Rhode Island Beer Makers Team Up for Special '11 Brew [VIDEO]

On Feb. 5, 2011, history was made — Rhode Island beer history that is. 

On that day, Rhode Island beer makers set aside competition and differences, and gathered together for the first time at the Newport Storm Brewery to make what is being hailed by its creators as "Rhode Island's first collaboration beer." 

“Since we come from the smallest state, the Rhode Island brewers often don't get enough exposure for the great beers they're making," said Derek Luke, brewmaster at Newport Storm. "For the '11, we wanted to make an awesome beer together…

"Collaboration beers are a great chance for brewers to exchange knowledge, pool strengths and come up with a beer that's greater than the sum of its parts.”

The result was a signature, made-only-in-Rhode Island brew dubbed only "11."  A “Celebration of 11” is planned to be held on the beer's release date, Nov. 11, at the Newport Storm Brewery.

The challenge of gathering all the local brewmasters wasn't easy. For Marshall Righter of the , it was only a short skip down the road, but Dave Sniffen of Mohegan Café & Brewery of Block Island took a chilly ferry across the sound. 

The professional brewers, who also collaborated on the design and brewing of the '11, include Sean Larkin and Tom Tainsh of Trinity Brewhouse in Providence and Aaron Crossett of Union Station Brewery, also in Providence. 

For a decade, Newport Storm has brewed a "special" beer annually and packaged it in classy blue wine bottles. Each annual release is a "big beer" with over 10 percent alcohol by volume.

Each annual release also has a recipe unique to the year, and that recipe does not follow any set style. For example, '05 was a chocolate raspberry concoction, while '06 used peat and biscuit malt and was then aged in whiskey barrels. 

This year's '11 brew will be “Rhode Island Red” in color in honor of the state's unofficial mascot.

The brew was fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and bottle conditioned with local Aquidneck Honey made right here on Aquidneck Island and other hives throughout the state. The beer has been bottle-conditioning since its Feb. 5 brew date. 

It will have a tang of oaky sour, having been aged in local Thomas Tew rum barrels. It will be exponentially hoppy, having been "Rhode Island" hopped with Magnum hops for 65 minutes (the length of time of the slow ferry to Block Island) and Santiam hops for 35 minutes (the length of the fast ferry to Block Island), with much of the hops contributed from local hopster start-up, Ocean State Hops. 

Lastly,the sweat of Rhode Island's six professional brewers was a necessary bi-product, if not an ingredient, according to those at Newport Storm. 

The "dilute wort‟ from this brew was offered to the local homebrewing community to taste. Independently, they brewed more than 30 different beers with it and shared them at a Homebrewer‟s Night at the brewery. 

“I had no idea how my beer would turn out as the wort was kind of a mystery," said Steve Gravel of the South Shore Brew Club. "But the mystery, and the fact that it really was all of RI‟s brewers collaborating, was really fun.”

Brews from all of RI‟s breweries will be on tap, as well as the '11, at the celebration on Nov. 11.

Tickets for this event are going fast, said Jeff Mello of Aquidneck Honey. Tickets cost, of course, $11, and can be purchased at www.NewportStorm.com. 

Newport Storm '11 will be on sale in CT, MA, and RI liquor stores, as well as on draft at each Rhode Island brewer's establishment and select venues around the Ocean State.