Finding Enlightenment at Beervana

Craft beer has become a leviathan in our time, undergoing a renaissance of sorts in the last 20 years. After decades of nothing but watered-down, factory-produced pilsners, having such an exploding variety of beer has spawned an epicurean culture that both echoes the wine culture, and yet maintains a distinct identity of its own. Beer festivals are no longer about getting tanked and having stupid adventures. Now they’re about sampling a whole world of flavors and discovering a new frontier. One could even make the argument that the alcoholic effects of beer are an afterthought at this point. I won’t, but someone could.

This is why every year, I and those like me look forward to Beervana! Not only is it a nearly overwhelming odyssey into craft beer, but it’s just the right beer festival for our time. It’s not about getting blitzed and streaking across the quad; it’s about sampling and enjoying a beverage that has become a fixation in our society.

Here, you can try a German Dunkel Weiss, or an Oatmeal Stout, a Belgian Dubbel, a Black IPA or even a beer made from sorghum. It’s a chance to expand the palate and discover something new. I remember during the first Beervana, I overheard a small group complaining that there were no Budweiser or Coors tents. They were rather angry about it. At first, I thought it was the wrong kind of beer festival for them. In hindsight, I think that maybe it’s exactly the right kind of beer festival for them!

It’s a different environment, one that puts more emphasis on the exploration and discovery than on the intoxication, expanding the mind instead of blotting it out. We all know what Budweiser tastes like, and it will likely never change. But who among us has sipped a banana-bread beer, or tried a whiskey-barrel aged coffee porter? Maybe that’s not your thing, and that’s fine, too.

On the other hand, how do you even know that you’ll not like craft beer? Every one is unique. One IPA might make you spit in disgust, while another might tingle very pleasantly on your tongue. Maybe Guinness is too heavy to you, but try this porter and see what you think.

That’s what Beervana is all about. It’s billed as the ultimate experience in craft beer, and it’s hard to argue the point. The myriad selection of beer available, some of which are rare, special offerings, assures that there has to be something there to appeal to even the most staunch brand loyalist.

For those who already foam at the mouth just imagining the packed room full of dozens upon dozens of varieties of brew, keep an eye and an ear out for some of those special little guest stars to appear, like perhaps the Samuel Adams Utopia or one of the Newport Storm Annuals. There’s always a special bottle of something lurking around to entice the taste buds. Not to mention the imports from overseas that might even have a few lambics and sours, if you’re into that sort of thing. The usual suspects will be there, including the local brewers from our own humble Ocean State: Newport Storm, Revival, Grey Sail, Foolproof and Trinity Brewhouse sharing their fare.

There will also be food, educational seminars and beer talks led by some of the big names in craft beer. This year, Rob Todd of Allagash Brewing and Dan Shelton of Shelton Brothers imports, a company largely responsible for introducing good beer to America, will speak.

With the addition of Providence Craft Beer Week, the week-long opening act that delivers a multitude of beer tasting events at select bars and restaurants all over the city, there’s really no excuse to not try something new and different. Whether you’re a liteweight who refuses to give up that blue labeled can or you’re a pompous beer snob looking for something to satisfy your ridiculous standards, the week-long celebration that culminates in Beervana should bring enough to the table to open your eyes on a whole new frontier. Find out more at http://www.beervanafest.com, and be sure to keep up on the beer scene in RI by checking out https://motifri.com.

Providence Craft Beer Week Events:

Saturday October 12 –   Nikki’s Liquors – Vintage Beer Tasting

Sunday October 13 –      Julian’s in Providence – Revival Brew Co Night 9pm –                                                            11pm

Nikki’s Liquors – AleSmith Brewing Company Tasting

Monday October 14 –    Julian’s in Providence – Foolproof Brew Co Night 9pm –                                                        1 pm

Nikki’s Liquors – Long Trail/Otter Creek/Wolavers/The                                                         Shed tasting

Scurvy Dog – Harpoon Night

Tuesday October 15 –    GCB – City Steam Brewery Night 8pm

Julian’s in Providence – Founder’s Night 9pm – 11pm

Nikki’s Liquors – Stone Beer Tasting 5pm – 7pm

Scurvy Dog – Founders Night

Wednesday October 16 – GCB – Maine Beer Company Night 8pm

Julian’s in Providence – Stone Night 9pm – 11pm

Nikki’s Liquors – Firestone Walker Tasting 5pm – 7pm

Scurvy Dog – Stone Night

Thursday October 17 – GCB – Revival Brewing Night 8pm

Julian’s in Providence – Allagash Night 9pm – 11pm

Nikki’s Liquors – Founders Tasting 5pm – 7pm

Scurvy Dog – Lagunitas

Friday October 18 –         Beervana Fest at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston                                                   6:30pm-10pm

Julians – Beervana Afterparty 10pm – 12:30am