The Best Breweries at the Jersey Shore
From citrusy crushers to Jersey fresh ales, here's where to go for your next beach beer.
A flight of beer at Slack Tide Brewing Co. / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
These Jersey Shore taprooms and brewpubs are destinations where you can catch live music, get a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing magic, or snuggle up by a fire pit with a porter that tastes like s’mores. So belly up to the bar, get a fresh pour, and don’t forget to grab a six-pack for the beach house.
Hidden Sands Brewing Company
Egg Harbor Township
Outside, it looks like a large industrial warehouse, but inside, it’s a cozy microbrewery that captures the essence of New Jersey with hyper-local experimental brews. Think the Cran-Citrus Wheat, a full-bodied ale fermented with tart cranberries, and the 107′ IPA with subtle piney notes reminiscent of a rainy day in the Pinelands. Every beer starts with water sourced directly from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand aquifer, bringing new meaning to the term “Jersey fresh.”
Must-try: 800′ Pilsner, a German-style pilsner
Amanda Cardinali, co-owner of The Seed: A Living Beer Project / Photograph by Michael Cardinali
The Seed: A Living Beer Project
Atlantic City
This experimental brewery earns high respectability ratings for blending the simplicity of locally foraged ingredients with the complexity of wild yeast and bacteria in a hands-off approach that coaxes nature to work most of the brewing magic. Nestle into the warm, woodsy taproom to sample an ever-changing array of seriously geeky beers, including past hits like the Ghosts Are All We Are mushroom saison and the Mariposa pale ale brewed with ancient African fonio grains.
Must-try: Any mixed-culture, saison-inspired beer
A bottle of A World Without End from The Seed: A Living Beer Project / Photograph by Michael Cardinali
Ludlam Island Brewery
Woodbine
The year-old brewpub pours creative draft cocktails and NJ/PA wines and spirits in addition to its own special lineup of food-inspired beers. (A tart and salty “Reuben sandwich” gose? Why not, right?) The kitchen smokes meat and poultry for daily lunch and dinner plus weekend brunch. The overall decor is basic, but the natural wood ceiling beams, flooring, chairs, and bar — not to mention that yummy smoky smell — help cozy it up.
Must-try: Water Guns & Rainbows Hazy IPA
Slack Tide Brewing Co.
Clermont
Between line-dancing lessons, scavenger hunts, and food trucks almost every late afternoon, it seems there’s always a romp at Slack Tide Brewing. The brother-owned brewery rotates IPAs, lagers, stouts, Belgians, and its Lemon Shark hard lemonade (pro tip: try it with fruit syrup) through two dozen draft lines. With an atmosphere described as both low-key and “cool coastal vibe,” soak it up when you’re feeling some chill, no-frills ambience served with down-home family hospitality.
Must-try: Bell Buoy, a smooth, light Belgian blonde ale
The bar at Anglesea Aleworks / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Anglesea Aleworks
Wildwood
If you ever wondered what Wildwood would taste like as a beer, this is it. From the pineapple and vanilla Doo Whip, a nod to the boardwalk’s famous Dole Whip, to the Wah-Wah Watch Butterscotch, a candy-flavored amber ale poking fun at the Sightseer Tram Car, Anglesea Aleworks captures the playful whimsy of this iconic shore town. Can’t decide what to order? Take a spin of the beer wheel and leave it up to chance.
Must-Try: Hard Birch Beer, a boozy take on a regional favorite
MudHen’s outdoor bar / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
MudHen Brewing Co.
Wildwood
Though it boasts a tasting room for its international gold-medal-winning Wee Heavy Wilson Scotch ale and others, MudHen Brewing’s smoked meats, oysters, mac and cheeses, desserts, and extensive kids menu, plus a full wine and cocktail list, suggest that food comes first at Wildwood’s only brewpub. Pick your perch — beyond the tasting room, the former Harley-Davidson dealership seats diners and drinkers in a brick-walled dining room, a couch-comfortable lounge, a covered patio with fire pits, and a second bar.
Must-try: Whatever’s pouring of the seasonal Somethin’ Sour series, brewed with organic fruit puree
Cape May Brewing Co.’s tasting room / Photograph courtesy of Cape May Brewing Company
Cape May Brewing Co.
Cape May
As one of New Jersey’s most-visited breweries, this spot programs pail-loads of entertainment. Listen to live music by the main bar or roam through barrels in the sour fermentation room while the kiddos and dogs play in the beer garden or watch planes fly into the Cape May Airport. Sip on the high-citrus, low-bitterness Cape May IPA; the Bog cranberry wheat lemonade shandy; or, when available, a fruit-forward or cocktail-inspired hard seltzer.
Must-try: Crushin’ It IPA, inspired by the Jersey Shore-favorite orange crush
Beer from Gusto Brewing Company / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Gusto Brewing Company
North Cape May
Don’t let the unassuming North Cape May Shopping Center fool you — this brewery lives up to its motto: “Keep it small. Keep it weird.” As soon as you walk in, you’re welcomed by a vibrant tasting room and chatty bartenders eager for you to try their ever-changing selection of small-batch brews. For s’mores-by-the-campfire vibes, try the Wagon Queen Family Truckster porter made with chocolate malts, marshmallows, and graham crackers. And if you want to escape the summertime heat, the Inside Joke, made with a rotating variety of fruits, like orange and pineapple.
Must-try: Vacation From Ourselves, a crisp American lager infused with real lime
Published as “Jersey Fresh Pours” in the June 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
