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FULL POUR

Aquidneck Island’s Farm Brewery Is Getting an Upgrade

Ragged Island Brewing Company is located on thirty-seven acres of farmland in Portsmouth. The new event barn will be located to the left of the existing brewery space, pictured at the rear of the property. (Photo courtesy of Ragged Island Brewing Company)

With summer winding down on Aquidneck Island, you might think local business owners are taking a well-deserved rest after the usual frenetic tourist season.

In the case of Portsmouth’s Ragged Island Brewing Company, you’d be wrong.

The business, located on thirty-seven acres of farmland on Bristol Ferry Road, recently announced plans to construct a new event barn on the property. The 4,900-square-foot building will serve as a new home for the brewery’s concerts, trivia nights and other events and complete its goal of becoming a hub for local gatherings, according to co-owner Matt Gray.

“I like to consider us a community gathering space. It’s something that’s unique here in Portsmouth that we didn’t have that opportunity before we created the farm brewery here,” Gray tells Rhode Island Monthly.

According to Gray, hosting events was always part of the business’s plan for the property. When Ragged Island purchased the former nursery in 2019 to relocate from a nearby industrial park, the business received approval to construct a new, 11,900-square-foot building on the property. About 8,000 square feet of that building, Gray says, would have housed the brewing equipment, while the rest would have served as event space.

Then, before construction could begin, COVID-19 happened. When the financials no longer made sense, the team decided instead to convert an old barn on the property — located behind the farmhouse taproom — into a combined brewery and event space. Since renovating the barn, Gray says, the team has used it to host concerts and private events in addition to brewing beer. But that dual use comes at a cost. The barn isn’t big enough to host an event when brewing production is in full swing, which means a lot of time for staff spent reconfiguring the space.

“We are, from an operation standpoint, spending a lot of hours setting up and breaking down our brewing equipment for events,” he says.

The new event barn, he says, will be less than half the size of the original proposal while fulfilling the need for a dedicated event space on the property. Gray pitches the plan as a less intrusive solution that he doesn’t expect it to significantly change the brewery’s operations.

“We’re not looking to add a ton of events. We’re just looking to take the events we already have and make them a little bit better and put them in a bigger space,” he says.

The expansion comes as events on agricultural properties is becoming an increasingly fraught issue around the state. Earlier this year, Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown faced pushback after a new owner announced plans to construct a cafe and event barn capable of hosting 200-person events. In Cumberland, Phantom Farms — owned by the same family that operates Phantom Farms Brewing — heard similar objections from residents about its plan to add a winery and cidery to the farm, with neighbors raising concerns about parking and traffic during events. Rhode Island’s Right to Farm Act protects agri-tourism uses on farm property, and farm owners argue these types of uses are necessary to continue to make farming a viable business model. Still, neighbors often voice concerns as events play an increasingly large role in farm revenue.

In Ragged Island’s case, Gray says he hasn’t heard pushback from neighbors about the new event barn. He attributes that in part to the fact the building is smaller than the original 2019 proposal, and the brewery’s operations end strictly at 9 p.m. He also says the brewery has no plans to expand their event schedule. While they occasionally host private events, including small weddings and rehearsal dinners, Gray says their focus is on in-house events, including trivia nights and their regular concert series that takes place outside in the summer and in the barn in the winter. The brewery has become a hub for live music on the island, including an annual two-day music festival that took place in June this past summer.

“We’re not really leaning heavy on weddings, to be quite honest with you. We’re not interested in being an event wedding factory where we’re just having weddings all the time,” he says.

The barn is prefabricated, and Gray expects it to go up quickly once the pieces arrive. The business is also adding a new septic system to the property to meet requirements for the increased capacity. The new event barn, he says, will match the style of the existing 1890 brewing space.

“It’ll be fully up before next summer for sure. I think we’ll be booking barn concerts in there hopefully in the new year,” he says.

