Garden City Long Island

Haven’t been yet but noble savage in glen cove is gaining some hype.

 

Noble Savage makes very good beer but don’t be surprised at the price/pint.

Garvies Point is also solid and has a big taproom with food on the water.

Lastly, my personnel preference for that area is Black Sheep Ale House in Mineola. Not a brewery but the tap list is always fantastic. It’s also the closest option.

 

Yeah. @EDNOSE - With you looking for something between games, the less time driving the better. Black Sheep Ale House is the first place to check out for beer in the area. Check out the taplist on beermenus. Having said that, I haven't been there in years.

For a brewery, you can check out Lost Farmer Brewing, which I guess is right down the street from Black Sheep. I've never been... and I don't remember ever having a beer of their's (their visual branding is really off-putting to me).

Since you mentioned food, if you like European beer you can look at options that are more restaurant focused - there's Prost for a German theme and Waterzooi for Belgian. I've been to Waterzooi once ages ago. So - a lot of stuff in this post isn't a personal recommendation, but rather, options I'm aware of.

 

second Waterzooi.

 

Franklin Square is close to where you’ll be, go to Plattdeutsche Park Biergarten or the original LI Croxley’s (they are within a mile of each other). Plattdeutsche is for my money the best German place east of Queens on the entire Island and the outdoor area is large and the Biergarten itself is beautiful. Croxley’s has good beer and an excellent pub food menu (can’t beat their wings).

Second @BoardwalkBock and @zid on the Black Sheep in Mineola but that’s based on their taplist alone. I wouldn’t recommend any brewery from where you’ll be if I’m being honest. That area is a dead zone for that and NS and GP are both too far (and too expensive) to bother with. If you’re looking for good beer strictly to go (packaged) go to Universal Beverage in Carle Place which shouldn’t be far. Eddie’s a bit pricy but the guy brings in excellent beer. Even living on LI, albeit a bit of a drive for me from Suffolk, if either of my kids have dance/sports things going on, I make it a point to look at their IG page to see what’s new. Only store I know of on LI that gets Schilling and a good assortment (not just Alexandr).

I know how these sporting events are for the kids and that area is a cluster-eff so the less you’re on the road, the better for you lol.

 

It’s up to you (I have a 13 and an almost 10 year old who are extremely busy so I understand this stuff) but if you want exacts from where your hotel is, PM me what exactly it is you’re looking for and I will lead you in the right direction

 

If you have a solo afternoon then take the ride to Root + Branch. Probably about 30 min drive traffic depending. Black Sheep is close to Garden city so thats good for a quick pop in beer.

 

There are a few spots in LI that are worthwhile. My experience with black sheep has been a dirty bar with dirty draft lines. I won't go back there. LI has some decent stuff it's just so spaced out. A lot of breweries that are skippable. Root and branch is easily the best brewery on LI. Noble Savage will knock your socks off. Barrier is super solid. Threes in huntington is a fine establishment. Good guest cans there too. You might find some unique-to-the area stuff. West Babylon superstar will get all the good stuff distro can offer, including some rare and special drops (I.e. the only place to get The Test Brewery outside of Brooklyn). That being said most of that stuff is quite an adventure from Garden City, especially with LI traffic.

 

If you’re looking for packaged beer, Universal is pretty much right in-between those two places and Hicksville Beer and Soda is a good spot too. R+B would be about 20-25 minutes without traffic, from Cantiague, so if you got time to kill, I’d say go for it. Just…there’s always traffic on this damned island so take that into consideration if you think you have to rush. Don’t think there’ll be much more of a crowd at R+B than usual to be honest.

The rest of the breweries mentioned in this thread are really not close to where the games are at all. If you go to R+B and have time, The Good Life in Massapequa Park is good and The Tap Room has multiple LI locations and that’s usually decent.

 

Garden Social which is essentially across the street from Eisenhower park has some decent stuff on tap usually. Food isnt bad there either.

 

Yep, that Marriott really changes nothing. Used to hang out in their bar after Islanders games back in the day. Good luck in the tournament and good luck finding beer. Rockville Centre and Farmingdale are a bit of a ride but you got a Tap House and a Croxley’s in both towns and pretty lively Main Sts. to check out. My Franklin Square suggestions aren’t too far either.

 

If you can make it to RVC, go to Press 195 for beer and food. Sandwiches/burgers and always solid beer list. Had HF Florence on tap the other day.

 

You will not be spoiled for choice. I've never been to Garden Social (which was already mentioned in the thread), but if you're just looking for a meal and an IPA brewed on Long Island (including Brooklyn/Queens) and you want to hardly drive, it'll probably scratch that itch. Don't expect Root + Branch there. Their beer menu is on Untappd and they'll be just down the road from you. If you and your son want old-fashioned (small) counter service burgers and fries, the Burger City that's right there will be a convenient option.

If you want to pop into a close beer store, try Beverage Barn East Meadow. It's very close to Garden Social. You can buy anything from a 4/6 pack as a single. Remember to go into their walk-in fridge on the left by their cold macros. That's where they keep Grimm IPAs and things of that nature - even though it's easy to miss that spot. It's not an amazing store, but the folks are friendly, the location is very close (especially to Garden Social), and being able to buy singles can be a plus with travel.

All of the above will be slightly east of your hotel and a very easy drive. If you drive north to the more commercial shopping area instead, you can hit that Universal Beverage. I haven't been there in ages. There were things about that shop that annoyed me, but some of the people there back in the day were quite nice. If they are still like they were in the past, they are probably more likely to have beer from trendy breweries than Beverage Barn. Make sure to check dates. Another tip - approach them slowly with your car. Their super tiny parking lot can catch you by surprise and the roads there are very narrow.

Also heading north, but closer than Universal is Total Wine. If you go to Universal and have the time (and patience from your son), it would make sense to hit both stores at the same time. Unlike the Total Wines in CT by you, the NY location can't sell beer in the same space as wine, so they have a neighboring business/store called New York Marketplace and Brewery District (yeah, it's a terrible name). You use the same front door, but then take the door on the left. Their beer section is better than your average Total Wine. If you are interested in NY breweries, they'll have stuff for you on the right wall after you walk in (and some stuff further back on the left wall). They also sell everything as a single, but if you are breaking a four pack because you can't find singles of that beer on the shelf, I'd do so inconspicuously. It's not something they encourage. Beer stores on Long Island can sometimes feel more like dirty warehouses (or antique shops) than stores. The Total Wine is a good choice if you want the opposite experience and cleanliness.

 

Looking at your original request, let me add this - Somerset Brewing is about 15min west of your hotel. If you are simply looking for a cookie-cutter craft brewery... the kind of place that has popped up in every town, where you can get beer that doesn't stand out, a food truck, outdoor space, and people hanging out with their kids... then this place might scratch your itch. If I sound too negative, keep in mind it's just how I view such places and it says as much about me as it does about the industry. If you don't expect the kind of place that gets its own thread on BeerAdvocate, then you might find it's a good fit for you given the lack of alternatives. We're at that point where I can't even remember the names of these places. Hope this all helps. Have fun on your trip.

 

So…how did it go?