What's better than a great beer at the beach? Not much, provided you can get a hold of the beer. Many beaches don't allow alcohol at all. Or if they do, they ban bottles. And as we all know (despite experiments by a couple of craft breweries and a range of imports) many of the beers we love best don't come in cans.

Of course, ingenious homebrewers pack coolers full of beer in PET bottles for a jaunt to the beach, but what are the rest of us to do?
Rinse off the sand and find the nearest brewpub.
Here's a list of great beach destinations near great brewpubs (we're sticking to the ocean here; no offense meant to lake lovers).

Maine

• Old Orchard Beach (in the town of the same name) –
  Whale Tale Brewing, Old Orchard Beach, 213 Saco Ave, 207-934-7370
  
  

NH

• Wallis Sands Beach, Rye – Portsmouth Pub & Brewery, 56 Market St, Portsmouth, 603-431-1115
  
  

MA

• Craigville Beach, Hyannis/Centerville on Cape Cod – Hyannisport Brewing, Hyannis, 720 Main St, 508-775-8289
  
  

CT

• Sherwood Island State Park, Westport – John Harvard's Brew House, 540 Riverside Ave, Westport, 203-454-2337
  
  

RI

• Block Island State Beach, Block Island – Mohegan Cafe & Brewery, Water St, Block Island, 401-466-5911
  
  

NY

• Southampton Beach, Southampton – Southampton Public House, 40 Bowdon Sq, Southampton, 516-283-2800
  
  

NJ

• Atlantic City – Tun Tavern, 2000 Kirkman Blvd, Atlantic City, 609-347-7800
  
  

DE

• Rehoboth Beach (in the town of the same name) – 
  Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth, 302-226-2739
  
  

MD

• Highland Beach (in the town of the same name) – 
  Fordham Brewing/ Ram's Head Tavern, 33 West St, Annapolis, 410-268-4545
  
  

VA

• Virginia Beach (in the town of the same name) –
  Hilltop Brewing Co. & Restaurant, 1556 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-422-5652
  
  

NC

• Cape Hatteras National Seashore – Weeping Radish Brewery, Highway 64, Manteo
  (Roanoke Island), 252-473-1157
  
  

SC

• Myrtle Beach (in the town of the same name) – Mad Boar Brewhouse, 4706 U.S. 17 S., N. Myrtle Beach, 803-272-7000
  
  

GA

• Tybee Island Beach, Tybee Island – Moon River Brewing Co., 21 W Bay St., Savannah, 912-447-0943
  
  

FL

• Miami Beach (in the town of the same name) – Abbey Brewing Co., 1115 16th St., Miami Beach, 305-538-8110
  
  

AL

• Gulf Shores Beach (in the town of the same name) – 
  Port City Brewery, 225 Dauphin St., Mobile, 334-438-2739
  
  

MS

• Gulf Coast Beach, Biloxi – Coast Brewing Co. at Beau Rivage Resort, 875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-386-7353
  
  

LA

They tell me that when a Louisianian wants a salt water beach, they go to Alabama or Texas

TX

• Padre Island National Seashore – Padre Island Brewing Co., 3400 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island, 956-761-9585
  
  

CA

• Manhattan Beach (in the town of the same name) – Manhattan Beach Brewing Co., 124 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, (310) 798-2744
  
  

OR

• Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City – Pelican Pub & Brewery, 33180 Cape Kiwanda Dr., Pacific City, 503-965-7007
  
  

WA

• Point Wilson Beach, Port Townsend – Maxwell's Brewery & Pub, 636 Waterfront Pl., Port Townsend, 360-379-6438
  
  

AK

• Andy Beach, Douglas – Armadillo Tex Mex Café, 431 Franklin St., Juneau, 907-586-1880
  
  

HI

• Waikiki Beach, Honolulu – Brew Moon Restaurant & Microbrewery, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, 808-593-0088
  

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This story originally appeared in All About Beer Magazine in July 2000.