Featured photo by @drone_rhode_island on Instagram
This week, my food and drink tour is taking us back to the smallest state in the U.S!
That’s right, today we’re going to be talking about one of the best states in New England: Rhode Island.
When you think of Rhode Island, I’m sure your mind goes directly to the beach towns we’ve discussed in articles prior. The state is full of them, and they are definitely fun areas to explore and eat your way around.
But today, I’m going to be talking about its capital city: Providence.
In case you need a refresher, Providence is the biggest city in the state. It’s full of tons of local entertainment, live music, popular bars and restaurants, and nightclubs.
We’ve talked about Providence before, and explored many of their popular eateries, particularly within the Italian restaurant scene.
But, there’s one thing we haven’t explored there yet.
The local brewery scene.
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What makes the breweries so special?
Rhode Island is TINY.
Providence (compared to most other cities) is TINY.
So when an area that small is so chock full of homemade craft beer, you know they must be onto something.
Rhode Island food and drink establishments are known for their commitment to using the freshest local ingredients to make their products.
For a while, Rhode Island even had two hops farms, Ocean State Hops and HuntingHouse HopYard. While Ocean State Hops has since paired up exclusively with a local brewery, HuntingHouse HopYard works hard every day to supply local brewers with fresh, high quality hops.
With the tiny state being chock full of resources like this, it makes total sense that there is an abundance of the best breweries, just waiting to be explored.
That’s exactly what we’re going to do today!
Most of these Rhode Island breweries are directly in the heart of Providence, but I’ve included a few others that are right around the corner.
So without further ado…
BEST BREWERIES IN PVD
Narragansett Beer
Arguably the most popular tap room on this list is the longtime Rhode Island tradition.
Since 1890, Narragansett has been at the forefront of innovation for the microbrewery industry. Their Providence brewery is a fantastic place to have a good time while enjoying some brews.
This Rhode Island brewery is the home of the famous Del’s Shandy, one of their most popular beers. Aside from that, people go crazy for the Musik Express IPA, Narragansett Fresh Catch, and their OG lager from 1893.
Trinity Brewhouse/Trinity Beer Garden
This is Rhode Island’s OG brewpub!
Believe it or not, Trinity Brewhouse was established in late 1994 as one of New England’s first brewpub restaurants.
Aside from their amazing food and wide variety of great brews (they make a mean amber ale), you can join their Mug Club for only $60 a year, and get some sweet discounts and promotions on food and brews.
Providence Brewing Company
Anyone can open a brewery. It’s a whole other thing to open a taproom.
Providence Brewing Company takes pride in their inviting taproom, where customers can see where the beer is brewed, view the brewing process, and talk directly to the brewers themselves.
Their draft list rotates frequently, but right now, I recommend trying their new release: Irresistible Delicious. It’s a hazy double IP lager, and has pineapple and tropical notes.
Union Station Brewery
This place isn’t like any other on this list.
The brewpub is a transformed train station, and these guys do it all. In addition to classic pub fare, great food, and their own award winning beers, they also feature craft beers from all over New England.
Head Brewer Dave has many rotating beers and new creations, but my favorite current offering is the Nautical By Nature can of hazy pale ale. Give it a try!
Revival Brewing Company
Pizza? Beer? What more could you ask for?
Sean Larkin and Owen Johnson launched their very first beer, a Double Black IPA, in 2009 and the rest is history.
They make it their mission to partner with local breweries to bring out the distinct flavors of the community, like their White Electric Coffee Stout, and are a well known name among the Providence brewery community. Check them out!
Beer on Earth
From award winning home brewers to owners of an up and coming funky and art-centric tap room, Beer on Earth has cultivated a strong community of Providence area beer enthusiasts.
This local favorite spot crafts a variety of pilsners, pale ales, and IPAs. My personal favorite is the West Fountain St, a pilsner that is dry hopped with saaz.
Moniker Brewery
At Moniker, they believe that a beer is only as good as the company you share it with.
Their taproom makes all of that a possibility. Equipped with firepits, comfy seating, and stellar city views, you’ll truly enjoy spending time here.
They make tons of great craft beer. Their flagship lager, State of Flow, is a German pilsner made with 100% authentic ingredients. You have to try it!
Long Live Beerworks
40R Sprague St, Providence, RI 02907
This taproom and brewery located on the west side of Providence does things a bit differently. They purposely don’t offer any flagship beers to keep things fresh, exciting, and reflective of the seasons.
They release fresh craft brews on a weekly basis, so be sure to come by to their taproom to see what new things they have brewing.
Stop in for a few hours or pre-order your beer to go. No matter how you choose to enjoy your brews, you’ll be sure to enjoy them!
The Guild
While the brewery itself is located in Pawtucket, you can enjoy fresh homemade brews right from their Providence beer garden!
This beer garden is open from May through October. Here, you can enjoy a cold beer with friends while taking in the sights of the beautiful city skyline. Sounds like a win to beer drinkers and beer lovers like me!
Their New England double India pale ale, the Warren G, has very soft bitterness among a bright tropical flavor. It’s a must try!
BREWERIES OUTSIDE OF PVD
Proclamation Ale Company
This one is in Warwick, right by the T.F. Greene airport. AKA, basically Providence.
With arcade games set free to play, corn hole, shuffleboard, indoor and outdoor seating, Proclamation Ale Company is truly the gold standard for breweries.
They brew so much and are constantly coming out with tons of new beers, that they made a handy beer guide for you to check out ahead of visiting, to see what you can expect on draft. Genius! Check it out here.
Apponaug Brewing Company
Aside from serving great beer (which trust me, these guys do), Apponaug strives to make their Warwick tasting room a Third Place for customers, “an essential refuge apart from the daily hustles of home and work.” A great way to unwind after a long day!
This great place brews tons and tons of beers, but I recommend going for a Pontiac if it’s on draft. A 5.1% ABV IPA, this features notes of cantaloupe and a tiny bit of grapefruit.
Smug Brewing
Head brewer Rob is committed to using the freshest and highest quality barley and hops that he can get his hands on, and it shows.
They “brew with confidence, so you can drink with confidence.”
Perhaps the most unique of their beers is the Chubby Unicorn. This 9% ABV beer comes as a draft or in a can, and has hints of citrus and stone fruit.
Foolproof Brewing Company
This is one of Pawtucket’s most interactive breweries.
Right from the taproom, you can view the whole entire 30 barrel brewhouse while tasting the beer that is made directly on site.
During the fall months, they craft many unique offerings; one of them being a S’mores Ale. Isn’t that genius?!
Special thank you to the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, which was a massive help when researching and writing this article. Check them out for a complete listing of every existing Rhode Island brewery.
