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FULL POUR

Take a Craft Beer Tour of Ireland with this Rhode Island Brewery

Trágmar Ale Works co-owner Chris Kerr’s hometown of Cushendall is one of the stops on the “A Taste of Ireland” tour taking place in August 2027. (Photos courtesy of Chris Kerr)

Ever wanted to experience the Emerald Isle?

If your idea of “well-traveled” means sampling all the best craft breweries, distilleries and cideries a place has to offer alongside fellow beer nerds, then now might be the right time.

Trágmar Ale Works, the year-and-a-half-old Bristol brewery with a distinctive Irish flair, has teamed up with Rhode Island-based tour operator Stepping Stones Tours to offer “A Taste of Ireland.” The ten-day group tour takes place in August 2027 and features a sampling of northern Irish sites, with an emphasis on the island’s craft brewing and distilling scenes.

“People always want to get that local feeling when they travel and go to a new place. People want to learn about a culture, they don’t want to go to the tourist traps anymore,” says Chris Kerr, co-owner of Trágmar Ale Works and an Ireland native. “Meeting the local people and going to the local pubs, that’s what I think Irish travel is all about.”

While the itinerary includes a visit to a classic Irish pub — the legendary Sean’s Bar, which traces its history to 900 AD — the focus is on a newer phenomenon in the Irish beer scene. According to Kerr, the Irish craft beer scene is about a decade behind the United States, with taps still dominated by major brands like Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp through much of the 2000s. It’s only recently, he says, that beer drinkers have begun to embrace smaller breweries producing nontraditional styles.

“When I left Ireland back in 2006, there wasn’t a lot of craft breweries or craft beer being produced at all. At that point, it was a lot of the big breweries dominating the market,” he says. “Since then, it’s come up.”

Tour participants will enjoy near-daily visits to craft businesses like Mescan Brewery, a brewery in County Mayo that specializes in Belgian-style ales. Other breweries include The White Hag in County Sligo and Carlingford Brewing on the Cooley Peninsula. Along with breweries, the schedule includes stops at craft distilleries such as Micil Distillery, known for its gin and poitín — AKA Irish moonshine — as well as long-running establishments like Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland. Kerr says small Irish distilleries, like breweries, are experiencing a renaissance after years of being overshadowed by Scotch.

The trip is coordinated by Erin Egresitz, an East Greenwich resident and owner of Stepping Stones Tours. Egresitz, who also owns local walking tour company Rhody Rambles, started her career as a tour manager for larger travel companies and often ran tours to Ireland. She founded Stepping Stones Tours two years ago as an alternative to larger package tours.

“I started my own business because I saw the opportunity to really experience Ireland in a different way. I felt like a lot of the bigger name tour operators, it’s a checklist of all the things that you’re supposed to see when you’re in Ireland,” she says.

Egresitz frequently plans custom itineraries for groups such as Irish dance schools, but says it’s the first time she’s planned a craft beverage-focused tour. The partnership is part of a growing trend of culinary travel featuring guides with industry experience. Locally, Gracie’s restaurant in Providence organizes trips as part of its Culinary Bliss travel series, and the owners of Agave Social and Condesa restaurants offer agave tours of Mexico as part of their New England Agave Club. In 2024, AAA began offering food tours guided by acclaimed local chefs under its Club Adventures tour operator, but the tours are no longer offered.

Egresitz, herself a proud Irish American, was introduced to Trágmar Ale Works by her friend Meghan Kelly, who runs the Kelly School of Irish Dance. After talking with Kerr and brewery co-owner Michael Godet, she says, it became clear there was interest in hosting a beverage-focused tour. She drew up several potential routes and began calling craft businesses — many of whom, she says, had never hosted a large tour group before.

“My whole approach to Stepping Stones is to really appreciate the culture more and travel a little bit more slowly. Yes, the views are beautiful, but you want to get out and talk to people,” she says.

The group settled on a northern route between Galway and Dublin for two reasons: One, it’s a less popular (but no less scenic) route for first-time visitors, who often flock to busy tourist sites in the south of Ireland. And two, it’s home to Cushendall, the seaside town in County Antrim where Kerr grew up. The schedule will include a drive through Cushendall, as well as other immersive cultural experiences like a sheepdog demonstration and an Irish hurling experience with the Gaelic Athletic Association.

And, though Egresitz admits it’s a bit of tourist trap, the tour also features a visit to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. It is an Irish beer tour, after all.

“The last time I was back home in Ireland was last August. I won’t get a chance to go this year, so next August will be the next time I get back there,” Kerr says.

The trip has already seen an outpouring of interest from Trágmar regulars and mug club members. Kerr says they plan to host social nights in the leadup to the tour so participants can get to know each other.

