We ask our beer writers, the coordinators of local brewfests, and 59 breweries, wineries, and distilleries to tell us their three favorite home-grown products and their three favorite products by any local maker. That second part was optional – but here’s what we love about our local beverage scene! Almost everyone we talked to was as eager to talk about what others were producing as to talk about their own ventures. The cross-company support is impressive and inspiring. Here’s what our investigations put forward this year – we hope there are some you haven’t heard of, and some you’re inspired to try (or revisit) before you vote. Or after. Or during.
Leydon Vineyard and Sons of Liberty Spirits declined to participate. Langworthy Vineyards and Sakonnet Vineyard were unable to respond before press time. Every single brewery did respond! With great regret, we left out two of our favorite breweries. Smug, and Shaidzon received numerous shout outs, but all three breweries closed this year, and we didn’t want to put forward brews you’ll never be able to try. Cheers to these potent power players of the past and the many, many exceptional tasting sessions they inspired over recent years.
Click below to vote for your favorites! Voting closes September 7th.
Below are the nominees:
BEER
ALE / SAISON
Bravo Brewing Co.: Union Jack English Pub Ale
Coddington: Coddington Blueberry
Crafted Hope Brewing Co.: Sailor’s Delight
Crooked Current: Neapolitan Brown Ale
Foolproof: La Ferme Urbaine
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island: Sea Maiden
Lops Brewing: Pumpkin Spice Ale
Phantom Farms Brewing: Sacred Tree
Tower Hill Brewing: Aged To Perfection
Trágmar Ale Works: Goibniu
West Passage Brewing: Full Keel Brown Ale
DIPA
Crook Point Brewing Co.: Two Hammers
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island: Captains Daughter
Long Live Beerworks: The All-Seeing Eye
Providence Brewing: Pound Town
Ragged Island: Liquid Hugs
Trágmar Ale Works: Dagda
IPA
Coddington: Coddington India Pale Ale
Crook Point Brewing Co.: Cali
Foolproof Brewing: Mansions
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island: Little Sister
Long Live Beerworks: Gift Basket IPA
Outer Light: Subduction
Pivotal Brewing Co.: Celestial Plume
Ragged Island: Tiny Truck
Ravenous: Rhode Haze
Rejects: Zombies of Death
Toxic Brewing: Angel Wings
Trinity Brewhouse: RI IPA
Vigilant: Quit Playing With Your Dinghy
West Passage Brewing: Heave-To
Whalers: Muse
LAGER
The Guild: Onyx
Narragansett Brewery: Lager
Newport Craft Brewing + Distilling Co.: Rhode Runner
Pivotal Brewing Co.: Mount Hope Lager
Proclamation Ale Co.: Proc Lite
Taproot Brewing Co.: Real Easy
Tilted Barn: Lawn Boy
West Passage Brewing: Rhode Bock
LAGER (EUROPEAN STYLE)
Bravo Brewing Co.: Czech Dark Lager
Buttonwoods: Czech 10
Coddington: Oktoberfest Lager
Crafted Hope Brewing Co.: Dunk & Dumber
Crook Point Brewing Co.: Squantum
Origin Beer Project: Small Victories
Origin Beer Project: Almost Friday
Pivotal Brewing: Midnight Bryter
Ragged Island Brewing Co.: Old Boys Vienna Lager
LAGER (MEXICAN OR JAPANESE STYLE)
Apponaug Brewing Co.: Pozo
Lops: Japanese Rice Lager
Moniker Brewery: El Rhodeo
Phantom Farms Brewing: Blue Demon
Ragged Island: Donde Está la Biblioteca
Rejects Beer: Six-String Samurai
Union Station: Nomar Garcia
NEW ENGLAND IPA
Apponaug Brewing Co.: Aurora
Bravo Brewing Co.: Tropic Thunder
Buttonwoods Brewery: Object Permanence
Long Live Beerworks: Invisible IPA
Lops Brewing: Star Hazing
Newport Craft: Rhode Trip
Phantom Farms: Elegant Viking
Pivotal: Pivotal Celestial Plume
Proclamation Ale Co.: Tendril
Ravenous Brewing Co.: Rhode Haze
Taproot Brewing Co.: F-Bomb
Tilted Barn: Cactus
Tower Hill Brewing: Down Main Street
Tragmar: Hollow Hills
Union Station: Cranston Thug Life
PALE ALE / BLONDE
Crooked Current: Immortality
Grey Sail: Flying Jenny
The Guild: Hoppy Gilmore
Moniker: Stay Cool Drink Moniker
Narragansett: Fresh Catch
Origin Beer Project: Cheat Code
Taproot: Comet Blonde Ale
Tilted Barn: Peeptoad
Vigilant Brewing: Spec Ops
Whalers: RISE
PILSNER
Buttonwoods: Steady Blur
Long Live Beer Works: Pils
