From Boos to Brews: An interview with Old Tappan Brewing Company

If you checked the bucket lists of a wide array of horror fans, don’t be surprised if you find “make a horror movie” and “open a brewery.” (You also might find “double tap a zombie,” but let’s stay in reality) Two horror fans have turned both of those ambitions into a reality by opening Long Island, New York’s Old Tappan Brewing Company.

Located 30 miles east of New York City, Old Tappan is the brainchild of producer Brent Kunkle and key grip Matthew Cryan. The duo met while working on the set of Glenn McQuaid’s film “I Sell the Dead,” and subsequently worked together for years on films from Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix. The idea to start a brewery began incubating on the set of 2014’s “Late Phases.” When they realized they lived near each other on Long Island, talks about starting a brewery resumed. In mid-2019, Old Tappan was born out of an empty dance studio on the town of Bayville’s main strip. “When we started the brewery we didn't have a ton of money,” says Kunkle. “We didn't have a long history of working in the brewing business, we just had the will to do it and enough knowledge from making batches of beer in the garage to feel like we had a fighting chance!” Luckily, working on film sets had already built up the fight in them.

“Dealing with long hours and creating something from nothing” is Cryan’s response when asked how filmmaking and brewing can be similar. It makes sense, since his previous role as a Key Grip helped him to expect the unexpected. “The Best Boy Grip or 2nd Grip runs the Grip department as per direction from the Key Grip,” explains Cryan. “They hire crew, maintain the gear and equipment inventory, and make sure the department can function properly during the course of the shoot.” Anyone who’s worked in production can tell you that along with patience and creativity, vigilance is key. Despite several departments working in tandem to achieve the same goal, no one day on set ever goes as planned. Problem solving is one of the most essential skills you develop from set life, and for Cryan and Kunkle, there are no other departments to lean on. “On a film set, certainly an indie low-budget film set, you learn very quickly to be resourceful, to not get flustered and to just simply find a way to get the movie in the can because you are passionate about what you are doing.”

Amityville isn’t the only Long Island legend.

While Old Tappan is a brewery first, there are plenty of horror easter eggs all over the space, including posters of films they’ve worked on (such as “Hypothermia,” “Late Phases” and “Stake Land”) and holdover equipment from their production days like apple boxes, sandbags, and a dolly track they’ve repurposed into a railing. There’s a seasonal beer named Nosferatu Black and an IPA named after the local legend of the Bog Monster. You can even buy posters of their beer that parody horror movies. As for the beer itself, don’t expect a gimmicky menu of ten IPAs and one “curiosity” beer. The Blueberry Ale is an ale first, with a hint of blueberry you can enjoy during a session. Kunkle and Cryan aim to serve the type of beer you can sit and enjoy with friends, or while you watch a movie.

Speaking of which, what beer pairs well with Wes Craven? The red ale on tap is too easy an answer, but there’s plenty of time to find out when the brewery starts holding movie nights with a screen and projector, post-covid-19. “The film industry is at the core of who we are and it was on film sets where we became friends and eventually developed into brewing partners” says Kunkle. “We've been itching to start a ‘movie night’ at the brewery to pay homage to our film roots and share some of the movies we worked on together in the film industry. Maybe even brew a special beer to kick off the series!” The plan is to start off showing the horror films they’ve worked on, then expand to other films and genres, as well. “Everyone familiar with the brewery knows us as brewers, so it might be fun to peel back another layer and hopefully it'll be fun for people to see what we were up to as filmmakers.” It could potentially be the best methadone until Long Island gets an Alamo Drafthouse. For Cryan and Kunkle, it would be bridging two of the most coveted careers for horror fans.

For more on Old Tappan Brewing Company, check them out at https://www.oldtappanbrewingcompany.com/

About The Author

Featured

Nov 4, 2020

Lowell Greenblatt

Nov 4, 2020

Lowell Greenblatt was that kid at sleepovers who wanted you to rewind so he could see how the effects were done. He’s a human IMDB with a BFA in Dramatic Writing, and sustains himself on iced coffee, blu-rays, and the love (and tolerance) of his wife.