Favorite beers/Bars in Rhode Island

It's a much bigger and classier looking joint than Julians. Plenty of bar space and bar tables while you wait. In fact, it might be too big for what he's trying to go for but I won't poo-poo on a place with much elbow room. Definitely a decent, comfortable place to hang. It's got a certain "sterile" nature to it though. Like its clean. Perhaps too clean. Kinda lose some charm points in that sense but it's a minor gripe for me.

I went the night before Thanksgiving and got a Julius Echter Weiss, a Slumbrew Attic & Eaves, and my GF got a Duchesse du Bourgogne and a Fernet Branca for after dinner. If I recall they have a lot of sessionable beers for the taking and then some fancier, pricier ones. Some bottles, some cans. Miller High Life on tap if you are going cheap.

I went to Julians last night to grab some of that Founders Boy'lr Mak'r and was taken aback at the tap prices. Two Black Alberts on tap for $12 and $15 respectively. For 12oz. There was another expensive Belgian on tap as well that was just as expensive. Food wasn't that great. I hate to say it but I think Julians is officially shitting the bed for quality. Maybe brunch is still good but I was very disappointed with what I got last night.

 

From what I hear in the gossip circles, the departure of Julian's head chef (assuming that was Mike) to start his own gig was not amicable to say the least...

Edit: to make this hearsay relevant to the conversation, perhaps Julian's took a big hit in the kitchen and will need some time to recover.

 

Thanks. I quit going to Julian's for dinner probably two years ago. Prices were nuts and the food on the menu wasn't that good (but their specials were always really tasty, but again, the prices). Brunch is still great and I'll go for that when I can, but dinner? No chance.

There is a huge void in the northern RI craft beer bar scene right now. That void is for sessionable lagers and ales. Track 84 is typically 75% Belgians and IPA's. Julian's taps are tons of Belgians. Even the scurvy dog, whom I have praised so much is heavy on the DIPA's and other big beers. Why can't a few of these places if not all have one or two taps for something like a 5% Kolsch, Czech Pils, Pale Ale, ESB, etc? It's not like they have to look far for this stuff. A keg of Grey Sail Flagship or Foolproof Barstool would be awesome! Not to mention that if any of these joints had Jack's Abby Jabby Brau or Leisure Time Lager on draft I'd spend $100 there tonight. But hey, I'm not complaining, just whining a bit. First world problems for sure.

 

Serious as a heart attack in a swimming pool.

 

That's the problem for me, I can't stand Belgians. I used to drink them all the time, then I just hit the wall. Now, I wouldn't drink a free pint of the finest Belgian. Maybe my taste will come back, but it's been gone for well over a year now.

 

I could see doing this for a Wimpy Skippy or something but...I guess their pizza is better than anything in Arizona.

 

I think part of it might be that, if you want to go out, nurse a snifter all night, and wax philosophical, then a fine Belgian will fit the bill. However, once my beer pump starts flowing, I wanna hoist in liters...Prost !

 

Exactly. I want quality and quantity! Beer garden in Philly served 1L mugs of Bitburger Pils and a host of other German lagers, mostly around $13-$16 a liter. That's the type of stuff we need up here (but with Jack's Abby!).

 

Kids these days are beer tasters - not beer drinkers...get off my lawn !!!

 

Hey, I thought I was still a kid!

 

I took one of those "mental age" internet tests...I got 16yrs old. 40 is the new 24, right ?

 

I think we need to get an RI Beer Advocate Forum-Member Meetup Going some night at Track.

 

Keep me posted. My schedule is nuts, but if I could swing it, I certainly would pop in for a pint or two.