Narragansett Brewers: Bermuda Pils
Origin Beer Project: With You Pilsner
Pivotal Brewing: Pivotal Pils
Tilted Barn Brewery: Kōwhai
PILSNER (CZECH / GERMAN / ITALIAN STYLES)
Apponaug Brewing Co.: Pawtuxet Pils
Buttonwoods Brewery: Pilsner
Long Live Beerworks: PVD Pils
Moniker: State Of Flow
Origin Beer Project: Czech Pils
Pivotal Brewery: PIVO-tal
SOUR
Crafted Hope Brewing Co.: Sax on the Beach
Foolproof: Pickelodeon
The Guild: Jam Sesh
Long Live Beerworks: Frozie Cup
Providence Brewing: Dirty Sundae Blue Raspberry
Providence Brewing: Tattoo of Blood
Ragged Island: Ripples Raspberry Sour
Tilted barn: Sunrise over Sea
Vigilant Brewing Co.: Peanut Butter Jelly
STOUT / PORTER
Crooked Current: Oatmeal Raisin Stout
Ravenous Brewing: Coffee Milk Stout
Taproot Brewing Co.: White Out (White Stout)
Tower Hill Brewing: Knight Out
Trágmar Ale Works: Morrigan
Vigilant: Irish Nitro Stout
WHEAT
Crooked Current: Kickback
Lops Brewing: Peach Better Have My Basil Honey
Proclamation Ale Co.: Fade to White
Tilted Barn: Summer Sol
Trinity Brewhouse: Screaming Viking
OTHER
Bravo Brewing Co.: Raspberry Hibiscus Hard Tea Seltzer (Hard Seltzer)
Diamond Hill Vineyard: Crush (Mixed Berry Blend)
Origin Beer Project: Woven (Beer/Wine Hybrid)
Rejects: 4th Beach (Hard Tea)
Taproot Brewing Co.: Tall Tales (Shandy)
Whalers: Drift Blueberry Lemon (Hard Seltzer)
CIDER
Newport Vineyards: Rhody Coyote
Sowams Cider: Roxburry Russet
Sowams Cider: RI Greening Wild
Sowams Cider: Berkshire Blend
Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery: Brown Sugar Peach
Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery: Blueberry Vanilla
Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery: First Bite
SPIRITS
BOURBON / WHISKEY / RYE
ISCO: Blue Velvet Bourbon
O’Brien & Brough: Cherrystone Rye
South County Distillers: Chocolate Rye
White Dog Distillery: Puppy Bourbon
White Dog Distillery: Cornucopia Whiskey
Working Man Distillers: Grumpy Pastmaster
Working Man Distillers: Rescue Dog
VODKA / GIN
ISCO: Sea Flow Oyster Gin
ISCO: Ostreida Oyster Vodka
O’Brien & Brough: Lime Rock Gin
O’Brien & Brough: Flight Risk Vodka
RI Spirits: Coffee & Black Walnut
RI Spirits: Rhodium Forager’s Gin
OTHER SPIRITS
13th Hour Distilling: Original Rum
ISCO: Aquavit
Rhodium: Limoncello
South County Distillers: Blueberry Vodka Lemonade
South County Distillers: Limoncello
White Dog Distillery: Spiced Rum
WINES
RED
Diamond Hill Vineyard: Scarlet Run
DiFazio Vineyard: Pistol
Greenvale Vineyards: Malbec
Mulberry Vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Nickel Creek: Pinot Noir
Shepard’s Run: 2018 Carneros Pinot Noir
Shepard’s Run: Shiraz
Verde Vineyards: Bella’s Estate Reserve Merlot
WinterHawk Vineyards: Malbec
Diamond Hill Vineyard: Blackberry
Verde Vineyards: Petite Pearl
ROSE
Gooseneck Vineyards: Brut
Greenvale Vineyards: Cabernet Franc Rosé
Langworthy Vineyards Langworthy Rose
Newport Vineyards: Dry Rosé
Sakonnet Vineyard: Eye of the Storm
WHITE
DiFazio Vineyard: Sweet Carolyn
Greenvale Vineyards: Pinot Gris
Mulberry Vineyard: Pinot Gris
Newport Vineyards: Great White
Shepard’s Run: 2023 North Fork Sauvignon Blanc
Verde Vineyards: Chardonnay
WinterHawk Vineyards: Viognier
OVERALL
FAVORITE PRODUCT NAME
Crafted Hope Brewing Co.: Sax on the Beach
The Guild: Mrs. Stoutfire
Moniker Brewery: Unlimited Breadsticks
Origin Beer Project: Little Dark Age
Providence Brewing: Pound Town
Rejects: Six-String Samurai
Rhodium: Well & Good Vodka
Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery: Citra Ass Down
Trinity Brewhouse: The Bus is Crashing
Vigilant: Quit Playing with Your Dinghy
WinterHawk Vineyards: Backwoods Bastard
Working Man Distillers: Pawtucket Panhandler Mule
FAVORITE CAN OR LABEL ART
Apponaug Brewing Co.: Supernaut
Bravo Brewing Co.: Six-String Samurai
Crafted Hope Brewing Co.: Horse Socks
Long Live Beerworks: Black Cat
Lops Brewing: Flock Together Pale Ale
O’Brien & Brough: Flight Risk Vodka
Rejects: 4th Beach Hard Tea
South County Distillers: Raspberry Reef
Tilted Barn Brewery: Moonstone
Trinity Brewhouse: Trinity IPA
Union Station: 5 Minute Major
Vigilant: Hermanos Mexican Lager