Bay Shore microbrewery gets OK for larger bar

Islip’s only microbrewery is getting a larger bar to showcase its frosty beverages.

The Islip Town planning board approved the Great South Bay Brewery’s application for a special permit to operate a larger bar inside its site at 25 Drexel Dr. in Bay Shore.

The board voted 5-1 to approve the permit at its Thursday meeting. Board member Michael Kennedy voted against the application.

The brewery’s owner, Richard Sobotka, told the board that the brewery has an 800-square-feet bar inside its tap room and wanted to increase the bar’s size to fill up the tap room, which is about 4,400 square feet. The larger bar could serve up to 200 customers, Sobotka said.

He emphasized that the bar was not intended to be a nightclub but a casual space for customers to sample the wares. “We want to entertain our customers ... in the form of receiving tastes, receiving pints, and taking home beers,” he said.

The brewery has agreed to limits its hours, not host outside entertainment and to hire security, Sobotka said. “Everything would be contained to not disturb our neighbors.”

The brewery was also seeking a parking relaxation to maintain the 74 parking spaces available on-site.

Planning Commissioner Rich Zapolski said the application was different from typical manufacturing. “This is truly a bar space in an industrial building, which is allowable with a special permit,” he said.

Planning board member Donald Fiore asked if the bar would be full-service. Sobotka replied, “Currently, it’s only beer -- our interest right now is to sell our beer.”

Sobotka expects the larger bar to start operating in about a month.