Brewery Trip! Rising Tide Brewery

We are back home in Rhode Island after an amazing trip and it was a lot of fun and very relaxing. While there were a lot of places that were closed or had limited seating there were many others that took the proper precautions to allow for us, and others, to feel safe. One of these places was Rising Tide Brewery.

Rising Tide is not in the Old Port but slightly off the beaten path. It is right next to Austin Street Brewery and is very close to a few other breweries. When things return to normal it should be an awesome area to visit and we will be making the trip. Unfortunately, Austin Street was only open for cans when we visited.

The outdoor area was large but I am not sure if it was just a temporary situation or their usual seating arrangement. I was able to see the inside part of the brewery and it looks like it was a commercial garage of some kind. Definitely a really funky set up when things were normal.

I was surprised to see that they were offering flights as most breweries have stopped this during COVID-19. This was awesome as I was able to try a few of their beers and they were pretty good. The stand outs were 'Hesperus' a super complex barleywine with a heavy malty profile, rich with caramel and bourbon. There was also 'Maine Island Trail Ale' a session IPA with a light and crisp flavor profile and a nice and simple hop.  They also have wood fired pizza, oysters, and other food and while we did not get anything since we already ate beforehand but it looked and smelled amazing.

Rising Tide is a very good brewery in an really awesome area definitely worth the trip. 

Brewery Trip! Maine Beer Company

Greetings from Portland, ME. My girlfriend and I booked this trip a few weeks ago needing a bit of a getaway and Portland is just the best but more on that later. While things still feel very different than the last time I was up here, it is nice to see all of the businesses, restaurants, bars, and breweries adapting to the restrictions and social distancing guidelines. While there are a lot of breweries that have not been able to open yet, Maine Beer Company has been able to.

The last time I visited the brewery was a couple years ago. The new addition to the tap room is absolutely beautiful as is the new outdoor seating. Inside the tap room is a fountain along with a second retail shop for bottles, glasses, and other merchandise. The back wall it a showcase to the kindness and generosity of the brewery, outlining their business practices and charitable donations.

While they are not doing flights of beer, I was able to get two smaller pours and my girlfriend was able to get one as well. I was able to try 'Bicentennial' and 'Wolfe's Neck' which were both awesome. 'Bicentennial' had a very nice hoppy flavor with a surprisingly crisp finish while 'Wolfe's Neck' had a really nice haze to it. Additionally, my girlfriend tried 'Prince Percy' which was one of the best pilsners I have ever had. It was incredibly light, crisp, and citrusy with a refreshingly clean finish. Moreover, they have some of the best wood fired pizza around.

'Bicentennial'

If you're in the area HERE. There is a ninety minute seating limit so plan accordingly you can book your reservation.

New Brew Thursday: 'Mood Shift' from Buttonwoods Brewery

You can read more about the origins of "New Brew Thursday" HERE but we are going to jump right into today's beer. Over the weekend I saw that Buttonwoods had a new sour and that it was going fast so I knew I had to try it.

'Mood Shift' is a mixed media sour from Buttonwoods Brewery, which is one of my favorite Rhode Island Breweries. It pours bright purple into the glass with a nice pinkish head. There are distinct notes of blueberry and vanilla with a small hint of graham cracker and it is DANGEROUSLY crushable at 6.8%. There is a prominent flavor of blueberry with a second wave of vanilla and a subtle hint of cinnamon that stacks up with each sip. While not overly sour it does have a lingering tartness that stays in the front of your mouth. 

Overall 'Mood Shift' is a fantastic beer and perfect for those hot summer days, just make sure you keep an eye on it as everyone is trying to get their hands (or paws) on it. 

All Together

It has been awhile now hasn't it. Much like my last break sometimes the "lawyer" part of the blog title GREATLY overtakes the other part. Now, though with working from home there is some extra time to write  so not only will this serve as the re-relaunch of the blog things will be slightly different now. There will be weekly posts, more interesting content, and visits/discussions about more breweries. However, these things will require collaboration which lead me to one of the coolest things going on in the craft beer community right now.

'All Together' is a worldwide collaboration started by Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn where brewers are encouraged to donate the proceeds to hospitality workers affected by COVID-19. It is an IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Cascade hops that is intentionally kept simple so that the other breweries around the country can take the recipe and put their own spin on it. Here in Rhode Island a few breweries brewed "All Together" and I was lucky enough to try the offerings from Buttonwoods Brewery, Tilted Barn, and Providence Brewing Company. This post is about the Providence Brewing version.





















'All Together' by Providence Brewing pours a very hazy yellow with an impossibly white head. It features floral and somewhat piney notes. The flavors are distinctly citrus and tropical with a lingering bitterness that coats the tongue from back to front. It is a distinct offering from Providence Brewing that showcases their brewing process of the Other Half recipe which is the best part of this concept. The offerings I have had from the other breweries are distinctly their beers which allows all of the participating to shine in their own way and here, Providence Brewing shines. 

Click here to read more about the 'All Together' program and what it means. I'll see everyone soon.