Rhode Trip

I was ordered to to Providence, RI on a business trip.  I was to fly out of Philadelphia to Providence, meet with a customer and then back to Philadelphia that night.  My itinerary didn't leave a lot of time for shenanigans.  I met up with 2 co-workers in Providence and had about an hour and a half until our visit with the customer.  My coworker started to poll his GPS to find a place to eat.  Wendy's...no.  Burger King...no.  I asked him to input Trinity (a brewpub I knew was nearby having done my due diligence prior to my visit).  It was less than 2 miles away.  We decided to go there for lunch which presented me with a dilemma.  I love brewpubs but I never visited one without having a beer and I did not want to have a beer prior to meeting with the customer.  My coworkers were not big beer drinkers so they had no problem with iced tea or Coke.  I think I can do this.

We arrive in the heart of Providence and find Trinity Brewhouse easily enough.  Parking wasn't quite as easy but we manage to find a lot nearby for $10.  There were tables set up on the sidewalk in front of the pub but more interesting to me was the brass rail out on the sidewalk.  This belly-high rail would allow several revelers to rest their beer while standing outside waiting to get in...or just standing outside enjoying a beer.  Great idea for when things are really humming.  Well, my visit was at noon on a Wednesday.  The place was not humming.  In fact, we were the only patrons when we walked in.  The place has an old feel to it, like it has been around for a while.  It has probably seen better days in an earlier incarnation.  I must say that it did have character.  There was plenty of old wood that could have looked beautiful were it not for the dust that seemed to be everywhere.  In no time we were seated and placed our order.  I got an Angus burger and iced tea.  The burger turned out to be quite good.  We soon ran out of time and had to leave for our business meeting.

Our customer meeting went well and we found ourselves with some extra time between the end of our meeting and our flight departure time.  My coworkers sensed my disappointment at visiting a brewpub without sampling the beer and suggested we go back to Trinity.  Keep in mind that I said they were not particularly big beer drinkers.  From this point on in my story I will refer to my coworkers as "my friends".

We went back to Trinity Brewhouse at about 4:00pm and although it was easy to find a table there were a few more guests than during the lunch hour.  I ordered the sampler which included all 6 of the beers currently on tap.

Kolsch - This was a typical Kolsch, not my style.

Tommy's Red - This was not a bad beer but there was not a lot there. 

Rhode Island IPA - Now we are getting somewhere.  Not a great IPA but at least I'm starting to get some flavor (and apparently alcohol as they advertise this one at 7%).  Speaking of alcohol, this brewpub is unusual in that they advertised a range for the alcohol content of a given beer.  For example, Tommy's Red was quoted as 4-5%.  Come on.  Where is the quality control.

Helles Bock - 7-8% ABV.  Again, not my style.

Belgian Saison - This was a nice tasting Saison, well made.  Very enjoyable particularly for a beer with an ABV of 3-4%.

Russian Imperial Stout - 8% ABV.  What a great surprise.   I enjoyed the heck out of this one.  Very well made.  The description didn't mention oak but I would swear that it tasted as if it were aged in an oak barrel.

I had time for a pint but with a long night of travel ahead of me I decided to have a pint of the Belgian Saison.  I enjoyed the Saison but I do regret not getting a pint of that Russian Imperial Stout.