Beer Making in Rhode Island
While beer making is more often associated with the Midwest that gave birth to America's largest breweries, Rhode Island has a long history of beer making and a brewing industry that keeps getting bigger. While the actual number of in-state commercial beer makers is not overwhelming, the state's brew culture is strong enough to support them and help them continue to grow. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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The first official record of Rhode Island beer making dates to 1639, when Sergeant Bauleton was placed in charge of a Providence brewery. Brewing subsided during Rhode Island's initial prohibition from 1852 to 1863. In 1888, Narragansett Brewery was founded. It first grew to be Rhode Island's largest brewery, then the largest maker of lager in New England. Narragansett's purchase of Hanley Brewery in the 1950s left Narragansett the only Rhode Island brewery, but Falstaff, a Midwest brewery, purchased Narragansett in 1965. By 1983, Narragansett's Rhode Island beer production ceased.
Rhode Island Brewpubs
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Rhode Island has several brewpubs, which differ from breweries in that brewpubs only make beer to sell onsite. The Coddington Brewing Company in Middletown and Trinity Brewhouse in Providence are independent, and Providence hosts a John Harvard's brewpub.
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Rhode Island Breweries
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Coastal Extreme Beer Company in Newport is currently the only brewery in Rhode Island. Narragansett returned to Rhode Island ownership in 2005, but it contracts brewing out to breweries in New York and Connecticut until the company constructs a brewery in Rhode Island. While Trinity Brewpub's IPA is sold in 12-oz. bottles in stores, Trinity remains a brewpub because the bottled product is produced in Connecticut.
Rhode Island Home Brewing
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While no official registry of home brewers exists, evidence suggests that home brewing is an active hobby in Rhode Island. The state's beer makers support four brewing supply stores, despite ready access to supplies online. Two active brewers' clubs have registered with the American Homebrew Association.
Rhode Island Brewing Competitions
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Providence has been home to the Great International Beer Festival since 1996. The success of the GIBF justified the founding of the Great International Spring Beer Festival in 2007. While the bulk of the competitors are from New England, some West Coast breweries have done well in competition.
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- Photo Credit newport in rhode island image by Ritu Jethani from Fotolia.com
