RunawayJim.org

I can’t understand why Providence doesn’t have a great brewpub. We have 2 brewpubs downtown, Union Station, mentioned above, and Trinity Brewhouse, formerly one of my favorite hangouts. Union Station’s been has been weak in flavor in my experience. The body of it is usually pretty good, but the flavor could use a bit more “oompf”. Trinity’s beer is hit or miss. The Rhode Island IPA, Trinity’s flagship beer, is a good IPA and one of my “go to” beers when I’m out somewhere that serves it (sometimes in bottles as Trinity IPA, contract brewed elsewhere, I think it’s Cottrell Brewing in Pawcatuck, CT). That is usually the safest bet when drinking at Trinity. Their other beers tend to be hit or miss, and lately, it’s been mostly miss (including with the food). The beers I’ve had and really liked there include their Belgian Tripel, Russian Imperial Stout, Larkin’s Irish Stout, Dark-toberfest, and the Scotch Ale. Aside from those (and sometimes including those), the beers seem to feel watered down (though the flavor is usually pretty good). They also had a Belgian Dark Strong Ale (though I don’t remember the name, BA has one called Belgian Imperial Stout, but that wasn’t what I had, I think it was called Dark Lady). That one had a good flavor, but no body. Occasionally, their beers also end up with this soapy aftertaste. Trinity has all the workings to be a great brewpub with some pretty cool beers. I don’t have a lot of hope for Union Station being owned by John Harvards, which is what it basically is with a different name, but Trinity should be and could be 100x better than it is today. Their burgers are usually really good and the fries just awesome, but lately even all that has gone downhill. Perhaps, it’s because Josh Miller, the owner, has spread himself too thin with the Hot Club, Local 121, and his duties as a RI state senator. I don’t know what it is about Providence, but we have all the workings for a great brewpub and great beer bars, but we just aren’t there. The best beer bar in the state is a little dive bar on some dead end street across the Post Road from the airport in Warwick. It should be in downtown Providence. Someday if I ever get the know-how, time, and money, I wouldn’t mind opening up my own bar in Providence and serve only great craft beers and microbrews. However, I have none of that at the moment. In the meantime, I just wish Trinity Brewhouse would kick up their beers a notch and start brewing better beer. They have the know-how, they just need to actually do it. One idea I had is rather than try to always have 5 beers on tap and keep them on tap, they shouldn’t worry if they run out of something, even if it is their IPA, which they always have on tap. As a backup, they should keep a stock of their bottled beer and serve that if people ask for it. That way they can spend more energy on making the beer better. The one beer I have never had a problem with when drinking there (though they rarely make it) is the Decadedance IPA, their Double IPA. That always comes out perfect with a nice body and great flavor.

Now why Providence doesn’t have a better beer bar than the ones that exist also confuses me. First, the better ones are on the East Side (Wickenden Pub and the Ivy Tavern, at least according to BA). I’ve never been to either because I like to drink and enjoy myself without worrying about driving, so I walk downtown.  Downtown lacks a good beer bar, but has 2 brewpubs, one which is consistently mediocre and the other which is hit or miss.  There’s no reason that Providence can’t have a Track 84 (in Warwick) or Pitcher’s Pub (in Cumberland) downtown.  It would do just fine.  Downtown (or at least the Jewelry District) does have Jake’s, which is good, though it could be better and isn’t the best walk from anywhere.  Perhaps when 195 comes down and the JD is open to downtown, it’ll change, but for now, it’s not a fun walk.  So to anyone who likes beer and is thinking about opening a really good beer bar, do it in downtown Providence.  We need one.