Got Beer? Hot New Brews and Some Sobering Data

Newport Craft Brewing has a trio of new releases rolling out any day now: 1639 Pale Ale is a summer sipper brewed with pineapple; 1639 is a nod to the year Newport was founded, and the pineapple references the town’s commitment to hospitality. Port to Port is a barrel-aged Scotch ale, made with their pals at Grey Sail Brewing of RI. The 16-ounce cans will only be available for purchase at the breweries. And Frosty Stout is a collab with a local ice cream shop called Frosty Free. In August, be on the lookout for Fake Love, a new chocolatey stout in tallboy cans. And in September, the annual release of InfRIngement, a Russian imperial stout, will be in 16-ounce cans instead of bombers. Find out more at newportcraft.com

Chip Samson at Shaidzon Beer Co. reports: “We have been getting cans out of some of our classic favorites and new styles and will continue can releases on Fridays. Expect a new saison take and a run on some lagers. And we collaborated with Jamestown-based artist Amelia Wilson for the can art on Little Bella, a dry-hopped blonde ale.” Hit facebook.com/shaidzonbeerco for details on the weekly drops.

Matt Gray at Ragged Island says: “We will be launching two new cans on July 20 – Coggeshall Pale Ale and Beach Day Session IPA will both be available for the first time.” And the Craft Brew Races fest  is on Saturday, July 21 from 12 – 3:30pm at Fort Adams State Park. A 5K walk/run is followed by a three-hour brew fest, featuring more than three dozen breweries, including most of the 401 independent craft beer family (check the list at craftbrewraces.com/newport). At presstime, tix were still available and may be for sale at the gate; check the website for updates.

Jay Lourenco reminds us that Crooked Current is “running our blueberry American wheat, white stout, Hefeweizen, Hawaiian robust porter and the Neapolitan brown ale throughout the summer. We’ll also be expanding our merchandise offerings based on customer requests to include baseball caps, varied T-shirt colors and several other new items.” Go to facebook.com/CrookedCurrentBrewery for more enticements.

Mat Medeiros at Revival Brewing says: “The latest in our Beary sour series is coming soon. Hail Beary (5.5% ABV. 8 IBUs) is made with fresh blueberries and should be available in early August.”

And in the yikes-the-time-flies dept.: Beervana Fest is less than three months away! The 10th Anniversary Celebration (Yikes! Time flies!!) will take place on October 12 from 6:30 – 10pm at Rhodes-On-the-Pawtuxet in Cranston. The beatific beer bash will host 60 tables pouring 250-plus beers – and we’re sure more than a few 10th-year treats and rarities will be in the mix. Tix are available now at beervanafest.com.

But while you’re planning your latest beer excursions and tippling opportunities, consider this sobering tidbit from a recent post at Esquire.com, based on the UK report titled “Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599,912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies.” The study established a baseline of a maximum of five drinks per week (about 100 grams of alcohol) “to be a healthy person.” Esquire noted that the study warns: “For a 40-year-old, every glass of alcohol above the suggested weekly limit shortens their life by 15 minutes.” If said 40-year-old drains three glasses of beer or wine daily, “he loses two years of his life.” Which brings to mind some words of wisdom from Eric Bogosian’s Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll: “They tell you cigars take three years off your life. What three years? What three years? Eighty-six to eighty-nine? Who needs ’em? Gimme the cigars!” Substitute “pints of beer” for “cigars” and you can rationalize your indulgent ways!