A sign on the window at T.J. Finley's casually urges
you to "drink real beer." And that cause has become easier to toast on Long Island. Nassau and Suffolk boast more and more joints where you'll find great beer and ale, places where nobody cares whether Bud goes Belgian or Coors catches a silver bullet.
You can plot a staycation based on beer and a designated driver, through breweries and brewpubs, bars and restaurants, and retailers where you can take a quick tour of the beer world.
Begin the trip with these super-sudsers.
And let us know your favorites, too.
Black Forest Brew Haus
2015 New Highway, Farmingdale; 631-391-9500,
blackforestbrewhaus.com
Black Forest sells its own brews, and has a casual restaurant and small beer garden-patio. Try a "plowman's platter" of sausages and sauerkraut. The pilsner, amber and wheat beer are summery.
Blue Point Brewing Co.
161 River Ave., Patchogue; 631-475-6944,
bluepointbrewing.com
Down Blue Point's brews at the tasting room, in pubs and restaurants, and by the bottle at local retailers. Toasted Lager is smooth; Hoptical Illusion, a refreshing India Pale Ale.
Brick House Brewery
67 W. Main St., Patchogue; 631-447-2337,
brickhousebrewery.com
Party on with a pint of higher-octane Summer Buzz or hoppy Hurricane Kitty. The back room is good for families, the front for of-age revelers. Cuisine goes from sandwiches, burgers and pizza to sauerbraten, fajitas and chicken parm.
Canterbury's Oyster Bar & Grill
46 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay; 516-922-3614,
canterburyalesrestaurant.com
Nine beers on tap and 99 by the bottle define Canterbury, a haven for devotees of oysters, burgers, steaks, in an informal, friendly chowder-house setting.
Croxley Ales
190 Main St., Farmingdale, 516-293-7700
129 New Hyde Park Rd., Franklin Square, 516-326-9542
7-9 S. Park Ave., Rockville Centre, 516-764-0470
croxley.com
North Shore
