We get excited about the Drink Awards every year in part because the RI brewery and distillery community is so great at bonding together despite any perceived professional rivalries, united in a passion for fermented or distilled greatness.
It’s fun to see how the awards play out too, with some stalwarts like Rise and Captain’s Daughter always in the mix, but also big swings in the local trends. This year we added Czech Pilsner as its own category, we saw pilsners grow, and the indomitable IPA category shrink, if just a little. There seem to be fewer sours getting attention, and almost nobody put up a porter.
We ask our beer writers and every brewer, vintner, and distiller in the state for their three favorites from their own stock, and their three favorites made by others in the field. We get around 85% participation, which is pretty amazing – and so the trends are really coming from what the brewers are nominating, and don’t necessarily reflect what the public is drinking.
Please take a moment to go online and select your favorites – the more the merrier, so send this QR to your friends and the best drinkers you know! Voting is open now through Thursday, August 1 at the link here. Save the date for Sunday, August 11, Motif’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, from 3pm onward, when the winners will be unveiled and roughly 20 local producers of fine drinks will be on hand to provide samples.
Favorite Drink Names
Eat my Schwartz by Smug Brewing
Hello My Name is Pivotal by Pivotal Brewing Company
In the Bluffs by Newport
Vineyards (Chardonnay/Riesling)
Maggie Rita by Winter-Hawk Vineyards
Summer Wheat Makes Me Feel Fine by Lops Brewing
Who Let the Dog Stout? by Six Pack Brewing
Who’s Your Caddy by Vigilant Brewing
You’re Such an Ass by Ravenous Brewing
Friartown by Union Station Brewery
Ales (Broadly Interpreted)
Fellowship by Ravenous Brewery
Neapolitan by Crooked Current Brewery
Peach Better Have My Basil Honey by Lops Brewing
Sea Maiden Ale by Grey Sail Brewing
Strange Design Kolsch by Tilted Barn Brewery
Who’s Your Caddy by Vigilant Brewing
The Real Thing by Union Station Brewery
Lagers
1953 Lager by Narragansett Brewery
Captain Mac by LineSider Brewing
El Rhodeo by Moniker Brewery
Is This Still Lawn Boy? by Tilted Barn Brewery
Keller Pils by Tower Hill Brewery
Laggy Pop by Proclamation Ale Company
Midnight Bryter by Pivotal Brewing Company
Rice Lager by Rejects Brewery
Small Victories by Origin Beer Project
New England IPAS
Cadence by Vigilant Brewing
Derivative | Galaxy by Proclamation Ale Company
F-Bomb by Taproot Brewing
Moonbase Alpha by Providence Brewing
Quit Playin’ with Your Dinghy by Vigilant Brewing
Rhode Trip by Newport Craft Brewing and Distilling Co.
Rise and Shine by Tower Hill Brewery
Star Hazing by Lops Brewing
Tendril by Proclamation Ale Company
Tiny Truck by Ragged Island Brewing
Vinyl Triangles by Long Live Beerworks
Pale Ales
Extra Extra Pale Ale by Origin Beer Project
Flying Jenny by Grey Sail Brewing
Maibock by Shaidzon Beer Company
Mosaic Pale Ale by Taproot Brewing
Sea & Sand by Shaidzon Beer Company
Domino by Apponaug Brewing Co.
Czech Pilsners
Ain’t Broke by Origin Beer Project
Buffalo Czech by Shaidzon Beer Company
C-Zic Pils by West Passage Brewing Company
Lagered Hedonism Czech
Pale by Moniker Brewing
PIVO-tal by Pivotal Brewing Company
Providence Pilsner by Providence Brewing
Small Victories by Origin Beer Project
Stouts
26 Pirates by Ragged Island Brewing
5 Czar by Ragged Island Brewing
Berkeley by Phantom Farms Brewing
El Gallito by Shaidzon Beer Company
Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout by Bravo Brewing Company
Penny by Six Pack Brewing
Sagittarius Moon by Buttonwoods Brewing
Shadows Chasing Shadows by Origin Beer Project
Watchemoket
Chocolate Stout by Crook Point Brewery
Other Beer Styles
Afloat (Amber Ale) by Tower Hill Brewery
Debut Single (Cream Ale) by Moniker Brewing
Into the Fields Grissette by Lops Brewing
Roundabout Amber Ale by Crook Point Brewery
