Try these 20 Rhode Island beers in taprooms across the state

Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal
·6 min read
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IPAs rule at many of Rhode Island's craft breweries. The hops are the top sellers. But there's plenty of room for malty and dessert beers, and sours, too.

Marshmallow Small Joys is a favorite at Long Live Beerworks in Providence. Brewer Armando DeDona likes sharing pastry stout beers this time of year.
Marshmallow Small Joys is a favorite at Long Live Beerworks in Providence. Brewer Armando DeDona likes sharing pastry stout beers this time of year.

Here are the beers you need to try before the year ends, because they are the favorites at these 20 tasting rooms and brew pubs.

If you doubted the cleverness of the local brewers, check out these names inspired by everything from the military (Torpedo Station) to local references (Musik Express, Cranston Thug Life). There's plenty of whimsy, too (Full Body Wag, Liquid Hugs).

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RI's best beers

Bristol

Twelve Guns Brewing, 549 Metacom Ave. (401) 396-9009, twelvegunsbrewing.com.

Torpedo Station, a New England IPA that is soft on the palate with tropical fruit aromas, is their most popular brew, but the Peach Cobbler Pastry Sour is also a crowd favorite. (Bonus: They have a hard seltzer brand, too, called Cannon & Anchor.

Torpedo Station, a New England IPA, is the favorite beer at Twelve Guns Brewing in Bristol.
Torpedo Station, a New England IPA, is the favorite beer at Twelve Guns Brewing in Bristol.

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Burrillville

Bravo Brewing Company, 75 Pascoag Main St., Pascoag, (401) 710-4242, bravobrewingcompany.com.

Mayday is the popular New England IPA at this brewery owned by veteran Chris Mishoe, who supports veterans' causes with a percentage of the profits. Also not to be missed is their Zero Dark Thirty, a coffee milk stout.

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Cranston

Buttonwoods Brewery, 530 Wellington Ave., #22, (401) 563-8451 buttonwoodsbrewery.com.

The fav here is Dream of Flowers Grand Cru, described as "a beautiful, complex farmhouse ale that really shows off what our barrel-aged program is about," according to owner/brewer Morgan Snyder.

Exeter

Tilted Barn, 1 Hemsley Place. (401) 500-6765, tiltedbarnbrewery.com.

Don't miss their new IPA, Grow, made with new hops and signature house yeast. Chosen One is the most popular Double IPA, and Lawn Boy, a barn lager, is their most popular draft.

Middletown

Taproot Brewing Company, 909 East Main Rd. (Route 138), (401) 848-5161, ext. 3, newportvineyards.com/Taproot-Brewing.

The F-Bomb, a juicy and hazy New England IPA, is the bestseller here.

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The F-Bomb is a New England IPA that rules at Taproot Brewing at Newport Vineyards.
The F-Bomb is a New England IPA that rules at Taproot Brewing at Newport Vineyards.

Rejects Beer Co., 124 Aquidneck Ave., (401) 619-8200, rejectsbeerco.com.

Open less than a year, right on Easton's Pond, Rejects Beer acknowledges the large New England IPA drinking crowd with their Sunday Special New England IPA. But they acknowledge that Peralta Pilsner is popular with beer drinkers who gravitate away from haze and hops. Their Festbier Oktoberfest style has also been a crowd-pleaser, as has their Czech Dark Lager. What to watch for later this fall? Brewer Justin Tisdale's Japanese lager.

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Czech Dark Lager at Rejects Beer Co. is a big hit, even with those who don't think they like darker beers.
Czech Dark Lager at Rejects Beer Co. is a big hit, even with those who don't think they like darker beers.

Newport

Newport Craft Brewing and Distilling, 293 JT Connell Highway, (401) 849-5232, Newportcraft.com.

Newport Craft's Rhode Trip is their popular New England IPA. This is also where they brew the line of Radiant Pig beers. Save the Robots is their New England IPA.

Radiant Pig beers are also on the must try list at Newport Craft Beer. This is Save the Robots.
Radiant Pig beers are also on the must try list at Newport Craft Beer. This is Save the Robots.

North Kingstown

West Passage Brewing Company, 7835 Post Rd., North Kingstown, (401) 661-9662, westpassagebrewing.com.

Since they opened this summer, there are big favorites. One is Full Body Wag, a pub-style beer, very light in color with Amarillo hops for a hint of bitterness. Drunken Horseman is their popular Cascadian IPA, which is dark on the IPA scale. Sarcastic Charlie is what they call "a hoppy amber" and a favorite of the owner/brewer.

West Passage Brewing Company in North Kingstown has been open less than a year but has some favorites clearly established.
West Passage Brewing Company in North Kingstown has been open less than a year but has some favorites clearly established.

