Long Lot's Harvester Red wins gold at NY's biggest craft beer festival

By Geri Corey
Long Lot Farm Brewery's a winner!
Its Harvester Red was awarded the gold medal in the Pale Ale category at this year’s TAP New York.
The state’s largest craft beer festival, TAP New York hosts its yearly event at Hunter Mountain. This year’s festival, on April 25, welcomed more than 120 breweries from throughout state and featured hundreds of beers.
Amid fierce competition, Harvester Red came out on top.
“Harvester Red is different,” said Long Lot Farm Brewery owner and brewer Curtis Johnson. “Because of the caramel malt, it has color in it. It’s a little on the darker side. With the caramel, a balanced hop profile and little bit of citrus, it almost has a breadiness to it — all adding up to a great tasting beer. The judges liked it.”
Since Long Lot Brewery received a gold medal in the Pale Ale category, Johnson was awarded The John Calen Award for Best Pale Ale. The special plaque award honors John Calen for his commitment to excellent brewing and to TAP New York.
Long on success in a short time
Johnson opened Long Lot Farm Brewery at 153 Johnson Road Chester in February 2018.
“We’re doing very good,” he said.
Along with a steady walk-in business, he’s now distributing his craft beers to local restaurants in Orange County.
Although he said his indoor space might be considered small, he has plenty of space outdoors. Spring through fall is his busiest time of year.
To keep up with his expanded business, Johnson has put in four additional taps, adding to the six he already has. Some of his beers are seasonal, like Blueberry Wheat. He fresh-picks blueberries from Halfway Acres on Goshen's Purgatory Road.
“I brew 18 different beers, and at any given time, I have 10 beers available," he said. "We’re always experimenting, so, most likely, soon I’ll have 20 different beers.”
Long Lot Farm Brewery's hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday and Friday, and from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The brewery is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.