On September 9, Motif celebrated the 9th annual RI Food Truck and 4th RI Brewery Awards! No one died, some pink monsters came out to dance, and the sun set on an overall good time at 195 District Park. Below is more info on all the winners of the Brewery Awards; keep an eye out for our next issue, which will feature the Food Truck Award winners and write-ups!
TRÁGMAR ALE WORKS
Favorite Ale / Saison, Stout / Porter, New England IPA
Goibniu Irish Red Ale, Morrigan Irish Stout, Hollow Hills NE IPA
A new kid on the scene, Trágmar Ale Works has only been open for six months. “With the brewery focused on Irish culture and Celtic Mythology, we set a goal to open the taproom for St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Somehow, we did that!” says head brewer Michael Godet. Nevertheless, they have three beers that were chosen as favorites. At the awards, they had full representation by all three owners and co founders: Godet, Jason Buck, an US Airforce veteran who runs their social media and connects other veterans, and Chris Kerr, native to Ireland, who is responsible for the Irish Pub culture Trágmar has.
I asked Godet for a little info regarding this Irish Red. I saw many attendees enjoying this beer at the Motif Awards and can see why it was a favorite.
“Goibniu ( Guv-New), is our Flagship Irish Red Ale. The Irish red style has always been one of my favorite styles of beer, so when I created Goibniu, I wanted to create a full-flavored, crushable red. One that has you wanting more with every sip. I can drink this beer any time of year. This beer is about malt. It has a sweet caramel flavor and aroma, but finishes clean. I always love a good Smithwick’s red and wanted to create my interpretation of a similar profile.”
The third win for Trágmar was handed to their Flagship beer. Morrigan is an Irish Stout with a drinkable 4.5% ABV. It was one of the first beers I had from Trágmar and it is not only a favorite for Motif readers but also a favorite at the brewery. Michael Godet has some tasting notes and information about the brewery to share with you all. – Kelly L Currier
GREY SAIL BREWING
Favorite DIPA
Captain’s Daughter
Captain’s Daughter is a known asskicker. With a killer 8.5 AVB that goes down like a 4.5, it’s easy to overdo it. Apparently, not for our voters, who crowned them winners of this special category! Our readers love to party. Grey Sail is no stranger to this award, winning many throughout the years.
When we spoke to Grey Sail, they said their name was spawned from “We wanted a nautically themed name but one that also had a ‘family fit.’” Their favorite hops to work with are “Citra and Simcoe. Citra has such a distinct aroma that screams IPA. The same is true for Simcoe but I really like that it brings the perfect amount of grassiness if used properly.”
These hops, and their selected ingredients, help form this brew’s awardwinning taste. “It’s a pretty straight forward malt tailored to give it a full mouthfeel. A lot of that comes from the use of oats and dextrin malt. As far as hops, it has the classic Citra/Mosaic one-two punch that we’ve been using even longer than my ten years here.” Does the community influence what they make? Certainly, “We want to brew what people want to drink. The community focus drives our brews, our tap room space, and our staff culture.” You can find this brew on taps throughout Rhode Island, so head to your local sports bar and pour yourself a night you’d probably like to forget.
–Kelly Marino
RAGGED ISLAND BREWING CO.
Favorite IPA
Tiny Truck
A 6.5% ABV IPA is hard to find locally. I was able to ask a team member from Ragged, Derek Nance, bartender, about this local favorite. Nance described Tiny Truck as a “solid, hazy New England style that is juicy. It is well balanced, with citra hops making it one of the absolute best sellers at Ragged Island. It is super easy to drink and although it is definitely a summer beer it is also bitter enough to be a fall and winter beer.” It is one of Nance’s favorites and Motif readers agree. I was fortunate to be able to ask the mastermind behind the craft brew, Derek Luke, head brewer. “The beer itself is composed of North American Pilsner, Wheat, imported carafoam, and torrified wheat with a signature water profile that exemplifies softness and the ability to slake the avid NEIPA lover’s thirst. Aside from mosaic in the whirlpool, it is all Citra in a variety of forms mid- and postfermentation. Couple those raw ingredients with an excellent, croppable English yeast strain that allows a dedicated ester profile in the low ’70s ferm range. And Tiny Truck is born.”
