The Rhode Island Brew Fest Brings Cheer To The Pawtucket Armory

New England has become a haven for craft beer. Pawtucket alone is home to three craft breweries, with The Bucket Brewery, Crooked Current Brewery and Foolproof Brewing Company each calling the city home. With the city becoming a craft brew hub, it’s only fitting that the fifth annual Rhode Island Brew Fest took place at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center on Saturday, January 28.

Over 55 breweries from all over New England were serving up more than 175 beers to sample from over two sessions, one during the day and one during the evening. I went to the latter and there was an incredible assortment of tastes and styles that consistently wowed my taste buds. It was a constantly fun atmosphere;, at one point people were playing a game of drunken volleyball in between the railings separating the aisles. There’s were also interesting food offerings provided by the Fox Point Pickling Company, Newport Jerky Company and the Biggest Little Popcorn Company. As always expected at a beer tasting event, there were plenty of people wearing necklaces of pretzels to help them keep the pace.

My two favorites from the Brew Fest were Crooked Current’s Horchata Cream Ale and Revival Brewing’s Pastrami. The Horchata was stunning as it had sweet notes while being very rich and frothy. I wasn’t sure what the Pastrami was at first, but it turns out that it’s Revival’s Mercy Brown Ale infused with spices such as coriander and allspice to give it a uniquely delicious flavor. I also enjoyed the grapefruit gose shandy called The Wind from Lost Nation Brewing and the lemony Zero 2 Sixty Sour IPA from Two Roads Brewing Company. It was truly a beer lover’s paradise.

From the experience I had, the 2017 edition of the Rhode Island Brew Fest was a success. What left an impression on me was that there was room to walk around and try everything despite the event being sold out. There was also plenty of water available so people wouldn’t get dehydrated while trying the samples. I wonder who will be involved next year — with the pace of the craft beer industry’s growth, there will surely be plenty of new faces. It was a total blast and a wonderful celebration of local brews from the region.

The Rhode Island Brew Fest’s Website: ribrewfest.com