[title]
We’ve already given you some ideas for great eating and drinking day trips in the New York area from beloved local pizza joints to comfort food establishments, but sometimes you just want to get out of town and grab a drink. (Or sample all the drinks.) At a spot you can easily take a train to, and don’t have to worry about driving home from. These six drinking destinations are all easily reached in a day and accessible via New York public transportation. Hit one up for your next Saturday escape from the city.
1. Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Directions: Take Metro-North to the Valhalla stop and then a taxi about 3 miles west
Distance: An hour
The tasting room at this Hudson Valley brewery offers two 12-tap towers so it can definitely accommodate a crowd. You can choose whether you want to sample a range of offerings on tap or fill up a growler and settle in for a bit. With large windows opening onto the brewery from the sampling room, it’s easy to take in all the action. Tours of the brewery are offered as well.
2. Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard
Directions: L.I.R.R. to Ronkonkoma and then the North Fork Express Bus
Distance: 90 minutes
The Long Island Rail Road offers a getaway deal for visiting a few North Fork vineyards including this spot that offers 10 percent off their wines for L.I.R.R. riders on select Saturdays. The package deal also includes a visit to the excellent Duck Walk Vineyards Tasting Room.
3. Brotherhood Winery
Directions: New Jersey Transit to Salisbury Mills Cornwall and then a 3-mile cab ride
Distance: Two hours
This one’s a drinking getaway for history buffs. Just two hours from NYC, this destination is the oldest winery operating in America. You can take a tour of historic grounds and underground cellars and peek at a vault containing some of the oldest vintages in America. Afterwards, try your hand at tasting the wines in Brotherhood’s modern showroom.
4. Shinn Estate Vineyards
Directions: Take the L.I.R.R. to Mattituck and then a cab 2.6 miles north
Distance: Two hours
The tasting room at this North Fork vineyard is open from 10:30am-8pm on Saturdays and from 10:30am-5pm on Sundays. Started by two native Midwesterners, the wines at Shinn Estate Vineyards are now some of the most acclaimed in the region. You can also stay and pamper yourself at the Farmhouse Inn.
5. Barrier Brewing Co.
Directions: Take the L.I.R.R. to the East Rockaway station
Distance: One hour
Stop by this buzzy brewery located just outside the city for growler fills, pints and overall good times. Every Friday night, Barrier Brewing offers a special cask version of one of their beers along with the showing of a “live concert DVD” starting at 7pm.
6. Peekskill Brewery
Directions: Take Metro-North to the Peekskill Station
Distance: An hour and a half
Fill up on house brews like the Uncommon Lager, Hangry Bock, Wakeup Call, Lower Standard and more at this Hudson Valley brewery just steps from the local Metro-North station. Every Sunday, the brewery throws a “Sunday Funday” outdoor party with beers, live music and local cheap eats.