Got ? Summer + Beer = Bliss!

It’s finally warming up (according to the 10-day forecast we consulted at weather.com whilst typing these words), so it’s time to fill up your summer schedule with the season’s beer-soaked happenings.

Let’s get festive! On Saturday, June 9 (close-enough-to-summer) from noon to 3pm, the folks who launched the DecemBeer Fest in ’17 will stage the debut BeerBQfest at Twelve Acres in Smithfield. They’re lining up more than 100 from three dozen New England beerists, plus heaps of RI ’Q. Go to eventbrite.com for tix.

On Sunday, June 10 (almost summer) from 2 to 5pm, the Beervana team and the RI Food Fights crew will present the 2nd Annual Bacon & Beer Fest at the Steel Yard (27 Sims Ave, PVD). You can sip and savor more than two dozen bacon-centric creations by local kitchen magicians paired with spot-on local, national and international beers. The complete list of and cheweries is on the fest’s Eventbrite page (tix were still available at presstime).

On Saturday, July 21, head to Newport for the Craft Brew Races extravaganza at Fort Adams State Park. A 5K walk/run is followed by a three-hour brew fest, featuring more than three dozen breweries, including most of the 401 independent craft beer family. Get the details at craftbrewraces.com.

On Saturday, August 11, get a headstart on (which kicks off in on September 22 and runs through October 7) at Foolproof’s sixth annual Augtoberfest. Do some curls with weighty steins filled with the fest’s namesake Märzen (and many other styles) at the Pawtucket biergarten, and make merry with music, food and oompah-powered fun. Up-to-date info will be at foolproofbrewing.com.

On Saturday, August 25, Brew At the Zoo will draw the thirsty throngs to Roger Williams Park Zoo. The BATZ folks are promising more than 170 beers from 80-plus breweries, plus face time and conversation with their furry and feathered residents. Tix are on sale at rwpzoo.org.

And the fourth annual Ocean State Beer Fest will take place in September at a site TBA (Grey Sail, Foolproof and Whalers hosted the first three bashes). Most of the 401 breweries will participate and will unleash a “festival-only” beer for your sampling pleasure. The where and when will be posted at ribrewersguild.org down the road apiece.

The past three summers saw the Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival pulling into India Point Park; the FT&CBF is skipping PVD this year, but if you want to take a few mini-road trips (’tis the season for hitting the road), you can enjoy the local flavor at the Seacoast Fest in Somersworth, NH, on June 17; in the Berkshires at the Great Barrington, Mass, fairgrounds on June 30; and at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth, Mass, on August 11. Click foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com for specifics.

And make your own “fest” by visiting all of the 401 breweries throughout the warm months. Kick off your quest with a visit to the newest beer kid on the block, Providence Brewing Company; proceed north and south and east and west in the following weeks to bask in the state’s bounty of beermakers; and end your joyful journey with the local craft beer pioneers at Newport Craft. During the summer, they’ll have expanded hours at their tasting room and pavilion (Sunday – Thursday Noon to 8 pm and Friday and Saturday Noon to 10pm) and will host the Sip & Sweat Summer Workout Series every Saturday at 11am; get the particulars at facebook.com/NewportCraft. (And check for updates re: the soon-to-be-newest 401 outpost, Beer On Earth [beeronearth.com] – they hope to open their doors in June in North Kingstown.) Cheers!

Got Beer? Rhode Rage

Rhode Rage: n. An explosive emotional response to one of the following stimuli: overly aggressive or negligent drivers on the road around you, sudden and unexpected traffic clogs when one is already late, or the shattering of an axle on potholes, despite the fact that they have been “recently patched.”

Also, it’s a beer.

Our friends down in Newport are certainly stepping up their brewing game. Rhode Rage is a rare and pricey double IPA produced by Newport Craft Brewing. It’s the next installment in my infinity-part series to taste and document all the delicious craft beer in Rhode Island. The GoFundMe page for my inevitable liver transplant will be online soon. Rhode Rage claims to be made of “Sea and Spirit,” which sounds nice, but I think I’ve had enough spirits coming out of my beer to harass me for my dislike of white ales and lambics.