I asked about the availability, as I have had a hard time finding this. Luke assured me (and readers): “It’s available statewide in various restaurants and liquor stores and we are open 7 days a week on our child- and pet-friendly 37 acre farm. Come explore the grounds and 16 beers and seltzers on tap!”
Ragged Island is in Portsmouth in a renovated 1890’s farmhouse. There are many decks where you can sip on pints with Narragansett Bay as your view. There is plenty of seating inside, a greenhouse, hop fields and walking trails. Luke feels “Andrew Bray (Farmaculturalist at Ragged) has done magical things making the super unique greenhouse a must place to have a draught beer in RI. So lush and inviting all year round.”
Luke has some final words to add; “Our sales are led by Tiny Truck these days, so we are super stoked to hear of the news you shared with us!”
~ Kelly L Currier
TILTED BARN BREWERY
Favorite Lager
Lawn Boy
We’re no strangers to sitting back with a cold beer. That’s why we (and you!) fell in love with Titled Barn Brewery’s lager, Lawn Boy. Titled Barn literally brews in the askew barn they’re named after, in the middle of RI farm country. That influences the process: “With our farming background, we have always paid close attention to both the freshness and quality of the ingredients that go into our beers. We take pride in working directly with producers and farmers to source many of our ingredients and never cut corners when it comes to what goes into all of our beers. This route is generally not the cheapest or easiest way to go, but the quality of the resulting beer speaks for itself. In Lawn Boy, for example, we source Estate Grown Comet grown exclusively in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley by Crosby Hops, and utilize locally grown and malted white wheat from our good friends over at Valley Malt in Holyoke, MA.”
Their specialty style is called a Barn Lager. “Many craft breweries in the US brew what they call House Lagers and, fittingly, we decided to call ours a Barn Lager. Lawn Boy encompasses traits from many of our favorite pale lagers but stands in a category all its own. Lawn Boy, as with all of our lagers, is approachable and simple, yet complex and refreshing all at the same time. All of these characteristics make this beer, and all of our lagers, customer favorites for sure.”
Their name for this award-winning beer is influenced by a Phish song. “Lawn Boy is both a play on the Phish song and also the fact that it’s a light and refreshing beer that pairs well with lawn mowing or any outside summer activity really. Equally fun, is our Dark Barn Lager called ‘Is This Still Lawn Boy?’, which is another Phish reference and also a play on the similar, yet contrasting, styles of pale and dark lagers.”
– Kelly Marino
ORIGIN BEER PROJECT
Favorite Other Brew, Lager (European Style), Pilsner (Czech / German / Italian Styles), 2025 Favorite Overall Brewery
Woven (Beer/Wine Hybrid), Small Victories, Ain’t Broke
Second year in a row win in this category for OBP. This lager is made with Thrall Family Malt from CT and fermented and lagered in an Oak Foeder. This crushable 3.5% ABV Czech Lager has notes of malt and yeasty bread on the nose to the palate. There’s a touch of sweetness, floral and lemon. It is the perfect summer beer and a go-to for those who want a lower alcohol beer that is packed with flavor.
The Ain’t Broke Pilsner pours a slightly hazy gold with a thick foamy head. There is a scent of lemon and malt. It is refreshing and has flavors of spice, floral and herbal hops. As their website states, “They focus on process over trends, from old-world process with new ingredients, to modern process with new ingredients, to modern with old-world styles.”
Origin is not adverse to thinking outside the brew, which explains their win for the Beer/Wine Hybrid. They also are a beer of the people; their website’s “About Us” page is less about them, and more about the surrounding businesses in their neighborhood. Which might be why they took home Favorite Overall Brewery. As far as wins go, Origin isn’t too shabby! Stay rooted, stay real, stay drinkin’ (or not, they also offer an extensive list of non-alcoholic brews).