Spec Ops (Cream Ale) by Vigilant Brewing
Strawberry Blond by Crooked Current Brewer
Seltzers & Shandys
Apple Pie Seltzer by The Guild
Dels Shandy by Narragansett Brewery
Drift-Blueberry Lemon by Whalers Brewery
Hard Limeade Seltzer by Ragged Island Brewery
Sierra Blackberry Hard Seltzer by Bravo Brewing Co
Strawberry Rhubarb by The Guild
Sparkling Wines
Farmers Fizz White Bottle by Westport Rivers Winery
RJR Brut Cuvee by Westport Rivers Winery
Ward 3 Cuvee by Langworthy Inn
Vodka
Rhodium by RI Spirits
Chocolate Espresso Vodka by Sons of Liberty
Coffee & Black Walnut by RI Spirits
Gemma Crystal Vodka by ISCO
Other Spirits
Blue Velvet Bourbon by ISCO
Cape House Rye Whiskey by Working Man Distillers
HOWLIN’ Moonshine by White Dog Distilling
Ostrieda Oyster Vodka by ISCO
South County Limoncello by South County Distillers
White Dog Whiskey by White Dog Distilling
Favorite Can Art
The All-Seeing Eye by Long Live Beerworks
Duality by Six Pack Brewing
Flock Together by Lops Brewing
Hermanos by Vigilant Brewing
Moonbase Alpha by Providence Brewing
Moose Juice by Smug
Soul Fire by Pivotal Brewing Company
Stun Gra vy by MonikerBrewery
Tox Fuguo by WinterHawk Vineyards
American Pale Ales
Object Permanence by Buttonwoods Brewing
Rise by Whalers Brewing
Screaming Viking by Trinity Brewhouse
Pontiac by Apponaug Brewing Co
IPAS
All Together by Proclamation Ale Company
Blinded By Nostalgia by Moniker Brewery
Drunken Horseman by West Passage Brewing Company
Little Ocean by Shaidzon Beer Company
Muse by Whalers
Pawtucket Patriot by Foolproof Brewing
Pound Town by Providence Brewing
RI IPA by Trinity Brewhouse
The Other One by Tilted Barn Brewery
Tiny Truck by Ragged Island Brewing
DIPAS
All Seeing Eye by Long Live Beerworks
Best Coast by Providence Brewing
Bomb Cyclone by Pivotal Brewing Company
Captain’s Daughter by Grey Sail Brewing
Chubby Unicorn by Smug Brewing
Death by Hops by Foolproof Brewing
KDA by Proclamation Ale Company
Rhode Rage by Newport Craft Brewing
Soul Fire by Pivotal
Timmy by Six Pack Brewing
Tropical Windward by Vigilant Brewing
Tu Casa by Ravenous Brewery
Warren G by The Guild
Pilsners
Bohemian Pilsner by Narragansett Brewery
Bryter Lorien by Pivotal Brewing Company
Crook Point Pilsner by Crook Point Brewery
Footloose by Phantom Farms Brewing
PVD Pils by Long Live Beerworks
Slow Joy by Origin Beer Project
State of Flow by Moniker Brewery
Station 3 by Lops Brewing
Vineyard Pils by Taproot Brewing
Sours
Black Current and Plum Sour by Bravo Brewing Co
Dirty Sundae by Providence Brewing
Mahalo at Your Boy by Smug Brewing
Peanut Butter Jelly by Vigilant Brewing
Pollo Picante by Smug Brewing
Sorbet Shop by Six Pack Brewing
Sunrise over Sea by Tilted Barn Brewery
Swirl Pop by Foolproof Brewing
The Queen by Ravenous Brewery
Wicked Taht by LineSider Brewery
Sparkle City Sour by Union Station Brewery
Ciders
Blueberry Vanilla by Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery
Bourbon Barrel by Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery
First Bite by Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery
Honey Crisp by Mulberry Winery
Yarlington Mill by Sowams Cider
Wickson Wild by Sowams Cider
White Wines
Chardonnay by Verde Vineyards
In the Bluff by Newport Vineyard
North Fork Sauvignon Blanc by Shepherds Run
Pinot Grigio by Nickel Creek Vineyard
Pinot Gris by Mulberry Winery
Viognier by WinterHawk Vineyards
Wickford White by Gooseneck Winery
Red Wines (and red blends)
Carneros Pinot Noir by Shepherds Run
Malbec by Winter-Hawk Vineyards
Petit Pearl by Verde Vineyards
Petite Pearl by Winter-Hawk Vineyards
Pinot Noir by Nickel Creek Vineyard
Pistol by Difazio Vineyard
Rhody Red by Gooseneck Winery
Rochambeau by Newport Vineyard
Tommy’s Red by Trinity Brewhouse
Watch Hill Merlot by Langworthy Inn
Gins
Barrel Aged Gin by Working Man Distillers
Forager’s Gin by RI Spirits
Rhodium Gin by RI Spirits
Sea Flow Gin by ISCO
Seaflow Ocean Gin by ISCO
Sons of London Dry Gin by Sons of Liberty
South County Gin by South County Distillers
