commercial release. And we’re very hand-on in every element of crafting the beers and how they are finally presented and sold. But, those are just the finished products. Through trial and error, we’ve probably made around 30 beers in the experimental stages, deciding on the five best for marketing.
SM: You must have a very specific palate in order to design what beers you, personally, would like to carry your name. What kind of brews do you like and how has that effected what you craft and sell? Would I learn a lot about what you like by trying a Spider Bite beer?
LG: Oh, definitely. I like the bolder beers, something that’s a big flavor or a big style – and that’s definitely what I brew. Even our lighter beer, the pale ale, I think it full of flavor because it’s my own preference and what I look for when I taste a beer.
SM: So, why Spider Bite as a name?
LG: Well, when we were starting the corporation in 2008, we immediately began brainstorming about the name. At point, we were sitting outside during the summer, having a kind of unofficial meeting, and I just happened to notice that I had some bug bites along me arm – only that had a strange pattern, all in a line. I knew then that they were from a spider and, as simple as it sounds, the brand name actually just came out of that experience! We thought that it sounded catchy and we went with it.
SM: What’s the best part of turning a passion into a sustainable business?
LG: Well, there’s pleasure in the process itself, definitely. But seeing the final product come to market and seeing it being ordered at a pub or a bar is the best feeling. It’s up there with when people come up to me when I’m wearing a logo shirt and they not only know the beer, but they give me complements on it. It’s a
great feeling.
SM: Any advice for people out there who have a similar passion and would like to start a business of their own, or maybe market their own personal microbrew?
LG: It’s a broad subject, but I’ve actually already been approached by many people who want to follow through with a similar goal or market their own brew. I think that starting small and really learning the craft at home, homebrewing your own stuff for a while, helps a lot. You slowly learn the finer details and get better every time. But there’s definitely a difference in making 15 gallons for you and your friends and then making the leap towards mass production. So, as simple as it may be, my best recommendation is knowledge of the business and then, most importantly, putting out the best possible product. That’s the key. If you make a good product, the product will sell itself.
Images courtesy of Spider Bite Brewery
Spider Bite Won The F.X. Matt Memorial Cup - The best Craft Beer Brewery In NY State at the Tap New York Craft Beer And Fine Food Festival In April of 2012.