Got Beer? Seasonal Suds and More 401 Brew News

We have a whole lotta brew news to spice up your ho-ho-holiday elbow-bending…

Crooked Current recently debuted a new IPA, The Devil You Know, which was a big hit; a fresh batch is in the fermenters and will be ready for sipping soon. CC is also serving up its seasonal hits throughout the month: Eggnog Milk Stout, Oatmeal Raisin Stout, White Stout, Horchata Cream Ale and Neapolitan Brown Ale. Keep up with the rotation at facebook.com/CrookedCurrentBrewery.

Newport Storm has two new brews on the sleigh. The third iteration of their brett sour, infeRIority Complex (7% ABV), was concocted with aged Czech Saaz hops, Canada rye and dextrin malts, and did two aging stints in Thomas Tew Rum barrels. And Winter Porter (5.9%), the darkest beer in the Storm of the Season series, is a sweet winter warmer, with Dark Chocolate and Crystal malts and East Kent Golding hops. Get ’em while it’s cold!

Whalers Brewing has a holiday treat: Prometheus, an imperial Russian stout aged in bourbon barrels. Limited edition bombers are available at their South Kingstown taproom. And look for a fresh batch of East Coast IPA; canned six-packs are hitting shelves now!

Narragansett Beer just unveiled its imaginatively titled Holiday Ale, made with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and orange peel. The ’Gansetteers note that “this beer is the smallest batch we have made since our return in 2005, so it won’t be on shelves for long! We only produced 470 cases and it’s only available in Rhode Island.” Seek, find! And the “Hi, Neighbor!” folks collaborated with Sons of Liberty Spirits on another limited edition: Lovecraft Hop Flavored Whiskey. The 43% ABV smashup was distilled from I Am Providence Imperial Red Ale and aged in American Oak barrels. The 1,400-bottle run is available at select retail locations and at SOL HQ in South Kingstown.

Foolproof Brewing Company will host its fourth annual Barrel Reserve Night on Saturday, December 16, featuring the release of Vanilla Espresso Raincloud, 5th Anniversary Barley Wine, SO(u)L Fermented Russian Imperial Stout, Whiskey Barrel-Aged Braggot and Pirate’s Dream Rum Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, plus their regular year-round and seasonal offerings, plus local artisanal eats (including Walrus & Carpenter Oysters, Rocket Street Food Truck, Narragansett Creamery, and D’Licious Desserts) and abundant seasonal cheer. Get yr tix at facebook.com/foolproofbrew.

The 21st Annual Great International Beer, Cider, Mead & Sake Competition took place on November 11 in Bridgeport, Conn. For two decades, the mega-tasting/judging was a prelude to the Great International Beer Fest, which is currently in limbo and may be in Beer Fest Heaven. Rhody breweries scored the following honors: Foolproof won gold medals for Barstool in the Light/Golden Ale category and Raincloud in the Robust Porter division; Trinity Brewhouse’s Maple Brown took the bronze for Brown/Copper Ale; and Sons of Liberty’s Barrel-Aged Battle-Aged Tripel Ale topped the Strong Beer/Belgian Dubbel & Tripel slot. The complete list can be viewed at the Bottles & Cans blog (see address below).

The always-hopping Bucket Brewery has a jam-packed yule month lined up. Their holiday season beer is Fireside, back for a limited time. It’s a sweet and savory brown ale made with molasses, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger with a hearty 8.2% ABV! It’ll be on tap at limited locations (including Bucket, of course) and available in cans at the brewery only. Movie Night is every Thursday; December highlights include Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on the 7th, accompanied by Professor Bucket’s Magical Butterscotch Ale and the crew from Weenie Wizard serving Potter-verse-themed hot dogs; a Last Jedi pre-game on the 14th, with the “Star Wars Holiday Special” and The Force Awakens; and Die Hard on the 21st. And get into the spirit with A Very Roadhouse Christmas on the 16th and a carol sing on the 23rd. All o’ the details are at bucketbrewery.com.

Quick sips: Vo Dilun beer lovers can welcome another member to the fermented family: Buttonwoods Brewery will finally open its doors at 530 Wellington Ave in Cranston on December 9 (assuming they passed their final inspection on the 4th). Congrats to brewmaster Morgan Snyder! Check their Facebook page for the skinny on the Grand Opening… Proclamation Ale Company cut the ribbon at its we-hear-it’s-awesome new HQ in Warwick on November 29; the taproom is now open for pours and beers-to-go; haunt their Fbook page for the latest info and trademark snark.

For more beer news, check Lou’s blog, bottlescansclaphands.wordpress.com, or follow @BottlesCansRI.