(The next part in a multi-part series as we complete the Rhode Island Brewer’s Guild Passport. To learn more about the passport and download the app click HERE)
In my last post, I discussed venturing out of our immediate
location to visit new/different breweries and that in visiting those breweries
we can be greeted with something truly amazing. This past weekend I made the
trip to Grey Sail Brewing down in Westerly and while I have been there before,
it is a brewery that I love visiting and if you have not been there, you
should.
Grey Sail Brewing is a two-building operation, one building hosts the brewery with can, bottle, growler, and merchandise sales and the other hosts the taproom. While the brewery is in a standard warehouse, the taproom is an old Westerly mansion with the beer garden in the side yard. I have always stated that the best breweries remind you of drinking at a friend’s house and I have to say that drinking at Grey Sail is like drinking at your rich friend’s house. The space inside the house is really quaint, it is where the service bar is along with a few rooms with tables for indoor drinking. However, it is the outdoor beer garden that is truly a thing of beauty. It has several tables under a tree providing ample shade, along with more picnic tables underneath a long overhang. Both areas over look a vibrant lawn and beautiful water fountain that convey a sense of peace and calm. Near the picnic tables is a wood-fired pizza oven that pumps out some of the best wood-fired pizza you have ever had.
The Beer? Fantastic! I first grabbed a flight of a few of their offerings along with one of my favorite Grey Sail beers and they were all great. ‘Hazy Ho’ was light with a nice juicy hop, ‘Hazy Day’ the unfiltered Belgian had a nice malty taste with a lingering finish, and ‘Adrift’ was hoppy with a lingering bitter finish but ‘Captain’s Daughter’ stole the show. ‘Captain’s Daughter’ has been a staple in the Rhode Island beer community for years and has been prominently featured on draft lists across the state and it has served as my ‘Go-To’ Double IPA for years. I know this beer, I love this beer, and it is awesome both on tap and from a can. However, having fresh ‘Captain’s Daughter’ from the brewery is a life changing experience. The juiciness from the mosaic hop plays beautifully with the citra hop and leads perfectly into the piney flavor from the chinook hop and has a nice long finish. If you like ‘Captain’s Daughter’ you owe it to yourself to visit the brewery and try it fresh. Additionally, for those who may not like craft beer, they have mixed cocktails and hard seltzers from the distillery next door that are also phenomenal.
While Westerly is well off the beaten path for many of us,
it is an absolute must visit to thoroughly enjoy the Rhode Island craft beer scene.
Grey Sail Brewing is located at 63 Canal St. Westerly, RI 02891. For more information about their offerings and the brewery click HERE.
Part one: Long Live Beerworks
Part two: Buttonwoods Brewery
Part three: LineSider Brewing Company
Part four: Taproot Brewing Company
Part five: Community Bruin (CLOSED)
Part six: Shaidzon Beer Company
Part seven: Moniker Brewery
Part eight: Six Pack Brewing
Part nine: Lops Brewing