Cheyne Tessier, head brewer and co-owner with his wife Erika originally were located where Buttonwoods Brewing started. In December 2023, they moved to their current space. You can often find Cheyne and Erika out locally supporting other breweries and local bars. If you see them out you should most definitely congratulate them. They are truly humble and deserving.
~ Kelly L Currier and Mara Hagen
LOPS BREWING
Favorite Lager (Mexican or Japanese Style), Wheat, 2025 Favorite Overall Brewer Runner Up, and Favorite Can or Label Art
Japanese Rice Lager, Peach Better Have My Basil Honey, Flock Together Pale Ale
Lops Brewing really knows its hops, and its wordplay. When we spoke to the Lops team at the awards ceremony, they were quite humble, though honest: “We were hoping to win, because this is a really good one for us. It’s our Flock Together. We want to make a really fun, inclusive atmosphere for everyone who comes in. This was our effort at just showing that through one of our beers.”
Beer is something that brings everyone together, so it’s no surprise that this aspect manifests in Lops’ business model. What is the crowd-favorite beer? “The most popular is our Star Hazing New England IPA. And it’s great, because our owner, it’s not one of his favorites. So it’s just a good one to remind him – the people have spoken.” You got it, the people have spoken, and the music plays. Grab another cold one, some pals, and pop a tab.
– Mara Hagen
WHALERS
Favorite Pale Ale / Blonde
RISE
Now that Whalers has been on the scene for quite a while, no RI bar feels complete without a RISE on its tap. It’s an easy drinking beer, yet sneaks up on you. It tastes like long summer days on the boat, the beach, or just kickin’ it in a lawn chair. Just glancing at their awards list, it appears they’ve won in various categories at ceremonies in New York, Berlin, Melbourne, all the way to being recognized in world and international beer awards. Really a no-brainer that they won this favorite category, voted on by Rhode Islanders themselves! A hometown hero, no less. Congrats to this popular whale!
– Mara Hagen
PIVOTAL BREWING CO.
Favorite Pilsner
PIVO-tal
This Pilsner has flavors that are floral and herbal with a touch of spice. You can find it at the brewery on a lukr pull. I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with one of my favorite brewers, Brian Dwyer, the head brewer. “PIVOtal, (pronounced Peee-vo- tahl) is our take on a Pilsner, blending the malt sweetness of a Czech Pilsner with the crisp noble bitterness of German Pilsner. We really try with each batch to balance the sweet honey character from the undermodified Czech malt. We use a sourdough character from the Pilsner Urquell yeast strain and a spicy herbal noble character from Saaz and Hallertau hops. A small addition of Hallertau Blanc adds a back note of fruity Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a beer that intentionally breaks a few traditional Pilsner rules.”
Now, if that doesn’t make you want to break some rules and get a pint, I don’t know what will. Dwyer mentioned that this was one of the first beers he created after joining Pivotal. “We first decided to brew this beer because we had the yeast and had to keep the strain going. It was never our goal to create a flagship that takes 8 weeks from start to finish. The star of the show is the yeast which really requires this time for fermentation and lagering to condition and clarify something incredible. The name comes from a blend of our name, Pivotal and ‘pivo’ which means beer in Czech.”
~ Kelly L Currier
VIGILANT BREWING CO.
Favorite Sour, Favorite Product Name
Peanut Butter & Jelly, Quit Playin’ with Your Dinghy
Stay vigilant on these guys, especially with this interesting sour. A sandwich usually reminiscent of childhood lunches, this brewery did the unthinkable and made it adult-friendly. Is it a sour? Is it a dessert? Technically, it is a pastry sour made with copious amounts of – you guessed it – peanut butter and jelly. This is the third year-in-a-row win for this Vigilant breadless pb and j, and because it is a favorite locally it doesn’t stay stocked long at the brewery. This 5% ABV ruby red dessert has peanut butter that dominates from the nose to the palate. The flavor of grape jelly sneaks in slightly in each sip. The Vigilant brewers mentioned to me that although this is not the beer that will showcase their years of beer knowledge and expertise, it is one that they continue to brew for the customers’ palates.
