USA, NY: Southpaw Brewing Co. just weeks away from opening

Southpaw Brewing Co. is inching closer to opening in Yaphank’s new development The Boulevard, a mix-use property along William Floyd Parkway, the Greater Long Island reported on May 14.

On April 22, the brewery announced on Instagram that it’s “just weeks away” from opening.

The brewery — the idea of cousins James Economou and Thomas Neidhart, along with Thomas’s sons TJ Neidhart and Michael Neidhart — promises to raise the bar on the local beer scene.

Economou is a longtime college football coach and former professional offensive lineman. Thomas is the owner of Southpaw Construction Company. So why a brewery?

A few years back, Thomas approached his cousin about opening a bagel shop, but he turned it down to take a coaching gig at Campbell University in North Carolina. “I said, as a joke, ‘If you are really interested in opening a business together, let’s do a brewery.'” And then Economou left.

Then the pandemic hit. “It just felt the right time to move back home,” said Economou. “I just wanted to be around family.” That’s when the idea started heating up about going into business together.

Having traveled the country for football, the Coram native noticed something on the island. Outside of Long Island, breweries had excellent food and he wanted to bring that concept home.

“I know places [on Long Island] have food trucks here, but I’m talking about in-house service with multiple options,” he explained to Greater Long Island.

That’s when the team recruited Matt Rappa, the owner of La Bistro Pizzeria in Wading River, and Southpaw Brewing Co. was officially born.

“We wanted him to take us to the next level of service and to putting out great quality food,” said Economou. “He has proven great food.”

Southpaw Brewing Co.’s beer will be brewed off-site in Oyster Bay and will be labeled with its own craft beer brand. The brewery will have ten different beers, ranging from pilsners to IPAs to seltzers. Southpaw will have a full liquor license as well and serve up signature cocktails.

“We want to have something for everybody to enjoy,” Economou said. “We’ll have really fancy entree-inspired appetizers, but there will also be salads as well. We’re trying to hit as many people as we can.”

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