Pawtucket

Crooked Current, 560 Mineral Spring Ave., (401) 473-8312, crookedcurrentbrewery.com.

This place makes its name with unique beers. Their Oatmeal Raisin Stout goes great with cookies for a dessert beer, and Neapolitan Ale is a top seller, with tastes of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. Hawaiian Robust Porter rounds out the top three.

The Guild, 461 Main St., posts what‘s available on Facebook@theguildri or @guildri on Instagram. Email info@TheGuildRI.com.

Top beers here are Isle of White, a white IPA; Observatory, an American pale ale; and Slater, an American lager.

Smug Brewing Company, 100 Carver St., smugbrewing.com, (401) 642-5701.

The favorite here is the Cobra Chai, a rich, dark sweet stout brewed with blackstrap molasses, clove, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, with a velvety mouthfeel of freshly ground warming spices that make you feel warm and cozy.

Portsmouth

Ragged Island Brewing Company,  54 Bristol Ferry Rd., Portsmouth, (401) 318-2991, Raggedislandbrewing.com.

You gotta love Liquid Hugs for the name alone. It's a Double IPA, all Citra hopped, New England style.

Providence

Narragansett Beer, 271 Tockwotton St., (401) 437-8970, narragansettbeer.com/providence-brewery

Nostalgia has put the Musik Express IPA, named after the Musik Express ride at the long-gone Rocky Point Park, at the top of the favorites list at this new brewery. It's a medium-bodied IPA with notes of grapefruit and pine.

Musik Express is named after a popular ride at the now-gone Rocky Point Park. It's the bestseller at Narragansett Beer.
Musik Express is named after a popular ride at the now-gone Rocky Point Park. It's the bestseller at Narragansett Beer.

Long Live Beerworks, 40R Sprague St., longlivebeerworks.com.

Though Armando DeDona doesn't like to play favorites, his go-to choices on the current tap list are the hoppy Through These Eyes, a Double IPA; and Marshmallow Small Joys, a pastry stout that is dark and sweet.

Through These Eyes is a double IPA at Long Live Beerworks in Providence.
Through These Eyes is a double IPA at Long Live Beerworks in Providence.

Union Station Brewery, 36 Exchange Terrace, (401) 274-2739, unionstationpvd.com.

Their flagship beer, the colorfully named Cranston Thug Life, is their popular New England IPA. Always on draft, for the first time in 28 years, they canned it with Buttonwoods Brewery. The King is Dead is their Double IPA, also in cans and on draft, while Cumberland Crime Wave, another New England IPA, is draft only for now.

South Kingstown

Whalers Brewing Co., 1174 Kingstown Rd., (401) 552-0002, whalers.com.

Rise, an American Pale Ale is the beer they raise their cheers to at Whalers.

Josh Dunlap and Wes Staschke, co-owners of Whalers Brewing in South Kingstown, raise some cans of Rise APA.
Josh Dunlap and Wes Staschke, co-owners of Whalers Brewing in South Kingstown, raise some cans of Rise APA.

Warren

The Guild Warren, 99 Water St., (401) 252-4275, theguildri.com and facebook.com/theguildwarren.

The East Bay outpost of the Pawtucket brewery is on the water and a gastropub as well. The Warren G, a Double IPA, has taken the tasting room by storm.

The Guild in Warren has 16 taps and beers brewed for the site.
The Guild in Warren has 16 taps and beers brewed for the site.

Warwick

Proclamation Ale Company, 298 Kilvert St., proclamation ale.com.

Owner Lori Witham says their beer not to miss is Stalk, a Double IPA.

Apponaug Brewing Company, 334 Knight St., (401) 681-4321, apponaugbrewing.com

This brew pub brings out the big guns, said co-owner Tamara McKenney, with their Highflyer, a triple-hopped Double IPA, a medley of citrus and tropic fruit with a piney finish. Their American IPA, Cohesive, offers a burst of tangerine and clementine citrus with a honeydew melon finish. Also on their bestseller list is the Pawtuxet Pils, a German Pilsner, and Kilter, an Oatmeal stout that's served on nitro.

Westerly

Grey Sail Brewing, 63 Canal St., (401) 212-7592, greysailbrewing.com.

The Oktoberfest-style Autumn Winds Fest Beer is the favorite of owner Jen Brinton. Head brewer Michelle Clark favors Flagship, a Cream Ale. But the bestseller here is Captain’s Daughter, their Double IPA.

West Kingston

Shaidzon Beer Co. 141 Fairgrounds Rd., (401) 314-8730, shaidzonbeer.com.

Don't miss their flagship Buffalo Czech, a pilsner-style beer derived from Plzen in the Czech Republic. The beer is light with a noble hoppiness and was the first recipe brewed at Shaidzon in 2017.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island's 20 best beers and where to try them