But for many patrons, the five house brews on tap are the real draw. The brewmaster, Joe Hayes, prepares them in copper and stainless-steel kettles in the microbrewery in the 9,500-square-foot tavern and beer garden complex.

“There’s no point in having anybody else’s beer if they’re brewing their own here,” Jeffrey Erlitz, 56, of Huntington, said of the glass of Hefeweizen wheat beer in his hand on a recent evening. “The quality and the freshness are so good.”

At Croxley’s Ale House in Smithtown, which opened last month, the owners are readying a 1,500-square-foot outdoor space inspired by a previous garden at Croxley’s Ale House on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Although that Croxley’s, which is on Avenue B, is still open, the garden fell victim to real estate development nearly 10 years ago.

“People like to be outside in the fresh air; that’s part of the fun. The tables are long and you’re sitting next to strangers and you’re making new friends,” said Chris Werle, 46, of Garden City, an owner of the Croxley’s pub in Manhattan, as well as of those in Franklin Square, Rockville Centre, Farmingdale and Smithtown. A sixth Croxley’s Ale House is scheduled to open this winter in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Croxley’s in Smithtown offers 80 beers on tap, including liters and half-liters of German draft beer, 12-ounce glasses of Belgian beer and pints of Long Island craft beer.

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German beer garden specialties, served only at special Oktoberfest celebrations at other Croxley’s locations, will be served year round in Smithtown. Bratwurst, 14-inch Bavarian pretzels with spicy mustard dip and Wiener schnitzel share the menu with wings, burgers and steamed mussels. “It’s snack food,” said Ed Davis, 41, of Garden City, the chef and co-owner. “Something to tide you over to the next liter.”

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The food and the atmosphere are different at the cozy, two-month-old beer garden at Mirabelle Tavern, which has five tables in a courtyard under a canopy of lights. It is “a reprieve from the crowds inside the tavern,” said Terence Daly, 25, the beer director. The tavern has a selection of more than 85 international beers, 10 on draft.

Erin Hunt, 28, of Shoreham, who sat outside on a recent balmy night with a friend, said the Mirabelle garden was different from a beer garden she might go to with a large group. “This is particularly nice because it sort of feels like your own place, your own backyard. This is very quaint, quiet and lovely,” she said.

The refined bar menu from Mirabelle’s chef, Guy Reuge, includes flammkuchen (a thin-crusted Alsatian pizza topped with crème fraîche, diced white onions and bacon), Kobe beef sliders and a charcuterie platter.

Don’t look for lederhosen, bratwurst or German music at Mirabelle. Instead, Mr. Daly offers Beer School, which includes a home-brewing class and cheese-and-beer pairings.

One customer, Ilana Ozernoy, 34, of Mount Sinai, a member of the tavern’s Secret Beer Society, said, “It’s nice to come here and feel part of a community.” The group has 260 members who meet at beer tastings and special events.

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Mr. Daly calls beer “infinitely more merry than wine or spirits.”

“I’ve seen groups in the beer garden just merge into each other, amoeba-style, based on what they’re drinking,” he said. “They just start talking to someone else, and the next thing you know, they’re back two weeks later, trying a new beer together.”

Where to Sip in the Open Air

Zum Schneider MTK in Montauk, which has no outdoor beer garden, will hold Oktoberfest in its Bavarian beer hall from Oct. 19 to 21, with oompah music. Information: (631) 238-5963 or zumschneider.com.

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The following places serve beer outdoors seasonally when the weather permits:

FARMINGDALE Black Forest Brew Haus, 2015 New Highway, (631) 391-9500; blackforestbrewhaus.com.

Beer garden open through October.

During Oktoberfest, on the weekends of Sept. 21 to 23; Sept. 28 to 30; and Oct. 5 to 7; and on Oct. 12 and 13, there will be live music Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

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Oktoberfest beer, $6 a pint; amber and pilsner, $5 a pint. Hefeweizen, $6 for a 22-ounce glass. Bratwurst and sauerkraut, $10.

FRANKLIN SQUARE Plattduetsche Park Restaurant, 1132 Hempstead Turnpike, (516) 354-3131; parkrestaurant.com.

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Beer garden open Fridays, 6 to 11 p.m. through September, with live music.

Half-liter of beer, $7; liter, $13. Grilled bratwurst on a bun, $6; schnitzel sandwich, $9. On Sept. 16, Oompahfest and Schuetzenfest from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the beer garden, with music, vendors, food and games. Tickets: $9.

On Oct. 5 and 12, an indoor Oktoberfest will include a German buffet, beer and wine, and German dance music; $45 a person.

GARDEN CITY Prost Grill and Garten, 652 Franklin Avenue, (516) 427-5215; prostgrill.com. The tavern seats 54; a patio out front accommodates three tables. The official opening is this weekend.

Two dozen draft beers (German, Belgian, Long Island): one-third liter, $6 or $6.50; half-liter, $7 to $8; liter (during Oktoberfest, Sept. 22 to Oct. 31), $14 to $16. Sausages, $7 to $9.

SMITHTOWN Croxley’s Ale House, 155 West Main Street, croxley.com; (631) 656-8787.

The owners are awaiting permits to open a beer garden, which would operate through October.

German draft beers: half-liter, $7; liter, $13; other draft beers, $5 to $10 a pint. Hefeweizen, $7 for 22 ounces. Bratwurst with sauerkraut, $5.95.

STONY BROOK Mirabelle Tavern, 150 Main Street, (631) 751-0555; lessings.com.

Beer garden open through October. Beer School on Oct. 4, with beer and cheese pairings; no charge apart from the cost of the beer.

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Beer, $6 to $10 a pint; flammkuchen, $10.