Beer people are cool. Beer people are fun. And at heart, they are some of the best people out there. When Hurricane Sandy struck, Barrier Brewing Co. in Oceanside on the south shore of Long Island on October 28 sustained damage to the tune of $100,000. And guess who showed up to help. Eight neighboring Long Island breweries and distributor Clare Rose got together a month later to brew Surge Protector, a collaborative IPA benefiting Barrier Brewing and others affected by Sandy. Each brewer donated a different ingredient and brainstormed about style and recipes. Upon realizing I would be on vacation for the beer’s release, I started contacting the…