PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Inside an old red brick industrial mall with green doors, CROOKED CURRENT BREWERY came into existence during 2016 when Narragansett-raised brewmaster, Nichole Pelletier, and entrepreneurial businessman, Jason Lourenco, combined forces. Proudly obtaining the title of “smallest brewery in the smallest state,” this friendly dive features a gigantic right-walled Crooked Current sign, cozy left side tasting bar, slanted white-walled ceiling, several cool caricature drawings, painted wood floor and exposed ducts.

Packed to the hilt on a freezing afternoon in February ’17, my wife and I grab a counter and consume samplers of each three fine offerings currently available on draught.

First up, tropical Kiwi-bound fortified New Zealand IPA #3, where subtle passionfruit, pineapple, mandarin orange and grapefruit pith tartness sits atop alder wood-lacquered hop bittering.

Bringing its stylized vanilla-chocolate-strawberry flavoring to the surface, Neopolitan Brown Ale allows tart raspberry, plum and prune subtleties to affect its coffee-grounded earthen hop bottom.

Another dessert treasure, White Stout, brewed with cocoa and coarse ground coffee, picked up a sweet-spiced vanilla tingle, powdered sugar-glazed donut bumrush and lemon rind-embittered coffee snip (as well as a green tea spot), finishing a l’il like a coco caramel latte.

crookedcurrentbrewery.com