Great Gun
Crassostrea virginica
A wave-tumbled Long Island oyster from Moriches Bay, grown in floating bags near Moriches Inlet. Salty and savory up front, then rich and notably sweet at the finish.
At a Glance
Great Gun is an Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from the US East Coast. It is notably briny (4/5 brininess) and distinctly sweet (4/5 sweetness), with briny, savory, sweet flavors and a finish that is very sweet, with a mild aftertaste.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Very sweet, with a mild aftertaste
Expert Notes
Great Guns are grown in floating bags in the open water of Moriches Bay, close to Moriches Inlet on Long Island's south shore. The farm sits where wind and waves keep the bags moving, and the grower says that constant motion builds a large adductor muscle and full, savory meat. Island Creek Oysters describes the result as salty, savory and rich with a very sweet finish. The grower also hand-tumbles the oysters to keep the shells hard and the cups deep. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Moriches Bay, East Moriches, Long Island, New York
- Size
- Medium (3-3.5 inches)
- Shell Color
- Gray-white to tan
- Meat Color
- Ivory to light gray
Where to Try It
New York City
- Crave Fishbar Midtown East
On these menus when we checked on September 30, 2026. Raw-bar lists change daily.
What Tasters Say
Across 3 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: candied carrot, crisp, clean
"Salty, savory and rich, with an insanely sweet finish, like candied spring carrots."
saltysavoryrichsweet
"Our surface-grown oysters get a workout in the waves, encouraging them to develop rich, savory meats."
richsavory
"We rock and tumble each and every oyster by hand to ensure the ocean’s bounty presents crisp, clean and full."
crispcleanfull
About the Farm
Great Gun Shellfish
Est. 2013Paul McCormick dug clams in the 1990s, left the water for almost 20 years, and came back to start the Great Gun oyster farm in 2013. Island Creek Oysters describes it as the first licensed shellfish farm in Moriches Bay. In 2017 he was leasing 3.67 acres from the Town of Brookhaven and buying seed from Aeros Cultured Oyster Company in Southold.
- Cultivation Method
- floating bags, hand tumbled
History & Background
The farm is named for Great Gun Beach on Fire Island, which lies directly across the bay. Island Creek Oysters reports that the same site was leased in the 1800s to oystermen raising seed for the Great South Bay. The oysters spend summer and fall in floating bags, are sunk to the bottom for winter to avoid ice, and come back to the surface in March.
The farm posts a dated harvest profile on its site and describes six microenvironments on the lease, shaped by sea greens, nearby inlets, freshwater springs and salt marsh.
Did You Know?
- Named for Great Gun Beach on Fire Island
- Oysters are 9 to 20 months old at harvest
- In 2017 the farm held about 100,000 oysters and filtered roughly 5 million gallons of water a day
- The grower uses "suitcase" floating bags that expose one side to the sun to keep them clean
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 3 sources.
- Great Gun Oysters from East Moriches, NY — Island Creek Oysters
- Great Gun Oysters — Great Gun Oysters
- Paul McCormick And His Great Gun Shellfish Company Raise Oysters And Clean Moriches Bay — 27east
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Learn More
The Big Five: A Complete Guide to Commercial Oyster Species
Comprehensive guide to C. virginica (Atlantic), C. gigas (Pacific), C. sikamea (Kumamoto), O. lurida (Olympia), and O. edulis (European Flat)
Read article → Biology & SpeciesThe Atlantic Oyster (C. virginica): From Maritime Brine to Gulf Sweetness
Deep dive into America's indigenous East Coast oyster - flavor profiles, regional variations, and famous varieties
Read article → Merroir & EnvironmentWhat Is Merroir? How Water Shapes Oyster Flavor
Merroir is the marine version of terroir: how salinity, temperature, tides, and plankton in the growing water shape an oyster's flavor. The science, plus how to taste it.
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