Hop on Long Island Rail Road for Discounted Summer Brewery Tours, Downtown Day Trips and Getaways

Breweries Create Special Beers to Honor the LIRR 

View Video from News Conference   

View Photos of Local Breweries and News Conference  

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has crafted a number of great summer discount packages to enjoy the region’s reopening by getting you from the train to the most special spots on Long Island including its breweries and wineries, quaint downtown villages and everything in between. 

The Long Island Brewery Tour package includes a visit to two South Shore breweries for beer tastings and lunch at the Village of Patchogue. This escorted tour package includes discounted round-trip rail and bus transportation, beer tastings at Sand City Brewing Co. and Great South Bay Brewery, and a stop at Patchogue for shopping and dining. Tour dates are Saturday, July 31 and Saturday, August 21. Adult-only tickets are $63.50. 

In addition to the packages both breweries will feature special beers during the tour weeks:  July 26-August 1 and again August 16-22 to honor the Long Island Rail Road. Sandy City Brewing Co. Will serve a “Cannonball” IPA and Great South Bay Brewery will serve a “Long Island Ale Road,” Long Island Ale Road a 5% Pale Ale with a classic feel and citrus notes. 

“The Long Island Rail Road is all about connecting people and communities – and we’re proud to continue that tradition by highlighting the great businesses and downtown areas our beautiful Island has to offer,” said LIRR President Phillip Eng. “As the island bounces back, plan a daytrip and take advantage of this great value tour of two of Long Island’s best local breweries and vibrant downtowns.  Using the LIRR across our region is easier than ever. See you on the train!”  

“With our world class wineries, breweries, and vibrant downtowns, there is no better place to spend your summer than right here in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “As we continue on our road to reopening, I encourage all of our residents to hop on the LIRR to take advantage of these deals and support our local businesses who have been especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”   

"What a wonderful partnership between the LIRR and the local business communities.  This is an especially timely event which will help to showcase some of our new and local establishments,” said Lindenhurst Mayor Michael Lavorata. “The suggestion to use the LIRR to travel between localities without the need to drive naturally reduces the potential of DWI!  It is a safe and enjoyable way to visit your favorite local breweries, restaurants and pubs." 

"The LIRR is 319 miles long and has 124 stations. There are endless possibilities of travel and leisure while riding the Long Island Rail Road. Great South Bay Brewery is honored to be part of your summer travel destinations and we hope to encourage locals and tourists alike to take the LIRR,” said Clare Thomas-Allen, Marketing and Events Coordinator Great South Bay Brewery. 

"Sand City Brewing is excited to be part of another great community here on the south shore. With the LIRR as a neighbor, guests have even more opportunities to travel safely and easily,” said Bill Kiernan, co-owner Sand City Brewery. 

The escorted tour packages coincide with the MTA’s #TaketheTrain, #TaketheBus Campaign which features “New York is Open” images of the region’s alluring open spaces that can be reached by MTA services, such as Long Beach – encouraging people to use the MTA’s trains and buses to get out and explore all the region has to offer. 

All LIRR escorted tours are managed by an LIRR representative, who meets the tour participants at the beginning of the tour and escorts them throughout the tour to maximize the customer experience. This includes coordination of the train trip and securing seating, explaining the tour itinerary, transferring to connecting buses, handling admission to venues or restaurants, and keeping  the group together and on schedule right until customers return to the departing station. 

Other LIRR Discounted Tour Packages  

Long Island Wine Country 

Visit Long Island’s Wine Country to enjoy tastings of the North Fork region’s local wine and serene scenery. This escorted tour package includes discounted round-trip rail and bus transportation, wine tastings at Duck Walk Vineyards and Pindar Vineyards, a visit to the seaport Village of Greenport and a stop at Briermere Farms for fresh baked pies and produce. 

Dates: Saturdays -- July 24, August 14, September 11 and October 23 

Price: $70.75 for adults 

North Fork Fruit & Hard Cider 

Visit Long Island’s North Fork to pick seasonal fresh fruit right from the orchards! Enjoy a wide selection of naturally harvested apple ciders, local beer and wine, and other apple-infused treats at Riverhead Ciderhouse. This escorted tour package includes discounted round-trip rail and bus transportation, tractor ride and seasonal fruit picking at Wickham’s Farms, tastings at Riverhead Ciderhouse and a visit to the Village of Port Jefferson. 

Dates: Saturdays -- August 28 and September 25 

Price: $66.25 for adults. $41.75 for children 

Greenport Rail Fan Tour 

Take a history tour with Guest Historian Guides explaining the history of the Long Island Rail Road and its original travel to Greenport. Visit the Greenport Railroad Museum and have lunch at Greenport Village. Receive a Commemorative pin, the 185th LIRR Anniversary book, a seven-page handout presenting LIRR’s first trip to Greenport – all provided by the Railroad Museum. 

Date: Saturday, October 16  

Price: $44.50 for adults. $23 for children 

Montauk Lighthouse 

Visit the “ultimate” seaside resort community at the tip of Long Island: Montauk. This escorted tour package includes discounted round-trip rail and bus transportation, admission to the Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum and stops at Montauk Village and Gosman’s Dock. 

Dates: Saturdays -- July 17, August. 7, September 18 & October 9 

Price: $51.75 for adults. $40.25 for children 

For more information about discount rail and admission packages, visit https://new.mta.info/daytrips 

More LIRR Summer Incentives 

Between Saturday, July 3 and Saturday August 28, LIRR will honor all monthly tickets for travel to and from all LIRR stations, regardless of what stations are printed on the ticket. Monthly ticketholders traveling on these days will be able to bring up to four additional travelers for only $1 per person each way.  

On weekends, the “Cannonball” Hamptons Express train departs from Penn Station at 4:06 p.m. For more information on this service, visit this MTA webpage.  

Off-peak fares remain in effect on all trains, including during traditional peak travel times, until further notice. For more information about the LIRR summer schedule, visit this MTA webpage. 

More About the #TakeTheTrain, #TakeTheBus Campaign   

Today's announcement is part of the MTA’s #TakeTheTrain, #TakeTheBus campaign which launched on May 16 in conjunction with 24/7 subway service resuming for the first time since May 6, 2020, to encourage New Yorkers to return to a more reliable, cleaner system than the one many last used before the pandemic arrived in New York. 

The launch of the campaign coincides with recent ridership increases in the system, with  more than 2.5 million daily weekday riders on subways over the past few weeks and weekday bus ridership reaching 1.2 million. Recent combined Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road ridership of 222,000 is dwarfing the combined average of 23,000 of a year ago.