Luckily, no specters appeared as I cracked the can and poured myself a nice tall glass from this 16oz, 8.5% double IPA. Perhaps I should launch that GoFundMe today.

The can design is surprisingly minimalist, but classy, with a sort of “Mad Men” font and a fancy little logo that I think is supposed to make us forget the days when the crew of Newport Storm, aka Coastal Extreme, had a mascot who was a ripoff of Duff Man. Ah, memories.

In fairness, they’ve come a very long way, as has craft beer in Rhode Island, and it’s nice to see them still keeping pace after all this time. The aroma is of bitter citrus from some undoubtedly potent hops, but this is peanuts compared to the hoptastic influx of alpha acids from the first sip. While on the strong side of IBUs even for some craft beer lovers, it’s a hop-head’s dream. It’s wonderfully complex and strangely thirst-quenching, even as the comes in on the end. There’s no detectable hot flavors, the body and mouthfeel instead painting over any potential heat with bright citrus, sweet malt and a crisp bite.

This is no brew for liteweights, in any sense of the term. It’s a delightful, flavorful double IPA. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly balanced, as the hops are the beginning, middle and end of the flavor profile, but the bouquet is so satisfying and crisp that I’m not even experiencing my usual hop palate fatigue.

This little gem just might be worth the effort it takes to hunt down a pack, and if you’re a fan of our favorite little flower cones, I definitely advise giving it a taste. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to try to get a hold of the 2,134 beers that were released here in Rhode Island just as I was writing this article.

IMBIBE: Highball Summer

The older I get, the shorter summer feels. Therefore, I propose all drinkers take minimal effort this season to maximize lazing in the sun (with sunblock, of course — those fine lines don’t come from nothing). My remedy for optimal drinking without wasting time?

All hail the Highball Summer of 2018.

They’re long, lean, straightforward (generally) two-part served over ice. The history, like most of our founding cocktails, stands a bit mixed on exact introduction to the public, but many think it was mid-1890s in New York, where asking for a Scotch & Soda became on-trend.

Follow that with the effervescent and malaria-proofing Gin & Tonic. Or the ‘60s swinging Presbyterian, and baby, we got ourselves a good time. Besides these gems, you may have seen Japanese Highballs as of late. Yes, with the growing thirst for Japanese whisky comes the used to greet everyone entering an .

Here are a few favorite highballs to greet your summer guests, without detracting from your time in the sun.

Japanese Highball 2 oz Japanese whisky (try Toki or Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt) 4 oz club soda (always go for low or no sodium) Dash of melon bitters and/or lemon

Presbyterian 2 oz rye — (or go use a local whiskey like SoL) 2 oz ginger ale 2 oz club soda Lemon peel (or a stale cigarette)

Gin & Tonic 2 oz gin 4 oz tonic Squeeze lime slice Note: With our market enjoying a flush of gins, experiment with flavors — a strong juniper-forward gin will be classic, whereas a soft floral style or Old Tom gin will taste mild, perhaps a touch sweeter. Also, don’t mess around with bad tonic. Get the good stuff. Why ruin your gin?

Agave & Soda 2 oz mezcal or tequila (or 1/1 split) 4 oz club soda Lime wedge and grapefruit wedge both squeezed into the glass This is one of my favorites because I get to have tequila and/or mezcal without having to lots of citrus and shake. Saves calories and time!

0 proof option: Ango & Soda A whole bunch of dashes of angostura bitters 6 oz club soda

Basically, pick your favorite spirit, pour it over ice. Top with club soda or a light fizz of something. Garnish to your heart’s desire. And raise a glass to summer.

Got ? Flotation D’Vices

Once a year in New England, we see the light at the end of the long winter tunnel. We all know it’s best not to waste even a single second of this short reprieve, because in a blink of an eye we’ll be sinking back into wintertime hibernation. Since the season’s too short to be wasted on anything but solid fun-in- the-sun hangs, it’s definitely too short to be wasted on crappy wine. Keeping with that spirit, I’ve compiled a list of must-try bevs that are not only perfect for all your time spent sun worshiping with a cool beverage in hand, but will also help you forget all about the god-awful week we spent dealing with the Laurel vs. Yanny debate. Without further ado, I present to you, the Top Pool of 2018.

