Champagne taste on a beer budget is now a moot point , since craft brews are getting fancier and spendier too . It was only about ten years ago when we could count the number of breweries in Rhode Island on one hand , but now the Ocean State boasts thirty-six and climbing . Use our guide to learn about our local brewers and plan your own beer-focused Rhode trips .
ICONS KEY
r dog-friendly
� brewpub
� outdoor seating
� family-friendly
Beer on Earth
r ( outdoors only ) �� Beer On Earth ’ s funky , art-forward tap room is ideal for those with both a discerning eye and discerning taste . A bright blue wall behind the bar proudly displays the names of brews on tap while ready-totake-home cans adorned with imaginative labels ( dreamed up and illustrated by local artist Paul Endres Jr .) fill a fridge across from fermenters . Set in the beer mecca that is Providence ’ s West End , the microbrewery also boasts prime open-air seating beneath atmospheric bistro lighting . WHAT TO DRINK : Try the Marzanna , a Baltic porter featuring a toasty malt aroma with notes of toffee , nuts and molasses and flavors of chocolate and coffee ; the Temple of Plenty , a light golden German lager with subtle notes of honey and almond ; or the New England Gothic , a New England Double IPA dry-hopped with Vic Secret and Citra hops . 425 West Fountain St ., # 104 , Providence , beeronearth . com
Crooked Current Brewery
r�� This nanobrewery has a block party vibe , nestled into the Lorraine Mills next to White Dog Distilling with easy access to another neighbor , Ming ’ s Asian Street Food , which is opening a fried chicken sandwich bar . Around the corner is Ja Patty , a kitchen serving Jamaican cuisine on nights and weekends . The Crook is best known for brewer and co-founder Nichole Pelletier ’ s inventive beer varieties that incorporate audacious ingredients and unusual flavors like pineapple in its Hawaiian Porter and strawberry , chocolate and vanilla notes in the Neapolitan Brown Ale , coined the “ ice cream beer .” WHAT TO DRINK : The Pumpkin Maple Ale , made with pumpkin , maple and pumpkin pie spices , is always popular , as is the seasonal Eggnog Milk Stout , released on the night before Thanksgiving . There ’ s no eggnog in it ; it ’ s a milk stout brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg . 560 Mineral Spring Ave ., Pawtucket , 473-8312 , crookedcurrentbrewery . com >>
Boozy Prize
Apponaug Brewery in
Warwick .
Before you visit Rhode Island ’ s breweries , download the Rhode Island Brewery Passport , and keep track of all your visits to local breweries from Westerly to Woonsocket while earning prizes along the way . The app , created by the Rhode Island Brewers Guild , has all the latest info on the breweries , including which are kid- and dog-friendly as well as hours and reviews . The Rhode Island Brewery Passport app is available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store . ribrewersguild . org
40 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2021