Considering the holiday I feel like I should be writing a sanctimonious tirade about how craft beer will save the country and it’s the utopian future for all of us. While I believe it may be those things I wanted to leave you with a simple thought on this, the 237th birthday of our great nation.

Nothing exemplifies American ingenuity and the can-do attitude quite like a craft beer.

It was those two qualities that formed this country and saved us from near disasters time and time again. They are arguably our two best qualities and uniquely at the center of the American spirit. Looking to history we see more examples of the American spirit. Stories of Adolphus Busch, Eberhard Anheuser and Adolph Coors, immigrants to this country who built empires that are still around today. Craft Beer is the next chapter in the great tale of America. So pop a cold one open on this hot day and support your local Craft Brewers.

Cheers!

-Chris

Charlie drinks a Gansett Summer while watching the Providence Kickball League

Ugh, I hate the humidity, good thing I have some homebrew nearby to help cool me off.

I know we’ve been quiet lately, but that’s only because we’re planning some things….big things. I could be more mysterious about it and drop all kinds of hints but why not just cut down to the brass tacks?

Rhode Island Mini Maker Faire

This fantastic event is where the RIBS idea was born. It is a celebration of DIY, garage arts and general flights of fancy. At this event it doesn’t matter what you make, it only matters that you make and you want to share it with all. Maker Faire RI will occur as part of AS220’s FooFest, which is a celebration of music and art. We will be there doing our usual brewing demonstration outside. Feel free to drop by the booth and say hello and talk beer!

Rhode Island Brew Fest – Summer Edition

Matt and the Grey Matter Marketing crew is up to it again, putting together another awesome festival down at Ninigret park in Charleston. We had a blast at the last festival and are happy to be returning for a day under the tents out in the park. Look for our table, sample our brews and tell us what you think. Of course questions are always welcome, we love to talk about beer. For tickets and more information visit http://ribrewfest.com/summer/

And Now for Something Completely Different…

If you recently decided to emerge from your subterranean shelter that you took refuge in 4 years ago, you’ll be happy to know that Dogfish Head is returning to the Ocean State sometime this year. No specific dates have been announced yet. But it’s happening. (And while I didn’t make the original tweet, I am glad they’ve seen a *^%&*%* map)

Stay tuned for more updates, if we’re not too busy drinking craft beer. Check out Motif  for my monthly musings on the state of beer in RI. Till next time. Cheers!

-Chris

Recently, RIBS had the pleasure of touring one of Rhode Island’s newest craft breweries, Foolproof (formerly HighJinx). The brewery has only been open 7 short weeks but has already made a splash in the local beer scene. The three person power house of a staff has been putting in long hours and to them its really less of a job more of a labor of love. To them beer isn’t just about a tasty drink but it is more an experience  To underscore this mentality each of their three beers is named for that experience. Currently they have:

• Barstool, a very sessionable golden ale
• Backyahd IPA, an “East Coast” IPA bridging the gap between West Coast IPAs and English IPAs
• Raincloud Porter, A bold porter sure to keep you warm on the rainiest of days

While these three beers are the first to market, there is some talk of adding seasonal into that line up. But we don’t want to ruin the surprise, you’ll just have to go ask the staff while you’re on their tour. Their brewhouse is pretty state of the art with touch screen controls and glycol cooled fermenters. Though, for all these modern conveniences they still do canning and bottling by hand. Even though Foolproof has only been open a few short weeks they are already looking to expand so they can meet demand. The building they are operating in has nice tall ceilings perfect for larger fermenters, so expansion can occur up and not out.

The brewery itself is just a stones throw away from another brewery we visited Bucket Brewery, both in Pawtucket. Tours occur on Saturdays and are well worth it. Don’t be afraid to mention you are a home brewer and they may give you a more in depth tour than the average person may get.

Pictures courtesy of Eddie and Chris

Till next time, Brew Local, Drink Local.

As the afterglow of the Rhode Island Brew Festival wears off, we turn our attention back to normal affairs of what we’re going to brew next and how to perfect our skills. However, it is worth taking a few moments to talk about some local legislation. H5190 is set for a public hearing before the House Corporations committee in just a few hours (Feb 5, 2013 @5PM). H5190 is a piece of legislation that would legalize the selling of beer and wine at farmers markets (with a special license) and set forth guidelines for a farmer-brewers license.

It is no secret that of the 5 breweries that have opened their doors in the last year and a half, the majority of them started off as homebrewing operations. It should also come as no surprise that most homebrewers also entertain the idea of ‘going pro’ and opening up their own brewery at least once if not every day. A bill such as H5190 would give small start up brewers the tools they need to get product exposure statewide, increase sales and fairly compete with other larger and more established brands.

The Craft Beer movement and the Localvorism movements are intrinsically linked by a few key factors such as quality of products, community support and an implicit rejection of overindustrialization. In short, People in both movements want quality goods produced with honesty by their neighbors. This bill supports that mantra and will provide the citizens of Rhode Island with more access to other options than previously before.

Proponents of the bill will point out that this bill bypasses the well established monolithic three tier system which was created after Prohibition ended. While the three tier system addresses a very practical problem (how to keep everyone supplied) it inherently favors the largest brewing companies. In the vast majority of liquor stores and bars a majority of the shelves stocked with beer are those brands from the 3 largest breweries. This allows independent Craft Beer producers to fight for the remaining 40%. H5190 would not impact the stocking of shelves and would only serve to level the playing field already controlled by large businesses. The selling of local beer and wine at farmer’s markets would allow the consumer to make the decision about which brands they want to support instead of allowing the three tier system dictate what they have access to.

A vote for H5190 would be a vote for small business, local consumers and quality products produced by our neighbors. I and other members of the Rhode Island Brewing Society support H5190 for the reasons stated above. I also recommend that you take the time to familiarize yourself with the proposed legislation and write to your elected representatives to let them know your opinion. You can view the full text here.

Cheers,

-Chris