Jerry Remy's roof deck a good option for craft beer and Red Sox fans

I get lots of e-mails from places asking me to come and see their beer selection, and when it's a sports bar, I usually run in the other direction. Don't get me wrong, I love sports. I cover the Celtics for work. But the beer selection at sports bars usually leaves me praying there's at least Samuel Adams Boston Lager or Bass Ale on tap.

I'd been to the Jerry Remy's sports bar and grill next to Fenway Park before, but never up to the roof deck. I knew there was good beer downstairs, but I guessed that they'd limit the draft selection upstairs to bad, beachy options. I was wrong.

The Remy's roofdeck has 20 beers available on tap. Selections include Bear Republic's Racer 5 (I'm good with just this), Cisco Grey Lady, Ommegang Hennepin, Wachusett Green Monsta IPA, and Brooklyn Summer. Better yet, they rotate the taps, according to general manager Don Bailey. Bailey said he chose Harpoon UFO Raspberry for the roof deck because it was a good outdoor summer sipper, and he serves the beer even though he doesn't serve it downstairs.

The obvious benefit of the Remy's roof deck is the space, which overlooks Fenway Park. There's a retractable awning, and there are misting fans to keep folks cool. There are no special restrictions or reservations to get on the roof deck, according to Bailey. First come, first served.

Don't get me wrong, this is no craft beer mecca. But four or five solid options near Fenway Park is pretty incredible given the beauty of the outdoor space. The Yard House a few blocks away has way more beer, but on multiple visits to both it appears that Remy's might be putting more thought into their selections. It's worth a stop the next time you go to a Sox game: a couple Racer 5's might be the only way to cope with the fact that Adrian Gonzalez is suddenly a very highly-paid singles hitter.