Quit Playin’ scored their second win since 2023 for best product name with this play on a quote from the movie Tommy Boy, which seems to keep Motif readers happily entertained. Did you know that this beer wasn’t planned, according to Kevin Amaral from Vigilant Brewing, who previously described this beer to me as “essentially a mistake, but a good one.” It’s not all just fun and games as this double dry hopped NEIPA also won favorite New England IPA at last year’s RI Drink Awards.
~ Kelly L Currier
NEWPORT VINEYARDS
Favorite Cider, Rosé, White Wine
Rhody Coyote, Dry Rosé, Great White
If you’re hearing a howl, it’s probably someone who just drank this cider. Newport Vineyards doesn’t mess around when it comes to quality, using apples fermented from nearby apple orchards and pressed/fermented in their own cellars. Sounds like a cellar I wouldn’t mind being locked up in…
This cider is not new to winning Motif readers’ favorite. It also won RI best Cider at Massachusetts’ BIG E. This is made from a family recipe using apples from local RI orchards and champagne yeast. The 7% ABV apple-in-a-glass pours clear with apples on the nose to palate. It is sweet, crisp, and effervescent. It can be found at the Newport Vineyards or at local liquor stores. The last time I purchased it I convinced the store clerk to purchase some. Yes, it is that good!
Another personal favorite of mine is the Rosé. This dry Rosé is made with early harvested red grapes (Cabernet Franc). This pink beauty has notes of citrus and berries. It is floral and finishes just as the name suggests, dry. Congratulations Newport Vineyards on
the wins, and happy 30th Anniversary.
– Mara Hagen and Kelly L Currier
GREENVALE VINEYARDS
Favorite Red Wine
Greenvale Malbec
The “power and value of agricultural life” is boasted by Greenvale Vineyards to flow through their authentic wines. Balancing art, science, and lifestyle, Greenvale is a grounding destination for the community. Established in the late 1800s, this vineyard holds a historic heart of prose and a lighthearted spirit for life! It didn’t take long for the creativity of the winemaking process to encourage Greenvale winemakers to create a wine that was completely new to them. The multi-regional Greenvale Malbec – their latest red – is the winner of our Red Wine award. With every sip, you can’t help but know the beauty of this place and the richness of their spirit(s)!
– Mae Keating
TAPPED APPLE CIDERY AND WINERY
2025 Favorite Overall Cidery
No rotten apples here! Our 2025 Favorite Overall Cidery goes to Tapped Apple Cidery and Winery located in Westerly, Rhode Island. This father-son-son endeavor ensures that the apple definitely does NOT fall far from the tree, and that the apples also can offer over a dozen varieties of wines and ciders. Through their combined love for community and the art of winemaking, John and “Jay” Weidenheft (III, IV, respectively) have successfully created a space for their community to thrive, an apple oasis in quaint downtown Westerly. Go do your duty of keeping the fall-doctor away with their selection of over a dozen different apple wines, hard ciders, and pairings.
“As you know, Tapped Apple is a family enterprise… We have different roles and responsibilities in the cidery… For example, my son, John IV, is the CEO of Tapped Apple and the General Manager of everything. My son (John IV) and my grandson, John V, make all of our ciders (and the wines that we also make). This cider and wine production occurs at two locations: our tasting room at 37 High St, and also at our production facility out near the Westerly Airport. This is where most of our aging tanks are, and also where the canning, bottling and labeling takes place.
“We have recently downsized my role inthe operation (I’m now semi-retired!) – I do events, tastings at liquor stores, and I file the taxes.”
There are many flavors of ciders to choose from in the Westerly, RI cidery and winery; black currant, blueberry, cranberry, peach, cherry, signature, single varietal, dry hopped (Citra, Czech Saaz, Centennial), and one with malt! I am a huge fan but I had to ask why they are considered the overall favorite. Wiedenheft ll replied; “Why are we a local fav?” That’s easy! Our ciders taste awesome!”