Underwood Riesling Radler is a nifty little concoction from the brainiacs over at Union Wine Co. who decided to create a seasonal beverage that would be a killer cool water companion. This spritzy Radler is basically a wine cooler for a new generation, composed of the perfect trifecta of thirst-quenching ingredients. It’s part riesling (aka, the unofficial wine of summer), part grapefruit juice and part malt and hops all wrapped up in a cute little can whose label looks like it was made from the upholstery of the “Golden Girls” couch. Underwood has always done a great job of providing great wine at an affordable price, but they really nailed it once they started canning their Oregon-bred wines into 375ml cans, the equivalent of half a bottle of wine. That means they’re safe to bring on a picnic, on boats or, you guessed it, even in the pool. Fruity notes of melon and apricot play nicely with the added grapefruit juice and earthy hop characteristic, while the light fizziness helps keep the sweetness level in check and cleanses the palate, leaving you feeling refreshed. At 3% ABV, you won’t be getting too tipsy off a can either (though, as always, you should consume any alcoholic beverage responsibly) so that’s what keeps it in the “safe for the pool” zone. The Radler is also super food-worthy as it complements all summertime fare and even shines with spicy Mexican or Thai food. Unfortunately, the Underwood Riesling Radler is a limited release offering, so be sure to scoop up as much of this as you can while it’s still around, and channel your inner Blanche Devereaux all summer long.

If you’re in the mood to transport yourself via alcoholic beverages to some warm tropical beaches in your mind, then I’ve got the wine pick for you! Legado del Moncayo Dry Muscat is the quintessential white wine for hot, need-to-be-in-a-body-of-water days and warm, breezy nights. The beautifully sun- drenched golden yellow hue of the wine evokes the feeling of having a cup full of sunshine, while the tropical fruit and floral aromatics envelop your senses, making you feel like you’re in a private beach club resort instead of your friend’s Walmart-purchased inflatable pool. Though this Muscat is quite fruit-forward, it finishes exceptionally dry, leaving you with clean, citrus fruit flavors on your palate, sans the thirst-provoking residual . Tap into a bottle of this Spanish white wine and let yourself transform into a Hawaiian Tropics bronzed beauty while singing “Despacito” at the top of your lungs.

Now I know when you started reading this article you probably didn’t think the end result would be reading about a sparkling wine from Maine, but trust me, the folks over at Oyster River are the real deal. The Morphos is a pétillant-naturel, or pét-nat, which is basically champagne’s cooler, more down- to-earth cousin you secretly smoke cigarettes with at family events. Pét-nat’s bubbles are caused by bottling wine that hasn’t finished fermenting; the active yeasts gobble up the unfermented causing the bubbles. Voilà! Pét-nat! Consisting of a 50/50 blend of cayuga and seyval blanc (sourced from the Finger Lakes in New York), The Morphos is a wine I rely heavily on for summer sipper recommendations and often describe it as “adult limonada.” Fresh and citrusy, bubbly and refreshing, this wine really hits the mark when looking for an easy drinker. Totally unrefined and unfiltered, the cloudy-hued wine is a stunning example of the low-tech approach to making wine. Tart apple and lemony citrus notes on the palate are balanced by the soft bubbly effervescence, making this a real crowd-pleasing thirst quencher. While it’s great to occasionally treat ourselves to rare, nerdy bottles of grower champagne, Morphos’ price point and low alcohol sippability lends itself to be an everyday drinker with an easy-to-swallow price point.

Got Beer? Grey Sail’s Far Far Aweigh

For the next installment of my infinity-part series exploring beers crafted right here in the ol’ Ocean State, I turn to my friends down south at Grey Sail. If you’ve never been, their tap room is beautiful. They basically annexed an historical home next door to the and turned it into part tap room, part visitors center. They are a stone’s throw from downtown Westerly, which is already a decent craft beer destination with the Malted Barley, 84 and more.

