Rhode Island Brew Fest

I just love these events because it is a great way to discover new beers. The brewmasters are always so friendly and eager for you to try their beer, there is a ton of free swag, and it’s overall just a blast. The price can be kind of steep, but I view it as a special occasion event, it’s not something we do all the time, maybe twice a year at the most, so it’s worth it for my husband and I.
I would say offering more food options would be helpful since people are drinking a lot of beer. I heard there were some port-​o-​potty smell issues, but we had left before this occurred. Probably hard to avoid that though since it’s indoors.

So I have been to this event every year and always enjoy it. It’s a great way to sample all our local craft brews. It seems kind of pricey however what most people don’t realize is that a lot of these breweries are small local ones. This not Beerfest in providence where larger breweries give out free beers and use it as a tax write off. The people who run this event pay for the beers. You can not expect small places to give away all this beer. They would be out of business. It was sixty bucks which is comparable with beerfest and beervana which I beleive I paid fifty for. We got in fairly quickly and did not have to pay for parking. I don’t think price deterred many people since it sold out. I tried a lot
Of awesome beers and found some faves. My reason for four stars instead of five is because it was packed. Tough to get around. The beer samples were flowing pretty quick but to go across the floor took a long time. And maybe need some more port a potties. They got stinky Pretty quick. However after a few drinks it was not too bad. This is a fun event and had lots of samples so if your into craft beer Definetly check it out. I know I’ll be there. :)

Welcome local-​brew scope
Tight but appropriate focus
First-​time jitters
There’s room on the scene for the Rhode Island Brew Fest between Beervana and the usual Great American Beer Fest. That said, there’s also room for it to grow into itself and improve.
Not the largest venue, and I can see the participant scroll growing to match its bounds. Maybe after the breweries fill out the roster, RIBF can get past having HVAC vendors sprinkled in…
Rhode Island and greater New England brewers are continuing to develop and gain strength all the time. When next we encounter it, I bet it’ll be a stronger offering. For now, this event was A-​OK.

The music was great, the beer was delicious, but I wish there was more food available. I did discover and fall in love with the Union Station Brewery’s Breakfast Stout (SO DELICIOUS!!) The event logo is also phenominal.

Great brew fest! I’ve been to a few of these and this was definitely one of the better organized ones. I was actually amazed to see anything in Pawtucket could run this smoothly and effectively. Lots of great beers available (Element Brewing Co., you win) and some not so great ones (Bucket Brewery… sorry), but I suppose that’s to be expected. Ticket prices were a little steep, but I suppose for all-​you-​can-​drink-​while-​still-​standing-​up beer, it was well worth it.

Awesome time! Great people, great beer, delicious food samples

Rhode Island Brew Fest was a jolly good time.
Twice a year I go to the International Beer Festival at the convention center but I have to say that I quite liked the intimate feeling of the RIBF a little more. There was a plethora of local and national craft breweries, with out the addition of lame macro breweries that the international festival includes. There was also a decent array of snacks to be had from artisans who brought to us delicious local honey, cheeses, seeds, nuts, and even jerky. There was not any food for sale so I recommend eating before hand and bringing a pretzel necklace or two. They did, on the other hand, provide free water and soda which was a plus.
On the downside, the tickets were far overpriced. Luckily, I didn’t have to pay for mine this go around, but it could possibly keep me from going next year. I do hope they can reduce it down to the thirty range, even if they have to forgo the goody bag and free water and soda.
All in all, RIBF was a blast, with lots of amazing beers, many from RI breweries who are just getting off the ground. The local snacks were tasty, if not fully satisfying. I think the venue was quite great as well, but I think they could improve on the bathroom situation. Guess they have to work with what they have for a winter fest, but maybe holding a spring fest where the toilets could be moved outdoors. If the prices improve, or I get a decent raise at work, I will definitely be back for the second annual fest.

So, I got to attend RI Brew Fest because one of my friends had bought tickets and last minute couldn’t go. My experience at the event was fine. There were a lot of good breweries represented — both big and small — and it was cool to find some new styles and names. The band was good and the people running it were nice and accommodating.
So why the 2 stars?
1. The port-​o-​potties. While it’s nice to have a place to go the bathroom, when the event and the bathroom are both in a closed space, the smell begins to emanate around the room. I felt especially bad for the woman who was sampling her food right near them. As the night went on, the smell became more and more apparent and it’s one of the things that caused my friend and I to leave
2. The lack of food. It was nice to try a few samples from Narragansett creamery, Fertile Underground, and other places, but there was no substantial food options (even for sale). If you’re going to be giving lots of beer out, it’s good to have some food to pair it with
3. The price. This is something I didn’t know until after I went since my friend gave me her tickets for free. When I talked to her later, she said it cost a lot of money, and when I went back and checked the email she sent me with the tickets, I was floored by just how much that was. I originally thought it would be about $ 15 (that’s what I think it was worth in the end), and then when she said it was expensive, I was thinking $ 30. But, even that was too low … $ 50. Are you kidding me? I’m sure some of the people there got deals through Groupon or other places, but for a basic ticket price, that is just crazy. If the event included a full meal, maybe…
So, while the beer was good and plentiful, there is a lot that needs to change if I was looking to go back for the 2^nd annual

Brew fest was an awesome good time. I thank all the brewers and vendors for food and beer. My two favorite things. Can’t wait for next year! Good times had by all.
Also, I got awesome Unilocal gloves and a high five for checking in!