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Drink Beer at ICONYC Brewery's New Taproom in Astoria

By Jeanmarie Evelly | June 16, 2017 11:53am | Updated on June 19, 2017 9:55am
 ICONYC makes a variety of beer styles, and they like to tweak their recipes and experiment with different flavors, according to owner Laszlo Fodor.
ICONYC makes a variety of beer styles, and they like to tweak their recipes and experiment with different flavors, according to owner Laszlo Fodor.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

ASTORIA — A nanobrewery that's been making beer for more than a year in its production space on Northern Boulevard has opened a taproom and bar nearby where patrons can sample its creations.

ICONYC Brewing Company — pronounced "iconic" — opened the tasting space last month in a storefront at 45-13 34th Ave. off 46th Street, where it has 12 of its beers on tap.

"It's nice to have the direct feedback from the customers and get to know everyone in the neighborhood," said Laszlo Fodor, 30, who started ICONYC last year with two of his childhood friends.

The brewery makes its beers in a 1,500-square-foot space in the basement of the Standard Motor Products building, and its brews have been served at dozens of bars across the city since launching in February 2016.

But the new taproom is a chance for the brewers to sell their products directly to customers, Fodor said.

"Otherwise when they're just having your beer at a random bar, you’re just a random beer, there's no face to it," he explained.

ICONYC Brewing Company

Photo: DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

Fodor started ICONYC with longtime pals Sam Bosrok and Bruno Daddi, three native Astoria residents who grew up blocks apart from one another. The trio met as kids at Playground Thirty-Five, just a short distance from where the new taproom is located.

"It just worked out that way," Fodor said. "It seemed like it was meant to be."

Daddi studied fermentation science at Oregon State University, and the three friends spent years home-brewing together with the goal of eventually opening their own brewery.

In the years that they've been planning, western Queens has become a hotbed for small-scale breweries.

"It's great," Fodor said. "You don’t have to go anywhere anymore to get great beer. It's right around the corner."

ICONYC makes a variety of beer styles, and they like to tweak their recipes and experiment with different flavors, he said. Offerings include stouts, IPAs, saisons and a sour brew that takes six months to make.

"We're constantly having new beers coming out, and we’re constantly coming out with new interesting things," Fodor said.

Some of their more unique brews include a saison made with four different kinds of berries, and another they're working on that's flavored with mango and jalapeño.

"The fact that we're small, we're flexible — we're able to do a lot of different things that maybe a larger brewery might not be able to," Fodor said.

The ICONYC taproom is currently open Wednesdays to Fridays from 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays starting at noon.

ICONYC Brewing Company

Photo: DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly