“ Because of that connection , we ’ ve both been able to tap into the agriculture of the local area ,” Snyder says . “ It ’ s pushing me to think more local-centric . The beer was driving that idea of let ’ s create a sense of place . Let ’ s create beers that speak to what ingredients we can gather locally .”
The brewery also hosts trivia and horror movie nights with dates announced on social media . It ’ s all in an effort to build a community over beer and good times at Buttonwoods .
In the concluding words of Snyder , “ Stay Cheers .”
Watch archived episodes of Barrel Corner at instagram . com / buttonwoodscraft brewing . 530 Wellington Ave ., Cranston , buttonwoodsbrewery . com -J . C .
What ’ s Brewing : Origin Beer Project
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How do you and Erika work together ? Cheyne : Erika and I are fifty-fifty . She has a lot of front-of-house experience , including working for distributors , being a salesperson , working in bars and liquor stores , and I am mostly back of house when it comes to the three breweries I ’ ve worked for , Cape Cod being first , then Proc and now Buttonwoods . We ’ re working on getting our brand solid in a time when it is difficult to make connections . But being located in Buttonwoods totally brings in more people because it ’ s two breweries in one .
I know you and Morgan both like the same kind of beers , so how do you set your brands apart ? Cheyne : I feel like it ’ s pretty easy right now . Morgan : I am much more stylistically rigid with Buttonwoods . When we do our lagers they are to a T , perfectly executed for European styles . Our hop-forward stuff is strictly hops for the most part , with the occasional fruit additions , whereas Cheyne tends to reach into the herbs and fruits and other unique additions . He aims more toward the creative , culinary-focused and food-centric side whereas I look at it as more of an overall beer production . Cheyne : We have also found a niche in lower ABV ( alcohol by volume ) beers — anywhere from 2 to 3.5 percent . Lower than normal session-strength beers are popular in the marketplace right now .
What beers are you planning for the fall for Origin Beer Project ? Cheyne : There is a low-ABV 3 percent grisette called Dystopian Fields that ’ s made with pineapple sage , spruce tips , and rosehips . It was named as the next installment to Dystopian Past and Dystopian Present . Late Night Victories is a black lager fermented with oak .
Where does the name for your brewery come from ? Cheyne : Part of it is having a story to tie you to the beer . Telling the story of what the beer is and why it is , overly romanticizing it . It ’ s more about the project behind the beer and the community aspect of it . Relationships are formed around food and beverage , which is an ever-evolving , fluid thing . 530 Wellington Ave ., Cranston , 307-3236 , originbeerproject . com – J . C . �
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get vaccinated before classes start at Rhode Island College , as well .
“ He ’ s thick-headed ,” Grebien jokes about his son , who is hesitant to get the vaccine .
“ Like you ,” Rivera fires back playfully .
RIVERA ’ S SON , CHRISTIAN , WAS reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine , too .
“ He ’ s twenty , so he was listening to his friends ,” Rivera says , sitting at a table in a corner of her office at city hall . “ But there were situations that I had to speak to him about — about things that were happening in real life to certain people — that helped him make his decision .”
She convinced her son , and she ’ s trying to convince Central Falls residents to get vaccinated , as well . Since the start of the pandemic , a quarter of the city ’ s population has tested positive for COVID-19 , and its rate of hospitalization is second in the state . Week after week , it claims the top spot for new cases per capita .
“ In February or March , I said that by the end of April I wanted to have at least 80 percent [ vaccinated in the city ],” Rivera says . “ It ’ s just hard . We knew we would hit the hesitancy stage .”
At press time , 61 percent of city residents are fully vaccinated versus 69 percent of the state . Rivera recently issued a vaccination mandate for City Hall employees , and she ’ s weighing one for all city staff , too . Except for a drive-through fundraiser , most events Rivera hosts involve mass vaccinations ; others , including the beloved salsa night , have been canceled due to rising case counts . Rivera is working with the school district to create incentives for vaccine-eligible students , including gift card raffles .
“ But at the same time , it ’ s not only about incentivizing them ; it ’ s about educating them and having conversations about why this is so important ,” she says .
On tap , too , are conversations involving the November bond proposal to fund a new high school and other infrastructure . In early summer , lawmakers passed legislation authorizing the state to provide its share of the funding upfront , versus the longstanding reimbursement policy . Her team estimates the school bond will cost each taxpayer roughly $ 12 a year for thirty years . In advance of the special
98 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2021