Explore the vibrant craft beer scene in Rhode Island with this detailed guide to its top breweries. The article showcases a variety of breweries, from established favorites to innovative newcomers, each offering unique brews and tasting experiences. Highlights include renowned spots like Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. and The Guild, known for their exceptional craft beers and inviting atmospheres. Whether you’re a beer connoisseur or just looking to explore local flavors, this guide provides all the details for a perfect brewery tour in Rhode Island.
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The Titled Barn
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Why not take a trip into the farmlands of Rhode Island, where you’ll find the Titled Barn Brewery among the picturesque forests. This Rhode Island brewery is not only in a truly stunning location, but it also serves up some great craft brews. You’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of American style beers such as a brown ale, IPA, or a pale lager.
The Titled Barn is very family and pet friendly. There are acres of forest and farm to explore and a homely cozy vibe in the barn itself. This is a great place to host or attend an event, as there’s often live music and plenty of food trucks to choose from. It’s the perfect beer escape the whole family can enjoy, and is perfect all year round, even in the snowy winters.
Grey Sail Brewery
If you’re looking to embrace the sailor’s culture of Rhode Island, the Grey Sail brewery in Westerly is the perfect nautical beer experience. Situated alongside the Pawcatuck River on the aptly named Canal street, you’ll be able to enjoy the breeze and the summery weather while sipping on one of their Flagship cream ales. You are also welcome to order any food from the local restaurants nearby for the accompanying beer snacks
Providence Taproom
Another Urban brewery that’s reinvented the classic taproom game is the Providence Brewing Company. It’s the same name and company that got through the great depression, yet it’s completely new and modernized and taken on a craft brewing persona. This brewery is embracing the urban lifestyle of Providence and offering interesting food options from Filipino cuisine.
The atmosphere of the Providence brewery taproom is just as important to them as their brews, and they prioritize the customer experience. Customers can talk to the brewers, see the process, and have an amazing dining experience in the hip and trendy ambience of the industrial style taproom.
Is Narragansett Brewery Kid-Friendly?
Providence is a gorgeous city to visit in the Rhode Island state, and the brewery known for its high standard of beer is the Narraganset brewery. This Rhode Island brewery has been making some of the most iconic Rhode island beers for over a century, so that’s plenty of time to master the craft. Enjoy a Narraganset ale at their taproom in India Point Park, with one of their famous pizzas.
Their taproom does have a more party atmosphere, so you do have to be of legal drinking age, but feel free to bring your dog. Otherwise, you can find Narragansett beer at many local beer selling stores, and you can enjoy it in the company of your family at home or on a picnic. There’s no excuse not to enjoy a classic Narragansett Lager.
The Oldest Breweries In Rhode Island
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The brewing culture of Rhode Island has been around for a good century or so, and even though the breweries as we know them today were mostly established in the 90s or early 2000s, some names have been around for as long as the 1800s. Providence Brewing Company and Narragansett or those names. The brands are completely modernized and even went through periods of not existing (think probation era).
They bounced back better than ever, and took some old recipes and made them crafty and modern to fit in with the current beer trends. You’ll notice that the Narragansett branding on their classic beers is reminiscent of that of the 1800s. Another way the brand is taking an old name and making it cool. Nothing says American old-timey beer like the red and white colours of the Narragansett logo.
Which Rhode Island Breweries Have The Best Food?
The Taproot brewery deserves a special shout out for its food menu. A family that has been in farming for over 100 years and craft beers and wine for over 25 years owns the brewery. The beers are made fresh, and best served immediately after brewing with their delicious snacks straight from the farm such as cheeses and house-made pretzels.
Beer snacks aren’t the only thing they do. Their menu is an ode to the Rhode Island and New England classics, so you’ll find chicken-fried oysters and clam chowder, made with seafood straight from Narragansett Bay. There are also more innovative meals like a Korean pork belly pizza and a duck confit and fig pizza. This isn’t your average brewery food that’s for sure.
What Are The Major Beer Events And Festivals In Rhode Island?
Taprooms are notoriously known for throwing some killer tasting events on the weekend, so make sure to check out the best Rhode Island breweries’ websites to see which events are coming up and if you can rent out the space for your own events. There is also usually live music, game nights, and all sorts of entertainment on offer.
Rhode Island is known for being a winter wonderland, so you don’t only have to venture to the stunning little towns in the summer. A big winter attraction is the Rhode Island Brew Fest, usually in February. You’ll see all the fan favourites participating in addition to local food vendors.
It takes place in the extraordinary location of the Waterfire Arts Center in Providence and promises to be worth braving the weather. So come when the town isn’t at peak tourist season, and enjoy a winter holiday like no other, who says all the fun has to be had in summer?
Get Your Rhode Island Brewery Passport
If all the different breweries in the ocean state sound overwhelming, and you’re scared you might miss some, there’s a nifty app Rhode Islanders and visitors use to make sure this doesn’t happen. The Rhode Island Passport app provides all the information you need about the best Rhode Island breweries and it has a nifty awards and points feature. Use it at any Rhode Island brewery and get rewarded for drinking beer!
Jake has been a craft beer and homebrew enthusiast since his college days. He loves scouring Europe for unique and unusual hops to add to his beers.
Founder of Jake’s Brew Haven – he currently hosts beer-tasting sessions at select local pubs in Baltimore.