Somerset Brewing is about to trade its small West Hempstead taproom for a building more than twice the size. The brewery plans to open a 5,000-square-foot taproom with a full restaurant at 116 Cherry Valley Ave. sometime in October, just across the parking lot from its current home at 94C Cherry Valley Ave., the Long Island Press reports. No exact date yet, but Bureau field analysis says this specimen is leveling up.
A doctor who builds breweries
Somerset’s co-owner and brewer, Dr. Manny Fajardo, grew up in nearby Garden City. According to the Press, he worked in construction in Miami for five years after college, then went to medical school and became an attending physician in Manhattan, until he reached a decision point during the pandemic.
“I had been homebrewing for about 10 years and loved the way I could use my knowledge of organic chemistry to experiment and perfect recipes,” Fajardo told the paper. He set up a one-barrel system in his brother Michael’s garage in Garden City and developed recipes for many of the beers Somerset pours today. He owns the brewery with Michael and their brother-in-law, Brendan Trillhaase.
Those construction years came back around: Somerset signed the new lease in early 2025, and Fajardo has been building the space out himself.
We took over an industrial building that was standing since 1940 and had to rip out three layers of flooring and install all new electric and plumbing.
Dr. Manny Fajardo, to the Long Island Press
Somerset Brewing, old taproom vs. new
Bureau telemetry, per the Press:
| Current taproom | New taproom and restaurant | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 94C Cherry Valley Ave. | 116 Cherry Valley Ave. |
| Brewhouse | 4 barrels | 10 barrels |
| Size | Less than half the new building | About 5,000 sq. ft., plus a 3,000-sq.-ft. patio |
| Food | Rotating food trucks | Full restaurant led by Howard “Howie” Fuchs |
| Drinks license | Farm brewery license; New York State spirits, wines and ciders | Full liquor license |
| Extras | Not reported | Handmade wooden bar seating up to 35, sound system for live music, indoor game room |
The real power core is the serving setup. “Our new taproom has 16 Brite serving tanks that can hold 40 times the amount of beer we currently serve,” Fajardo said. Beer will go straight from brewing into those tanks, which he says “saves time on kegging and makes sure we will always have the freshest beer on tap.”
A food-truck favorite moves into the kitchen
The restaurant, a bigger leap that added construction and permitting time, gets its chef from Somerset’s own food truck rotation. Fuchs runs Smokin’ Sandy Pineapple, a smashburger-and-BBQ truck that has also parked at Barrier Brewing, Lunchbox and Bright Eye. The Press says he’ll add bratwursts, Bavarian-style pretzels with beer cheese and a planned weekend brunch to his burgers and barbecue.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to join Manny at his new restaurant and serve a menu that complements his great lineup of beers,” Fuchs said.
The beers making the jump
The Press says favorites will carry over. ABVs and descriptions are from Somerset’s website:
- Harmon, hazy summer Kölsch, 6% ABV. The brewery calls it “Our flagship easy-drinking kölsch with a hop twist.”
- Memphis, festbier, 5.5% ABV. The site says it’s “named after my first dog Memphis.”
- Millie, single dry-hopped IPA, 5.9% ABV. Sources disagree on the hops: the Press lists Amarillo, Galaxy and Mosaic, while the brewery’s site lists Nelson, Azacca and Amarillo.
- Perceus, double dry-hopped IPA, 5.8% ABV, with what the brewery calls its “signature double dry hopped citra, amarillo, and mosaic blend.”
When the portal opens
Somerset hasn’t announced an opening date beyond October, and neither source says what happens to the 94C taproom once the new space opens. The new building sits across the street from a ballfield, and Fajardo sees it as a community hangout: “Growing up nearby, I always wanted this area to have a place where you could bring your family, have a beer and relax.” Bureau sensors will report back once the doors open, Earthlings.
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