Don’s Review – Spirits in the Rhode

Sixty micros on tap! Where? At Dave’s Bar & Grill on Post Road in Warwick, that’s where.

We were looking to try something from Stone Brewing Co., and discovered that Dave’s Bar & Grill had the goods. We were pleasantly surprised by the diverse offering of micros that Dave’s has on tap which included some terrific selections from all over the country.  Stone Brewing Co., out of Escondido, is the largest brewery in Southern California. They have been awarded Beer Advocate’s “Best Brewery All Time Ever” award twice, so this must be some serious stuff!

Mike, who was bartending when we arrived at Dave’s Bar & Grill, happily gave us a rundown of the three varieties of Stone on tap. First up was the Levitation Ale. This beer had a subtly sweet floral aroma and upfront taste, with a mild hoppy bite that finished crisp. Although malty, it was well-balanced, with hints of citrus. Very nice, and at 4.4% ABV, you could drink this one all evening.

Next up was the Arrogant Bastard Ale which Stone writes, “This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it!” However, it was delicious and not surprising, this is one of Stone’s more popular beers (Be careful with this one at 7.2% ABV, it will sneak up on you!).

Rounding out the trio of Stone beers, we tried the Russian Imperial Stout . This one is a monster! It’s sweet and malty with the aroma of coffee, and has a somewhat syrupy consistency. At 10.5% ABV, you can definitely taste the alcohol, and it’ll warm your bones on a chilly pre-Spring evening! If you are a stout lover, give this a shot.

After thoroughly enjoying each elixir by Stone, and mesmerized by all these taps of beer, we figured we would each do a “flight”- which is a sampling of your choice of 4 beers served in 4 oz. glasses housed in a cool little wooden rack. Working the bar now was Josh, originally hails from Minnesota (don’t ya know) but is now a full-fledged Rhode Islanda (as evidenced by his wicked forearm Anchor tattoo). He highly recommended the Triple Black IPA 8.7%ABV by Victory Glory, and man was he was right. This micro rocked. It was malty, spicy and very well-balanced – an excellent example of this very popular style of beer.

Another impressive beer was the Double Mocha Porter  8.2%ABV by Rogue. I’ve been really diggin’ coffee beers this year! The chocolate really comes through on this one.

Dave’s Bar & Grill is a score. Their beer selection is an international adventure, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the craft micro menu is reasonably priced. Most micros are $5/pint and a flight is $6.50. Check ‘em out!

Dave’s Bar & Grill 2339 Post Rd. Warwick, RI 02886 401-739-7444