Which brewery is Rhode Island's favorite? The voters have decided.
After four rounds of voting with more than 445,000 votes cast, we have a winner.
The winner of The Providence Journal's 2023 Brewery Battle is Whalers Brewing Co.
"Thanks to all of our fans, friends, coworkers, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the votes, love, and support!" the Whalers team said in an email. "There are quite a few great breweries in RI these days and we're happy to be part of the club."
At the beginning of the bracket, we started with 32 breweries from around the state — which does not include everyone in the state, but is a significant sampling. Through a blind draw, we set up the first round and from there it was left to readers to vote.
Whalers was paired first against Bravo Brewing Company. Then there was a very close round against Proclamation Ale Company, which was decided by less than 20 votes. After that close call, Whalers went on to face LineSider Brewing Company and then in the final against Buttonwoods Brewery. In the final round, 73,583 votes were cast for Whalers and 65,072 votes were cast for Buttonwoods.
To all our readers, thank you for participating in voting. We hope you've enjoyed supporting some of your favorite breweries and found new ones to try out.
To all of the breweries that were a part of this bracket, thank you for creating delicious brews and gathering spaces for all of us to enjoy, and for taking this bracket in the fun spirit it was intended. We look forward to seeing (and writing about) what you all do next.
Brewery battle: See who voters picked as RI's favorite brewery
If you go to Whalers
If their win has inspired you to check out Whalers for the first time or go back for your 100th, here's what to know before you go.
Address: 1174 Kingston Rd., Wakefield
Hours: Tuesday through Wednesday 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday 1 to 10 p.m.; Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Whalers started as a nano-brewery in 2011, but have since grown to a 100-barrel regional brewhouse as they became more and more popular.
In the taproom, there’s a rotating selection of seven drinks on tap. They try to keep their flagship offerings on tap, which includes Rise, their flagship ale, that won Best American Pale Ale in the country at the World Beer Awards the last three years, Muse, a freestyle IPA, and Drift - Cucumber Lime, a hard seltzer that was also collecting gold medals in competitions last year.
It’s family-friendly until 6 p.m., and then it transitions to being a 21+ facility. It’s also dog friendly. Guests can play cornhole, giant Jenga, or just sit and drink some beer.
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Whalers doesn't sell food, but people can bring or order their own.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island breweries: Voters pick Whalers Brewing Co. as favorite