Egresitz hopes it will mark the start of a new kind of tourism based out of Rhode Island — focused less on Instagrammable views, and more on the beverages that keep travelers going.

“After we came up with this, I said, ‘I wonder if any other breweries will be interested,’” she says.

For more information about the trip, visit steppingstonestours.com/tragmar2027.

Looking down from the top of Lurig Mountain in Cushendall.

SMALL SIPS

• After a long wait, the new pavilion at the Guild PVD beer garden officially opened in 195 District Park at the end of July. The pavilion has indoor and outdoor seating and serves Guild drinks with a menu of casual brewery bites. Baked goods from Seven Stars Bakery are also expected soon. It’s the second Guild location to open this summer after the Guild Garden in Plainville opened in June.

• Congratulations to the winners of Rhode Island Monthly’s 2026 Best of Rhode Island awards! We had a fantastic time partying with this year’s winners at the WaterFire Arts center. Check out the Readers’ Poll results to find out who you voted as the state’s best brewery, winery, cocktail bar, dive bar and more. For more drinking spots, head to the Editor’s Picks to find our favorite recs from around Rhode Island.

• Congratulations to all the beverage producers who participated in this year’s Rhode Worthy Cup, which took place at The Guild on Sunday, Aug. 23. Check out the results here to see who took home top honors in beer, wine, cider and spirits categories.

• ICYMI, Union Station Brewery — one of the state’s oldest brew pubs — officially closed its doors on July 19.

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

• Lops Brewing is getting a head start on fall brews with Pumpkinfest weekend this Friday, Aug. 28, to Sunday, Aug. 30. Beers will include the pumpkin spice ale, pumpkin spice stout, maple pumpkin habanero and pumpkin PIE-PA.

• Moniker Brewery will host Pints and Paws in the beer garden on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Grooming Box Pet Spa will be on hand offering nail trims, teeth brushing and ear cleaning services (for the pups, of course) while the humans enjoy some pints.

• Apponaug Brewing has officially opened (possibly the state’s first?) taproom Little Free Library. Take a book, leave a book, and enjoy a good story with your next pint. The brewery also started a Pints & Pages book club — email appopintsandpages@gmail.com to be added to the email list or keep an eye on social media for the next meeting date.

• Crooked Current Brewery and White Dog Distilling are hosting a Last Call for Summer party on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. featuring the last of the summer beverages — like the watermelon blonde ale and the peppermint bark ice cocktail — and the beginning of fall, including the release of the pumpkin maple ale and the drunkin’ pumpkin cocktail. The event will also feature beer floats, vendors, live music and food from Hank’s Down South BBQ.

• Ashawaug Farm will host an art and produce popup at Grey Sail Brewing on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 3 to 6 p.m. From Aug. 24 through 30, Grey Sail will donate $1 from every Ashawaug Bees Knees — featuring lavender from the farm — to the Zero Footprint Dirty Drinks campaign to support grants for regenerative practices to build healthier soil.

• Tickets are still available for Brew at the Zoo at Roger Williams Park Zoo this Saturday, Aug. 29, from 5 to 8 p.m. The twenty-one-plus events features hundreds of samples of beers, wines, hard seltzers and ready-to-drink cocktails, including a new wine tasting experience. Tickets are $75 per person ($40 for designated driver tickets) and available online.

• Looking for love? Crook Point Brewing will host speed dating for singles ages thirty-five to forty-nine on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is coordinated by Sips & Sparks, and tickets are available online.

• Students and faculty of the University of Rhode Island Marine Affairs will be at Tower Hill Brewing on Saturday, Sept. 12, for a sea shanty singalong. The annual all-ages event runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

• O’Brien and Brough will host a craft cocktail class on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will make and enjoy two cocktails and also receive 10 percent off all bottle purchases. Tickets are $50 per person and available online.

• Buy your tickets now for Cider Fest, taking place Sunday, Sept. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at Newport Vineyards and Taproot Brewery. A $28 ticket includes five tastes of cider, wine or beer, plus live music, a pie eating contest, a candy hunt for kids and food available to purchase. Non-tasting tickets are available for $10, and kids fifteen and younger are free.

• Ragged Island Brewing will host Barktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 3 to 7 p.m. Bring your favorite furry friend for food trucks, live music, pet vendors and a pup parade at 6 p.m. Oktoberfest lagers will be on tap.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Rogue Island Comedy Festival taking place Oct. 8 through 11 at locations around Newport, including Newport Craft. The twice-a-year comedy festival annual brings nationally touring comedians and rising talent to the island’s venues.

LABEL OF THE MONTH

(Courtesy of Rhode Island Beer Club)

Honey Hound by Foolproof Brewing Company in collaboration with Rhode Island Beer Club

Label design by Joey Visco

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