Most of us have had a pint or tow, or maybe even three at Southampton’s
gem of a pub, The Publick House. The microbrewery, restaurant and bar gains more
and more attention each year, enjoying repeat customers, an excellent reputation
and the new students from Stony Brook Southampton who enjoy discussing green
technology over a pint. But this year is an extra special year for owner Don
Sullivan and brewer Phil Markowski. They have been approached by the fourth largest
beer distributor in America, Texas based Pabst Brewing Company, and have agreed
to contract brew for the company, who will then market and sell the brand to
major US markets, including Chicago, Atlanta and Houston. I asked Sullivan if
you was excited about the news to which he replied, “You could say that.”

Over the years, both men have been selling their brews to bars and restaurants
in the Northeast all way down to Washington, DC, with great success. Sullivan
told me, “The demand is always there for our beer. Phil is simply an
excellent brewer. He was the best hire I ever made.”

The Texans think the same and believe that the brews from the Publick House
have an appeal and taste that will fit the nation. Having the Publick House
brews match themselves up with Pabst Brewing Company is a very big deal and
almost never happens in the brewing industry. But as consumers’ taste
for beer has evolved, so has the striking growth of microbreweries that turn
brewing into a work of art. The standout microbrewers are the ones with the
most flavor, style and sense of trueness to the area they come from. The beers
from the Southampton Publick House are among those that truly stand out, and
have won countless awards, including from The New York Times. Pabst Brewing
Company has taken note and is betting dollars that the nation will feel the
same way.

What is truly remarkable about all of this is how rare it is for a microbrewery
to be approached by a national macrobrewery. When Pabst first approached The
Publick House, Sullivan assumed they were doing this with a large number of
microbrewers, but quickly learned that his beers were being singled out.

Sullivan has worked in the restaurant business since high school, but moved
out to Southampton to start The Publick House in 1996, and has been making
beer history every since. The Southampton Publick House offers ten different
beers divided into three categories known as Sessions, XXII series and Farmhouse
750 series. The most popular of their brews is the XXII series and the Sessions
beer, which you will be able to get while vacationing in Miami by sometime
next year. The Sessions series include Secret Ale, Double White Ale and India
Pale Ale, while the XXII series beers include the Imperial Porter, Triple Abbey
Style Ale and Pumpkin Ale. Pabst will not distribute the Farmhouse 750 series,
which is sold in 750 milliliter bottles. Pabst will market the beer with the
help of its over 1000 employees who are dedicated solely to marketing and also
through 165 of their distributorships located across the country.

The story of the Southampton Publick House is truly that of the American dream,
but in a way, even with all of its current success, Sullivan and Markowski
feel like they are just starting out, that there is so much more to accomplish
with their beer. They know that eventually, no matter where fans of their beer
are located, whether its in Chicago, Florida or the Hamptons, they will be
able to get a taste of home from a pint of Publick House beer. Knowing just
that much puts a smile on their faces.