So I return once again to Grey Sail, scooping up their latest innovative brew in the appropriately named Wheelhouse series. It’s called Far Far Aweigh, and pictures artwork of the moon gazing through a telescope in a very “Trip to the Moon,” kind of vibe. There’s even a constellation in the shape of an anchor, probably in honor of the great Rhodus, ancient god of potholes.

It’s a Galaxy India pale ale, referring I’m sure to the Galaxy hops, which likely inspired its name.

The aroma (and first taste) are super juicy with subtle citrus and some light floral undertones. It’s making my mouth water, like I’ve just bitten into some lovely new tropical fruit. The bitterness comes in on the end with a slight dryness, but since the initial flavors are all sweet, it actually balances out nicely. It leaves a tingle on the tongue, the hops lingering for a while and making themselves comfortable in between sips.

Sadly, the label gives me very little information to work with. No idea what the ABV or IBU could be, which like the beer itself, is kind of refreshing in that it’s not relying on arbitrary numbers to make a case for its quality. But since it’s my job to find out these things — to the internet!

Now this is interesting … nothing on the website, but on Untapp’d it says the brew is 6.5%. No read on the IBUs though, but frankly, I’m okay with that. It’s a single-hop IPA, you don’t really need to advertise the IBUs for something like this.

What I really like about this beer is that it’s not just another IPA. It’s perfectly balanced so it never feels as if it’s relying on a gimmick, but rather has a delightfully light, complex taste. It’s billed as an early summer release, and it does have a very summery feel to it. I can picture enjoying a tall glass of this hoppy friend on a hot, hazy day.

Of course, the true hop heads will love it at any time of the year, and one might even be able to share it with some dedicated Blue Moon or Shock Top drinkers and get a generally positive reaction.

I truly enjoyed this beer and look forward to more delicious experiments from Grey Sail. Got Beer? Fun Fests, a Craft Pioneer and How to Be a Beer Pro

Let’s dive right into the latest batch o’ brew news:

Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co.’s Barrel-Aged Beer Night is happening this Saturday (May 19). Brewmaster Derek Luke will hold forth on the brewing and aging processes and serve samples of the wide range of beers that have been magically transformed by wood. The event takes place from 6:30 – 8:30pm at their HQ (239 J.T. Connell Highway). Get tix at newportcraft.com

Looking waaaay down the road, the seventh annual Rhode Island Brew Fest, which has previously been held at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center, will be moving its sessions to the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence. The RIBF folks note that “this beautiful venue comes with tons of amazing improvements … including increased event space, indoor bathrooms and on-site parking.” So now you know what you’ll be doing on January 26, 2019!

Much closer down the road, the 2nd Annual Bacon & Beer Fest is at the Steel Yard (27 Sims Ave, Providence) on Sunday, June 10 from 2 – 5pm. The bash, co-presented by the Beervana Fest team and RI Food Fights, pairs meaty creations from 25 local culinary wizards with stellar beers from 25 breweries. Hit eventbrite.com and click through for details and tix.

Chip Samson at Shaidzon Beer Company says, “We [recently] released our first double IPA, For No One. We expect our canning line to arrive the last week of May and to be online for our first cans to release Memorial Day weekend. We will also be releasing a new rendition of the Lowland Villager (a farmhouse ale) in the coming weeks that was brewed with orange zest and grains of paradise.”

Foolproof Brewing keeps the new brews coming: Vango, a “hoppy sour ale” (5% ABV), recently debuted in 16-ounce cans and on draft; a variant, Pineapple Vango, will be ready for sipping in June.

Summertime means more time to spend at Grey Sail’s magnificent taproom and in Westerly. From Memorial Day weekend till Labor Day, hours will be Wednesday and Thursday 3 – 8pm, Friday 3 – 10pm, Saturday Noon – 10pm, and Sunday Noon – 8pm. We’ll drink to that! Isle Brewers Guild’s goal to be an all-encompassing “craft collective” has taken a giant step with the announcement of their partnership with Johnson & Wales University on the Professional Craft Brewing Certificate program. The release noted that “the four-course, 22.5 credit curriculum is for professionals and home brewers. IBG will serve as an experiential education site for Applied American Craft Brewing, one of the program’s capstone courses (the other is British Practical Brewing).” The curriculum also addresses Brewing Arts, Advanced Brewing Theory and Analysis and The Business of Alcohol Distribution, Retail and Sales. If you want to get serious about brewing, go to jwu.edu (and/or call 401-598-2300).

Bell’s Brewery, the pride of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a craft beer pioneer – Larry Bell sold his first brews in 1985; their Two Hearted Ale is a landmark and legendary IPA. And Bell’s is finally

going to be available in Rhode Island (plus the rest of New England and New Jersey). McLaughlin & Moran will ship the first batch of bottles and draft statewide on Monday, June 11, including Oberon (a seasonal wheat ale), Oarsman (wheat ale), Lager of the Lakes, Amber, Porter, Kalamazoo Stout, and Two Hearted. Head to the Malted Barley in Providence on Wednesday June 13 from 6 – 9pm for the Bell’s tap takeover, and sample the fine line of brews.

For more beer news, check Lou’s blog, bottlescansclaphands.wordpress.com, or follow @BottlesCansRI.

New Beers! Grand Openings!! Huzzah!!!

The inbox is overflowing with beer news. Here’s a baker’s half-dozen of enticing items!

Providence Brewing Company owner Efren Hidalgo is thrilled to note that Rhody’s newest beermaker will be “having its Grand Opening on Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28), Saturday through Monday from noon-4pm. Food trucks, fanfare and beer will be the rule of the day. Here’s a sneak peek at our inaugural tap list:

“The Juice, It’s Criminal, a refreshingly tart, tropical cyclone made with Brett Sacch Trois. Baron von Schpamm is a twisted take on the classic weissbier. This obstreperous beer is a lightly bitter India pale hefeweizen. The Bloody Baron is just as villainously delicious as von Schpamm, but this one is fermented with blood oranges. And Havana Haze, our original NEIIPA.” Congrats to Efren and his crew as they prepare to cut the ribbon at their HQ at 1920 Mineral Spring Ave in North Providence.

Armando DeDona caught us up with the latest at Long Live Beerworks, as he preps for the Big Move to a Big New Space on Sprague St, a mile or so from their current PVD home: “The new site progress is starting off slow, but we’re aiming for an early September move. In the meantime, we’re optimizing our production and hours here to make the most of the current space. We’re ending Wednesday taproom hours so we have another business day to pick up deliveries/brew. We’re going to be opening Sundays from 1 – 6pm to make the most of the warmer months. And we’ll also start opening at noon on Saturdays.” Follow their progress at longlivebeerworks.com.

Let’s swing down to North Kingstown to check in with Paul and Adam from Beer On Earth: “We are making progress and hope to start brewing this week. We’re also putting in a table and making some changes in the front of the house. We look to be on track for opening sometime in June if all goes well.” Check beeronearth.com for updates.

Michelle Kirms, the brewmaster at Grey Sail, reports: “We’re launching a new line of beers called Wheelhouse. The first offering is a Galaxy-hopped IPA called Far, Far Aweigh, which

debuted at the Newport Craft Beer Fest and at the brewery, and should be available in stores now. The next offering is Dinghy Party, a fruited wheat ale that will be available in July.”

Chip Samson of Shaidzon Beer Company says: “We have some more saisons coming out soon; our first take on a double IPA was brewed [in mid-April] and should be out for the May 4 – 6 weekend. We’re keeping the Buffalo Czech Pilsner rolling with another batch in fermentation, and we’re going to initiate some barrel aging in red wine barrels we acquired from Jonathan Edwards in North Stonington, Conn. We are expecting to be running our own canning line by the end of May.” Chip and brewmaster Josh Letourneau have certainly hit the ground running in West Kingston!

Mat Medeiros at Revival Brewing reveals: “We just released a new brew called Hip & Wisen Wheat Ale. It’s similar to our Zeppelin Hefeweizen, but made with fresh tangerines, a mix of pilsner and wheat malts, and German Hallertau hops; clove and vanilla from the yeast are used in fermentation, spinning this brew’s crisp and refreshing taste. It’s unfiltered at 5.5% ABV and 13 IBUs; cans are only available at the brewery tap room, but we plan to brew a good amount and keep it around for the better part of spring.”

