A friend is asking what beers I'd like him to pick up for me this week in Newport and Providence, RI. Now living in Pennsylvania, I've lost track of the breweries that distribute to that area. Can anyone recommend some breweries or specific packaged beers he should look out for at bottle shops in those towns? I favor a lot of the typical beer geeky stuff: IPAs, barrel-aged stouts/barleywines, barreled sours and the like.
Not sure what the distro is like up there, but if you can swing by Long Live I think you'll be very pleased.
You also have Moniker there, who has been cranking out amazing beers. That would be a great stop for sure.
Would add Tilted Barn to the above, per your preferences, they just released a BA stout today. Make solid IPAs also. Can easily hit Shaidzon at the same time, they brew awesome beers, particularly lagers and traditional styles.
Nice thing about RI is that you can easily hit a bunch in a small window of time as long as you stay off Aquidneck Island.
How long will you be in RI? My usual recs for people visiting is to avoid the overcrowded areas this time of year. Newport is great but expect everything to take far too long (food, bars, driving). I lived just north of Pt Judith for years and there are some great things to do in RI non-beer related if you are willing to explore a bit In terms of beer, Tilted Barn and Shaidzon are definite in my eyes. I’ve heard Moniker is putting out great beers too. Take some time out of one day and visit Matunuck Oyster Bar, and also (if it’s your thing) some of the historical sites in Narragansett (ie Historic Cemeteries) or public areas (Black Point is a must for a short hike, great views, fishing and the last remaining house that partially lasted through the 1938 hurricane). If you wind up in that area make sure to go to Mews Tavern in Wakefield.
Thank you all so much for the recommendations! It's great to have some guidance from folks who really know the area. My buddy will be there for all of next week, based in Newport - so that's good to know to expect delays. I love all the beer recommendations, and will also let direct him toward the oyster bar, Narragansett, and Black Point
Agreed on the general list of breweries above. Haven't traded in awhile, but at the end of my run people out of town seemed to love Long Live Beerworks and Tilted Barn the most as far as hoppy beers. Barreled sours are slim pickings around here, but Proclamation Ale in Warwick probably has the most barrel beers available at any given time with their devoted foeder room. Took a snapshot of their current barrel options: As far as distributed beers, nationally PA probably outdoes the RI selection. We may have some regional beers distributed here that I'm not sure make it there: MA - Vanished Valley, Exhibit 'A', Widowmaker, Idle Hands ME - Tributary, Definitive, Battery Steele, Bissell Brothers (occasional)
If he’s going to be in Newport and has time to burn. Treehouse in Sandwich, MA might be a possibility. How much does your buddy like you?
Folks, We'll be in Newport/Middletown for a week and I'm wondering what's new and good in the local scene, especially for fans of lagers, saisons and clean WCIPA. My usual MO on these trips is to hit either Bridge or Gold's for a bunch of singles - is that still the way to go?
Not sure how often you get out here, but Sandy's Liquors in Middletown which was already my go to 5-10 years ago expanded to take over the other half of their building so they are worth checking out. I have observed Taproot Brewing Co on site at Newport Vineyards has steadily improved since they started up shortly before the pandemic. There are only 2 out of 10 options currently that are NEIPA style beers. Ragged Island in Portsmouth moved from an industrial park to a 37 acre farm space on Bristol Ferry Road, and they typically have a nice variety of styles. Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling is definitely more recommended for their cocktails than beers, but they have come a long way from the Hurricane Amber Ale that had a touch of formaldehyde from my first taste back in '99. Edit: and for selection of saisons I think Norey's (https://untappd.com/v/noreys/22226) is who you want to check out. For general variety I also like Pour Judgement further down Broadway in Newport.
Resurrecting this thread just to see if there are any updates in the Newport/Middletown area beer scene! I'll be there for a few days visiting family and plan on revisiting Tilted Barn and Pour Judgement, but any other nearby important visits? Thanks!
Haven't been myself, but Rejects Beer Co appears to be at least an average beermaker or slightly above, so if you are looking for another place you could try that out. Rejects is down the street from Easton/Atlantic Beach and Mission Burger and Diego's Cantina right next to here have good bites.
