So, you either satisfy yourself with the selection from your Shore house fridge, or set your sights a little lower.
Which is not to say there aren't some gems.
The newest is Atlantic City's Boardwalk Beer Garden (Arkansas Avenue, 609-345-BEER), which just opened outside of Caesars across from The Pier.
It's right on the boardwalk, with an outdoor section that is a sunny, prime people-watching (and pigeon-dodging) location. And it's serving a nice selection of locals, including Dogfish Head, Flying Fish and River Horse.
The place doesn't have any of the boardwalk's edge and kitsch, and there's no sign of draft beer. But it's a start and, together with the Trinity Irish Pub and Carvery (1 Atlantic Ocean, 609-345-6900) inside The Pier, it's a fine oasis along the central boardwalk.
If you're looking for unusual high-end brews, though, you'll do no better in this town than Firewaters (Iowa Avenue and the Boardwalk, 609-344-6699), a few steps off the boards on the first floor of the Tropicana. While its 50 taps sometimes wander into mediocrity, its 100-plus bottle list always features unusual selections, including Belgian Trappist ale, lambic and imperial stout.
I wish Tun Tavern (2 Miss America Way, 609-347-7800) was another essential stop in the Playground of the World. A couple of blocks off the boardwalk just beyond the outlet shopping district next to the Convention Center, it has the dull, plastic feel of a chain restaurant and a menu to match.
While brewer Tim Kelly seems hamstrung by the owners' insistence on dumbing down the flavors in their basic lineup of ambers and pales, he is capable of fermenting some smart pints. Every time I stop by, I hope his outstanding barleywine is on tap; mostly, I'm disappointed.
On the way to Cape May
Farther south, the scene is even spottier (or in the case of dry-as-a-bone Ocean City, nonexistent).
