Rich Castagna knows beer.

He ought to. He’s been brewing craft beers most of his life. And he and his family—wife Lisa, along with daughters Hailey, Sammy and Mia—have been running the Bridge and Tunnel Brewery in Ridgewood (Queens), NY since 2012.

So good is their product that they were awarded the Ruppert Cup in 2015. Named after brewer and New York Yankees-owner Jacob Ruppert—the guy who brought Babe Ruth to the team—the cup is awarded annually by the New York City Brewer’s Guild to the brewery that crafts the finest beer made exclusively of ingredients grown in New York State.

Plus, their road to the Ruppert is featured in the documentary “Beer Boom: New York City,” produced by Ali Robison and Eric D. Horn, which can currently be seen on Amazon Prime.

And now, the second Bridge and Tunnel Brewery—located at 50 Lake St. in Liberty, NY—is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary.

It’s all thanks to camping.

The Castagnas are native to Queens. In fact, the Bridge and Tunnel started in a one-car garage in Maspeth. In 2014, Lisa and Rich bought a building in Ridgewood which they converted into a brewery, doing the lion’s share of the work themselves.

This included jackhammering. Operating heavy equipment. Sanding planks. Repurposing tanks to suit their brewing needs. And conceiving what would eventually become a welcoming atmosphere.

“We wanted a community tap room where everyone felt welcome,” Rich will tell you. “No fronts. We’re a family-run business, and we’re always looking to welcome newcomers into the B&T family.”

So, how does camping enter into it?

Well, when taking brief but much-needed breaks from Queens, the Castagna family would come up here and camp. It was during one of these trips that they became aware that the former Killian Transfer Building on Lake Street was for sale. They went and checked out the space—and immediately saw potential.

But they also saw work. A lot of work. Did they really want to do this so soon after finishing the Ridgewood location?

“Well,” Rich will say, “the price was right. The deal was so good, we couldn’t turn it down.”

Once again, it fell to the Castagnas to move the mountain themselves. Splitting time between the city, a full-time job and their new project upstate, things moved a bit more slowly this time. In fact, it took seven years before the brewery was ready to open.

But open it did—on Saturday, March 4, 2023. And it is a beautiful, wide-open space, ideal for hosting events.

Of course, many local groups—such as the Rotary Club—have already taken advantage of that. More recently, my friend Anthony Colella has started hosting an open mic on the second Sunday of every month. And I taught my first Sip-and-Paint class there on February 3.

Now, it has to be admitted—I can’t drink beer. I have an allergy to wheat—remember that I’m the cake artist who can’t eat cake?—so I can’t partake in the Bridge and Tunnel’s flagship product. But my husband Fleck can, and let’s just say he’s appreciative.

Fleck prefers his beer to be of the lighter variety—a lager or a pilsner—so his go-to at Bridge and Tunnel is a pilsner such as their Unisphere. But there are far more flavors available than just that.

For example, B&T does a spiced harvest pumpkin ale they call Three Sisters. Dumpster Pool Party is a “summer saison” (season) ale.

Meanwhile, TrampleLlama is an IPA made with mango.

Other craft beverages include: 

Suburban Hazy New England

Transfer Station American Honey Wheat

Ol’ Gilmartin Milk and Oatmeal Stout (which I used for these cupcakes)

B&T Scrumpy Cider

Force of Will Nutella Stout

Things That Live Under My Bed Coquito Cream Ale

B&T Sour Porter

You get the idea.

Sitting at the bar in the taproom and reading over the list of craft beers, it’s obvious that the Castagnas enjoy experimenting with different flavors and a variety of ingredients—something that somebody like me can absolutely appreciate.

That’s why this month our project is the Bridge and Tunnel Beer and Pretzel Cupcake. It captures the spirit that the Castagnas have brought to their creations—a willingness to experiment, the courage not to fear hard work and/or failure, and the feel

ing of pride that comes when you provide a quality product that brings people together.

As for the Bridge and Tunnel Brewery in Liberty, they’re about to celebrate the first anniversary of their opening. The Castagnas plan on throwing a party, tentatively scheduled at this writing for Sunday, March 3, which will feature a screening of the film “Beer Boom: New York City.” Call for details at 347/392-8593.

Oh, and there will be a small talk regarding the brewing of beer at home.

“People forget that they can do this themselves,” Rich often says. “The process shouldn’t be kept secret by a small group of connected brewers. I’d like people to know how much fun they can have doing this.”

The Bridge and Tunnel in Liberty is dog-friendly. Their current hours are Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Make sure to stop by and enjoy some conversation and a brew.

Kim M. Simons is an artist, food artist and cake artist. A two-time Food Network champion, Kim has also painted more than 10 of the doves on the Sullivan County NY Dove Trail. Kim is available to teach classes privately or in groups, and can often be found in regional venues—including Hector’s Inn, Pelkey’s Tavern, Bridge and Tunnel, the White Sulphur Springs Inn, the Callicoon Brewing Company and Kenoza Hall—teaching Sip & Paint classes. Visit Kim at www.cakesbykimsimons.com. 

In a stand mixer, add cake mix, pudding, oil and eggs. Gradually add the beer to the mixture. Mix until combined, beating for about a minute...

Spoon batter into cupcake tins, filling about 3/4 of the way...

Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting...

Mix the frosting ingredients in a stand mixer on high speed for 4 minutes. Choose your favorite caramel sauce to fill the cupcakes.

Using a piping bag filled with your favorite caramel sauce and a cupcake-filling tip, fill the centers of all cupcakes. ..

Use a piping bag filled with stout buttercream and a decorative tip to decorate the cupcakes.