In the meantime, the business has continued to operate the property as a working farm in addition to a brewery. The land hosts goats, chickens, honeybees, blueberries and chokeberries. While the fruit isn’t ready to be incorporated into beer yet, Gray says, the brewery has used onsite honey in their recipes and planted pollinator fields for the bees. It’s a new approach for a property that has produced agricultural products, in one form or another, for generations.

A preview of the new event barn shared recently on Ragged Island’s social media pages. (Courtesy of Ragged Island Brewing Company)

SMALL SIPS

• Moniker North, the new outpost from Moniker Brewery in the former Ravenous space in Cumberland, is planning a tentative reopening for October. Read more about the renovations here. And yes, they’re reconfiguring the bathrooms.

• The owners of The Grind, the craft coffee bar located inside Crook Point Brewing, have announced they are closing the business on Sept. 26 to relocate out of Rhode Island. The cafe opened in 2025 and operated for a little less than a year, making a name for itself with creative, artisanal coffee drinks.

• If you’re headed to the Big E Sept. 18 through Oct. 4, be sure to grab a pint from the Rhode Island Brewers Guild taproom in the Rhode Island building. Featured breweries and cideries include Buttonwoods, Whalers, Narragansett, Tapped Apple, Foolproof, Newport Craft and Grey Sail.

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

• The Guild in Pawtucket will host Oktoberfest this Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, featuring live music, contests, seasonal beers and a German food menu. The Warren and Plainville locations will also serve Oktoberfest food specials this weekend.

• Working Man Distillers will host a car show on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family-friendly event will feature food trucks and live music alongside vintage and collectible cars.

• Arcane Mead and Winery will be showing Tim Curry movies all day on Sunday, Sept. 20. Stop in to see Legend, Muppet Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers while trying out Rhode Island’s only meadery.

• Tickets are on sale 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.

• Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. will host a Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day party featuring Turas on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 2 to 5 p.m.

• Local author Monica D. Vance will be at ISCO Spirits on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. to read from her debut poetry book, Leaving the Dust and the Weeds. The book draws from her work as a therapist and takes readers on a journey from pain and sadness to rediscovery. The book will be available for purchase and signing.

• Newport Craft will celebrate Oktoberfest on Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26. Visit the taproom for live music and food from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

• 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.

• Crooked Current Brewery and White Dog Distilling will host A Dark Moon Affair on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 1 to 6 p.m., featuring the release of a black IPA brewed with orange and hibiscus from Crooked Current and a new Alpha Vodka from White Dog Distilling. The businesses are located next to each other at the Lorraine Mills in Pawtucket.

• Uncommon Pair Brewing and Wrapped Up in a Book have launched a new Pints and Pages book club. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m., when participants can browse Blind Date with a Book options and help choose the first book club read.

• Discipline Brewing Co. will host a spooky season event for lovers of all things magical and mystical on Friday, Oct. 2, from 6 to 10 p.m. Featured vendors will offer tarot card reading, aura photography, linocut art, permanent jewelry and more.

• Narragansett Beer will host its sixth annual Oktoberfest at the Providence taproom on Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 4. Events include a stein holding contest, performances and traditional dancing, a German menu and kids’ activities. Tickets are $25 for a four- to five-hour session and include a stein and one beer token.

• 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.

• Visit Grey Sail Brewing for Oktoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 11 from noon to 8 p.m. Fall beers will be on tap with steins available for purchase, and German band the Vagabonds performing. The steinholding competition takes place at 4 p.m. (with the winner qualifying for the regional championship), and there will also be a yodeling competition.

• If Oktoberfest isn’t your thing, head to Narragansett on Oct. 17 for Neighbor Day from 1 to 6 p.m., featuring local vendors courtesy of the Providence Flea, live music, a beer garden and free pet portraits (donations encouraged to support the Providence Animal Rescue League).

LABEL OF THE MONTH

(Courtesy of Pivotal Brewing Company)

Porchfest Groove by Pivotal Brewing Company in collaboration with Bristol PorchFest

Label design by Doug Popovich

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