5 Long Island breweries with craft beer and games on tap
Christina Colantonio, of Rockville Centre, plays cornhole in the LI Kick Cornhole League at the Great South Bay Brewery. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Breweries have become the new hot hangouts. Not only do they offer craft beers and munchies, but several provide games for their customers. Here are five locations where you can get some suds while playing with your buds.
OYSTER BAY BREWING CO.
36 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay
Head to the historic hamlet of Oyster Bay, where the Oyster Bay Brewing Co. provides up to 15 open taps and games are rollin’. Play some pinball on the "Jaws"-themed machine or take a swing in the virtual golf video game Golden Tee.
Outdoor seating at Oyster Bay Brewing Co., in Oyster Bay. Credit: Linda Rosier
You can also go old school by shooting pool, playing shuffleboard or throwing darts. The first Wednesday of the month is trivia and bingo night at 7:30. The second and third Wednesday of the month is movie night.
Pints range from $7 to $10, and Knot of This World hot pretzels ($8) are sold with spicy brown mustard. Order food from next-door neighbor Teddy’s Bully Bar with a QR code and it will be delivered to your table.
MORE INFO 516-802-5546, oysterbaybrewing.com
GREAT SOUTH BAY BREWERY
25 Drexel Dr., Bay Shore
Get in a round of golf at the Bay Shore location of Great South Bay Brewery, where there are three golf bay simulators ($30 per hour, advance online reservations only).
"Whether you bring your own clubs or use ours, we have everything that you need to get in a round of golf ... and beer," marketing and brand manager Rob Beatty says. "You can play a regular game of golf or work on your swing by using the target range mode. Our golf simulators have a wide array of gaming options to choose from."
Christina Colantonio and Krista Lambert play cornhole in the LI Kick Cornhole League at the Great South Bay Brewery/ Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Other ways to game include cornhole, darts, pool table plus trivia on Tuesday nights and bingo on Wednesday nights.
An in-house kitchen serves 12-inch personal pies ($15-$21), pretzel dogs ($17), Philadelphia steak-and-cheese egg rolls ($14.50) and rotisserie rubbed chicken wings ($16.50); and shareable snacks such as Loaded Pretzels ($18.50) and Nachos Grande ($15). Wash it all down with a brew ($8.50-$10.50) from more than 20 beers on tap.
MORE INFO 631-392-8472, greatsouthbaybrewery.com
BARRIER BREWING CO.
3001 New St., Suite A2, Oceanside
A flight of beers includes several IPAs at Barrier Brewing Co. in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Come to Barrier Brewing Co. in Oceanside, where various nights offer different games. Tuesdays focus on board games (Scrabble, Jenga, backgammon, Yahtzee) and trivia. Once a month on Friday, play Nintendo Wii games. Open mic night is the last Friday of the month.
"The games are what make the brewery different from going to a bar. They organically add to the conversation," general manager Gabby Carlo says. "It’s better than just watching TV, which you can do at home."
The in-house kitchen serves personal pizza ($12-$15), pretzel bites served with beer cheese and spicy mustard ($15) and more. Other food is provided by The 3rd Rail food truck daily except Wednesdays, selling items like chicken Parmesan sliders ($8). There are also 17 beers on tap (pints $6-$9, flights $15-$20).
MORE INFO 516-594-1028, barrierbrewing.com
SIX HARBORS BREWING COMPANY
243 New York Ave., Huntington
Seth Fields, left and Leighann Fields, of Hauppauge, pose with their dog, Lacey, at the Six Harbors Brewing Company in Huntington. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Huntington’s Six Harbors Brewing Company embraces games on a regular basis. Jump into some Giant Jenga, a card game of Deceiver, darts and cornhole. There are also an organized cornhole league, a Tuesday indoor dart league, trivia the first Wednesday of the month, open mic night the first Friday of the month and acoustic guitar Sundays.
The beer is flowing, with 10 types on tap, including Bay Hills Blueberry Wheat, an American wheat brew, and Seclusion Infusion, a hazy, juicy New England IPA (flights $11, pints $9). Also, find a second-floor speakeasy "Harbor lights Stillhouse" and tasting room, showcasing in-house spirit craft cocktails.
Food includes personal pizzas ($10-$11) or hot pretzels ($6). Food trucks are on site on the weekend and there's live music Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m.
MORE INFO 631-470-1560, sixharborsbrewingcompany.com
SOUTH SHORE CRAFT BREWERY
3505 Hampton Rd., Oceanside
From left, Rigo Camacho and Israel Rodriguez practice throwing before a cornhole tournament at South Shore Craft Brewery. Credit: Alexandra Moreo
There’s no shortage of fun at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside, where games rule the day.
Mondays bring competitive cornhole with the South Shore Baggers; Tuesdays are for Crokinole, a flick-and-score game where you shoot wooden discs across a slick board, aiming for the bull's-eye. Wednesdays feature a fun, social cornhole league hosted by LI Kick, and Thursdays are trivia nights with prizes. The brewery also keeps a lineup of classic games ready to play, including Jenga, Uno and Battleship.
"The games keep the customers engaged," says master brewer Pete Tripp. "It makes everyone more interactive with each other, creating a social environment."
Food is available from on-site Shoreline Kitchen, serving grilled jumbo hot dogs with mustard, sauerkraut and chips or fries ($15); chicken tenders basket with chips or fries ($15); and smashburger with fries or chips ($18). Enjoy 20 beers on tap ($8 pints, $12 flights) including flagship Haviland lager, a clean crisp, classic American Pilsner.
MORE INFO 516-388-6685, southshorecraftbrewery.com
Newsday's Dorothy Guadagno contributed to this story.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