– Mae Keating and Kelly L Currier
O’BRIEN & BROUGH
Favorite Bourbon / Whiskey / Rye, Vodka / Gin
Cherrystone Rye, Lime Rock Gin
O’Brien & Brough created their awardwinning Cherrystone Rye with cocktails in mind, though it’s tasty enough to be taken neat. It has caramel and vanilla flavors with a pinch of rye spice. The blended whiskey is aged for over two years. The mash bill is 75% rye, 20% corn, and 5% MB. The 94-proof spirit has an aromatic mixture of toasted rye, caramel corn, and cherry jam. It has a sweet custard, mild rye spice, and dry grass taste.
“Cherrystone is our flagship whiskey and is a real labor of love,” say owners Adam and Natalie O’Brien. “What makes it special is our approach to blending. Whiskey ages differently in different climates around the continent. For Cherrystone, we seek out rye whiskey from a variety of latitudes to build a whiskey that features the best characteristics of each location. Cherrystone includes whiskey from as far south as Houston and as far north as Montreal. The ultimate goal is to create a rye that works perfectly in all of the classic whiskey cocktails, particularly Old Fashioneds and Manhattans.”
The whiskey is available for tasting or pickup at their Bristol location, which features a few other award-winning spirits. They also offer a monthly cocktail class that is a hands-on experience for patrons. Their lead bartenders give some cocktail history before trying out some of their current recipes. They guide the class through everything from bartending basics to advanced techniques.
Lime Rock Gin was the first gin that they distilled and it has been the most favored spirit since its release in 2023. Adam O’Brien added, “When we set out to create a gin that captured the coastal feel of living in Rhode Island, Newport Sea Salt Co immediately came to mind. Using their sea salt in the gin felt like the perfect way to include both another local artisan as well a little piece of the coast itself. Balancing the classic gin flavors with knotted kelp also felt right. We tried so many different seaweeds in the recipe, but knotted kelp was the clear winner and reminiscent of the scents we grew up with in Rhode Island. It doesn’t hurt that it’s native to the area and in plentiful supply!”
– Bobby Forand and Kelly Currier
RHODIUM
Favorite Other Spirit
Limoncello
Limoncello makes for a great palate cleanser both during and after a nice meal out. It’s sweet but leaves a refreshing aftertaste. It is 40 proof, which is a relatively low alcohol content for a spirit. It’s light and feels like an easy-going liquid dessert. For those at home, it works well sipped over ice. Its lemony flavor makes it a welcome addition to various cocktails. It doesn’t really fit in with any standard liquor categories, making it unique and netting Rhodium the Motif Award for Other Spirit.
Rhodium’s now-award-winning Limoncello uses real lemons and light sweeteners. They make sure that the drink is still full of flavor. This gives the spirit a lighter feel than many of its peers, who have a more syrupy taste. Lemon zest and cane sugar are the botanicals used.
Rhodium Limoncello was one of the first three spirits released when they first opened in 2019. While the distillery is located in Pawtucket, the spirit can be found in over 100 liquor stores in RI and MA, as well as 18 in CT. It can also be shipped to homes in 38 states.
“You can’t have a distillery bar in Rhode Island and not offer limoncello,” says Cathy Plourde from the RI Spirits Rhodium Room. “Rhodium spirits are all formulated for maximum flavor – the profiles include fresh, farmed, and foraged ingredients. While global warming won’t put citrus orchards on the new waterfront property out in Foster and Coventry for another few years (funny/not funny), Rhodium Limoncello’s fresh flavor comes from lemon zest, extracted in a 6x distilled & charcoal-filtered high-proof neutral grain corn spirit, filtered water, and cane sugar. Your Italian nonni might think Rhodium Limoncello doesn’t have enough sugar or alcohol, but we like the light touch, bright flavor, and big lemon scent. Available in cocktails and in the bottle at the Rhodium Room in Pawtucket [40 Bayley St], as well as at discerning liquor stores and fine bars in RI and MA.” Plourde, the head distiller and co-owner, adds, “If you don’t find that, please ask the establishment to bring it in and support local craft spirits.”
– Bobby Forand
Nice writing by Kelly lynn currier