And Nick Garrison of Foolproof Brewing kept his intel short and sweet: “We have a new hoppy sour ale coming called Vango. It should be ready in time for the weekend of May 11.”

For more beer news, check Lou’s blog, bottlescansclaphands.wordpress.com, or follow @BottlesCansRI.

Got Beer? Revival’s Extra Thirsty

Welcome to another installment in my infinity-part series to explore the latest and greatest beers produced right here in RI. In the time it took me to write that sentence, four new local beers came out. I have much work ahead of me.

For my next local Rhody Brew, I return once again to trusty Revival. While I may not love every beer they make, that’s only because I might dislike a certain style, not because the beer is bad. Far from it. And for today’s offering, I found a new brew that I haven’t tried yet. It’s called Extra Thirsty, and the can itself promises something epic, super heroic and possibly a cybernetic fowl. I can’t say for certain since I’m neither a cyberneticist nor an ornithologist. I’m a beer nerd, so let’s dive right in to this beer.

A dark amber brew, the aroma coming off of this beer is a lovely hoppy cloud. I get mostly floral and citrus, but it’s strangely mild for something that counts its IBUs with the infinity symbol. If we haven’t reached the saturation point on IPAs yet, I’m pretty sure warping spacetime with alpha acids will take us there presently. It’s delicious. The first thing to hit my palate are the hops, followed by a soothing sweetness, and finally a little heat from the 10.5% ABV. There’s a LOT to dissect in this brew, and the flavors all blend to the point where they sort of step over each other to grab the spotlight. It’s a busy little beer!

I don’t think it has infinite bitterness, but it’s potently hop-forward, and leaves little doubt that one is drinking a triple IPA. It then finishes with strong hops, blended almost in total contrast to the initial taste. While up-front it’s a bit fruity and floral, the end is more of an earthy resin. It blends better with the alcohol burn, and brings to mind burning pine. I love me a good campfire, so I enjoy this interesting heat.

Once one gets used to the intense hops and heat, the soothing malty sweetness gets a chance to shine through. It’s a nice respite, but over very quickly. It also gets very dry, very fast, the more you drink it, and not just because the alcohol is evaporating the moisture on your tongue. I’m being hyperbolic, but there is a noticeable drying effect.

It’s the sort of beer you don’t let your macro-drinking friends get their hands on, partially because it’s FAR too complex for them, and partially because a single pint will send them straight to the floor.

This is definitely a distinct IPA, and true hop-heads will love it. Personally, I would consider this an IPA to break out for special occasions, like fine china or my Yakov Smirnoff impression. Seriously, though, this IPA is a heavy hitter, and should be handled with care.

Got Beer? Peak Beer? No Limits? Discuss!

Greetings, Motifians! We missed y’all in the Spring Alcohol Issue, but we had to pass on the intoxicating fun and assume the role of designated driver after our attempts to get a virtual roundtable discussion with the state’s brewers failed to ferment (see what we did there?). But we’re bellying up to the bar this time around and sharing the responses from Chip Samson, the mighty co-owner (with brewer Josh Letourneau) of Shaidzon Beer Company of West Kingston.

Lou Papineau (Motif): We’re coming up on the two-year anniversary of the passage of the Better Beer Laws. Is it time to push for more changes to make your beer business even better? What would be on your wish list: Increasing the sales ounce limit (like the push underway in CT)? Self-distribution (a pipe dream, most likely)?

Chip Samson: I think it’s always time to work on increasing limits at breweries. The regulation there is not for safety reasons, because a single person can buy out a store of its beer entirely in RI. It holds breweries back from being able to conduct business to the fullness of their abilities. [Removing the limits would] benefit the breweries, the consumer who comes to the brewery and wants more than one case of beer, and the beer tourism potential in the state.

At Shaidzon, we benefit from our distributor [Craft Collective] being involved at our current manpower level. We wouldn’t want self-distribution right now, but I would support the option for

breweries to self-distribute.

LP: There’s been some talk about whether the craft explosion has reached peak beer and if the bubble is bursting the way it did two decades ago. What do you think? How many breweries can co-exist and live long and prosper in Little Rhody?

