LONG BEACH ISLAND, NEW JERSEY

Just a few blocks from downtown Beach Haven across the street from well-established Do Me A Flavor ice cream shop, TRITON CRAFT BEER & OYSTER BAR has thrived since opening in 2014. Ably transitioning Long Beach Island (the crown jewel of the Jersey Shore) from a boring Bud-Coors-Miller refuge to a craft beer haven, Triton makes certain its customers experience the best fresh seafood, pizza and brews available.

Serving six types of oysters, middle neck clams, shrimp and lobster alongside wood-fired pizzas, Triton whets the appetite of LBI’s seafaring folks with 13 tapped brews as well as a fair selection of bottled-canned craft beer, fine wines and spirits. Four community tables and a 12-seat bar sidling the left side bar of the milky white interior bedeck the midsize interior.

My wife and I visited Triton thrice during July ’16, enjoying several previously untried draughts while consuming loads of raw clams and oysters. Happy Hour runs from 3 to 6 PM.

On tap during my few stopovers were several excellent overseas selections (such as the sterling Belgian strong pale ale, Delerium Tremens), local Northeast offerings from Pinelands, Sixpoint, Neshaminy Creek, Weyerbacher, Elk Creek, Troegs, Mystic, Southern Tier and Rivertowne, plus nationally acclaimed fare from Anderson Valley, Rogue, Ballast Point, etc.

Perhaps the best beer bar on LBI, Triton’s entrepreneurs also own nearby established eateries like The Marlin and The Ketch.