The Jersey Shore Is Your Next Cocktail Destination (No, Seriously)

If you have n’t expend much time in New Jersey , you ’d be forgiven for thinking it was a gangster - filled strip shopping center built byMTVas a set for reality shows about awful people . But there ’s a lot more going on booze - sassy on the Jersey Shore than shots with Snooki . Here ’s five towns that show off the good the Garden State has to offer .

Atlantic Highlands

This is the “ Hakuna Matata ” Jersey Shore , where you could spend the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. seining or scaling lighthouses at Sandy Hook ( one of Jersey ’s only National Recreation Areas ) , before turn in for a Cranberry Martini at theInlet Cafeor some unmarried malt atThe Wine Bar . Or cool down with the locals and a bucket atomic number 8 ’ rum atWindanseawhile being serenade by a Jimmy Buffett screen band .

Red Bank

Featuring a bustling high street , constant canvas boat dealings and a central location for accessing the balance of the shoring , Red Bank is a hub with newfangled ginmill and restaurants opening at a frightening clip . send off your underage companions to play Pac - Man at an antique pennyarcadeand your elderly parents to sip Martinis with the Marina crowd at the historicalMolly Pitcher Inn . Meanwhile , you ’re barroom - hopping from10th Avenue Burrito’stequila prevention toThe Downtown’sopen - air cocktail way , to the dramatic Manhattan - style loungeGotham , to whatever the heck opened up literally last workweek .

Long Branch

If your boardwalk - hanging , beer - swilling days are behind you and you want an upscale Jersey Shore experience , Long Branch ’s shopping districtPier Villageoffers an single vibe not unlike a luxury Florida recourse . Fancy cocktail and wine-colored bars tout premiere view over the sea , while live entertainment keep the place from feel too stuffy . Sip some Blood Orange Margaritas on the palm - tree diagram lined beach atAvenue Le Clubbefore swinging by their rooftop club Nuit for a bottle of Champagne and a dip in their syndicate .

Asbury Park

The Jersey Shore ’s secret indie hotspot , Asbury Park is the sort of hipster haven where you ’ll get an abandoned 1920s arcade filled with eclectic bars and street art , avintage bowling alleythat doubles as a music locale , and an industrial warehouse turnedexperimental pizza - cocktail club . Try a seasonal Gin + Jam cocktail atTalula’sor an authentic mojito atCubacan , or give up in at the iconicStone Ponyto see who ’s playing the stage where Springsteen got his start .

Manasquan

A sincerely enshroud gem , most non - Jerseyans have n’t even heard of Manasquan . Here you ’ll observe the same grand beaches as the name - marque towns but without the crew . You ’ll also see a quaint but lively downtown , local on bike or carrying surfboards under their arms , and delightful neighborhood restaurant - bars that do n’t pander to tourists . Enjoy a sensibly price Basil Bruised Lemon Drop atRemington ’s , a Maple Smash atThe Mill , or the killer happy time of day and raw prevention atThe Parker House . Just keep your fist firmly wrapped around a cocktail and not pumping in the air , and you ’ll blend right in .