CS: I don’t think craft beer has peaked at all, especially in Rhode Island. I think people in Rhode Island are pushing for even more in-state brewery options – to visit the breweries, drink at restaurants and pick up at package stores. The culture of beer drinking is still changing toward craft options. There are still so many tap lines and shelf spaces allocated for big beer. There’s opportunity for more growth in craft.

LP: Have you experienced anything on your trips to other great beer cities that could enhance the Rhode Island beer scene?

CS: I lived in Colorado for several years. The beer cities there are fantastic – Boulder, Fort Collins, Denver and all over the state. The density of breweries makes it very easy in those cities, especially Denver, to walk between a number of them in a short time. One thing I see different there is quite off- common niche beer style breweries and they do really well. People there are craft beer enthused and have been for a long time. As Rhode Island beer culture swings more and more toward craft, I’d love to see less familiar styles becoming more popular at our local breweries.

Quick sips: Newport Storm has morphed into Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. A private equity group led by Brendan O’Donnell (an owner of the La Forge Casino Restaurant on Bellevue Ave) now runs the 19-year-old company, along with co-founders Brent Ryan and Derek Luke. The packaging has been redesigned and fresh brews are on the way; the newest, Rhode Rage, an 8.5% ABV double IPA, debuted this week. The distillery side will soon unleash White Squall Coastal Moonshine, Acrimony Amaro and Newport Gin. Providence Brewing Company is one step closer to opening its HQ at 1920 Mineral Spring Ave in North Providence. Owner Efren Hidalgo got his license on March 30 and will be pouring at the sold-out Newport Craft Beer Festival next week. And huzzah to former Bucketeer Nate Broomfield, who has signed on to work with the PBC crew. Cheers to all!

For more beer news, check Lou’s blog, bottlescansclaphands.wordpress.com, or follow @BottlesCansRI.

Got Beer? Grey Sail’s Dave’s Coffee Stout

Dave’s Coffee, which is not to be confused with Dave’s Market or Dave’s Bar & Grill or Dave & Busters or Dave, the Kevin Kline movie about a president’s look-a-like, is a well-known local coffee company that you can usually find in Dave’s Market. Well, now you can also find it in Grey Sail’s Dave’s Coffee Stout. Apparently we had to make absolutely sure there was that differentiation between all the other Dave’s and all the other Coffee Stouts.

I’ll never turn down a coffee stout of any kind, unless it’s very late and I’ve already been up for three days, which is about when the hallucinations set in. I was tempted to make a comment about

the insane prevalence of dark coffee beers, and it would by hypocritical not to considering I’ve beat the drum about IPAs and hop palate fatigue so often that Guitar Center won’t let me through the doors anymore. So I’ll say this: There are a lot of coffee stouts. I love them. Not everyone does. It’s not an original or novel idea anymore, and it is in danger of becoming cliché. Now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, let’s move on.

Seeing local favorite brewery Grey Sail team up with local favorite coffee company Dave’s to make my favorite kind of beer was a wonderful surprise. Once I obtained a sample and a little peace and quiet to try it, I poured a glass and prepared to enjoy what was almost certainly a solid brew.

And it indeed was. The nose is largely one of dark chocolate with a warm coffee roast wafting through. It put me in mind of chocolate-covered espresso beans. It’s very dark, as it should be, with a hint of translucency at the edges, making me think of an actual cup of coffee. This stout is rich and thick, almost chewy, like a good stout should be. The flavor is very coffee-forward with a grittiness often missing from these sorts of hybrid beers. It’s a warm, welcoming beer reminiscent of dark roast, but mixed with a dry Irish stout, combining the best elements of each and producing something wholly new.

The caffeine content seems fairly low, and the label didn’t give away the ABV, but if I had to guess, I’d say this beer wasn’t much stronger than 6% at most. Probably closer to 5%. This makes it sessionable for those of us who can drink stouts as session beers. So while your typical lite-weight might consider this to be a little too heavy, those of us who only slow down when it comes to Russian imperials will find this to be a very nice, pleasing dark beauty.

So while this beer might have a very generic-sounding name, don’t be fooled — this is an excellent example of the style. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to bed… Oh, dammit. I have made an error.