Farmingdale's Pour Authority opens with self-pour taps

This is the train to ... Farmingdale’s Pour Authority. The self-pour beer spot has opened at 333 Main St. after about two years of preparation.

Visitors can try brews from 40 taps, paying by the ounce using a card issued at check-in. Owner Ritu Kumar said selections include at least eight from Long Island breweries, like Montauk Brewing Company's Pilsner (57 cents per ounce).

The Pour Authority's name was indeed inspired by the transit system that operates in New York and New Jersey. The theme carries through to the decor with railroad maps on the walls.

"Since I’m from Long Island and I used to work in the city I used to take the LIRR all the time," Kumar said. "When you say Port Authority I don’t think of the ferry or the subway, I think of the LIRR."

Guest IDs are checked at walk-in, with patrons issued a card with a 32-ounce limit. Besides beer, there's a menu of comfort food like fried dumplings ($10.95) and Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese dip ($9.95). Vegetarian dishes include "chorizo" flatbread ($17.95), cauliflower tacos ($6.50) topped with Thai slaw and drizzled with chipotle aioli. Burgers, bowls and salads are also available.

Pour Authority, 333 Main St., Farmingdale, 516-855-7687. Open 5 to 11 p.m. daily with plains to extend from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. beginning mid-January.