The Newport Craft Beer Festival, founded and co-sponsored by the Newport Storm Brewery and Pour Judgement Bar & Grille, returns for the seventh year!
Save the dates for this two-day festival: Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th, 2017. New for 2018: They’re partnering with local cheese guru, Narragansett Creamery, to pair select beers with their products! Beer and cheese offerings will be expertly paired by the Creamery, matching complimentary beer styles with different varieties of cheese – delicious!
The Festival kicks off Friday Evening with VIB (Very Important Beers!) 8-10pm, featuring beers not available on Saturday, in a much smaller, intimate setting at the Newport Storm Brewery. Brewers will be mixing and mingling with guests and fellow brewers.
The weekend continues on Saturday with two sessions (noon-3pm & 4-7pm) held under a huge tent at the Great Friends Meeting House in downtown Newport, RI! Each brewery is required to send staff employed by the brewery, so guests can pick their brains and learn all about each beer first hand from people who help make, market, design, and taste-test each brew!
The festival also emphasizes Rhode Island beers, with “Guild Row,” a designated area under the festival tent where guests can easily access all the Rhody beers in one spot. All of the proceeds of the Newport Craft Beer Fest’s proceeds benefit the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, a not-for-profit organization that supports Ocean State craft breweries. Over the last six years, the Festival has raised considerable funds to help grow the RI beer scene that exists today and the festival committee hopes to
continue that trend.
“We’re thrilled to continue to evolve the Festival each year, featuring different aspects of the craft beer world – styles, ingredients, rarity, and now food!” says Festival Director, Taylor Votolato. “It’s also super exciting that, since its inception in 2012 to now, we’ve almost tripled the number of Rhode Island brewers at the event! It’s great to see the RI craft beer industry evolving as well, giving this event the opportunity to highlight a booming trade in the Ocean State, and celebrate that craft with our fellow brewers across the country, and fans alike!”
Guests will have the opportunity to sample beers from all the breweries present, keep the commemorative tasting glass, and declare their favorite brewery by voting for the 5th Annual Fan Favorite Brewery Award. Local Newport restaurants will offer their best plates, merchandise vendors will be showcasing their talents, and local bands will top it all off.
Friday VIB tickets are $35, and Saturday tickets are $45, available now. Tickets include admission, unlimited beer samples, live music and a souvenir glass. This rain or shine event is strictly a 21+. For tickets and up to date information visit www.NewportCraftBeer.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!