There are many things that never go together, Tabasco and tequila, toothpaste and orange juice, and of course, drinking and driving. I’m sure at least few of you have gone on the occasional brewery tour and done a bit too much sampling. Then it’s up to your DD friend Ken, who’s been off in the corner looking abandoned and giving you the stink eye, to drive you back home … or to the next brewery. What if there was a way you could drink with your friend Ken and go tour multiple breweries on the same day? If you answered that it’s future self-driving cars mumbo jumbo, you’d be wrong. The Rhode Island Brew Bus is getting rolling this month and will take you and your friends to all your favorite local breweries while providing some extra insight and other good times. The tours will be broken up by region or theme and will visit four points of interest. The bus will also provide water, snacks and even more knowledge about beer. Ticket prices cover everything, even admission to the brewery. There will be three humorously named tours to start:
The Border Jumper – Grey Sail, Cottrell, Malted Barley, Beer’d
The BEEReakfast of Champions – Trinity, Ravenous, Bucket, Foolproof
Get the Pell Over Here – Newport Storm, Coddington, Pour Judgement, Greenvale Vineyards
Don’t worry if you don’t see your favorite brewery on the list. These are just the first few tours and more will come as the wheels get rolling. While the tour may seem like fun and games, there are a few things to know before getting on the bus:
- Wear regular shoes. Breweries are industrial work spaces and there are plenty of ways to get hurt.
- Don’t drink on the bus. That’s illegal, even if it is a bus.
- Don’t show up drunk. Bring your A game — you don’t want to be that sloppy person who’s left behind.
The RI Brew Bus is the brainchild of Bill Nangle, a recent URI grad, and is set to be the first bus in this area devoted to brewery tours and beer tastings. In Bill’s own words: “The Rhode Island Brew Bus is a way to share my love for beer with everyone around me. Beer brewing is an art form and should be shared with everyone!” Assisting Bill on the tours is Eric Euglow, an avid home brewer and member of RI Brewing Society, alongside Jon Lanctot, avid beer geek and general cool guy. Eric and Jon will be the guides teaching the riders about beer brewing and craft beer and testing their knowledge. You better study up on what the four ingredients in beer are so you can impress your tour guides [crib sheet: water, hops, malt, yeast].
In addition to the standard schedule of tours and tastings, the Brew Bus will be available for parties, corporate events and other private excursions. The brew bus would be an ideal way to get to Beervana or another beerfest, but that’s just me thinking out loud. The Brew Bus has already gotten all the approvals from the state and will be doing it’s first public tour on July 11.
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