Yankee Brew News Archive

Rhode Island Beer Festival to Provide East Coast Alternative to GABF

Originally Published: 10/97

By: Kerry J. Byrne

A Rhode Island lawyer and host of the state's largest beer show hopes to fill the need for an East Coast beer competition with the Great Northeast International Beer Festival.

The GNIBF is the new name for what had been called for the last three years the Rhode International Beer Exposition, an event organized by Maury Ryan.

The GNIBF will combine a traditional beer festival, where the pubic is invited to sample brewers' beers, with competitions for commercial and home brewers. In past years, the Rhode Island International Beer Exposition was exclusively a public exhibition.

The need for the revised event comes in reaction to the woeful under-representation of New England brewers in the 1996 Great American Beer Festival, an event held each year in Denver, Colo. Just one New England-brewed beer won a medal at the 1996 GABF, making it appear that the best beers in America were produced by western breweries. As reported in Yankee Brew News, many local brewers said they chose not to enter because of the distance of the competition.

"We've had several requests from New England brewers to put in a beer and cider contest as part of" the Rhode Island International Beer Exposition "to offset against the GABF because everyone in New England seems to have a problem getting out there and getting their beer out there," Ryan said. "It's about time we decided to offer what appears to be in demand: a big competition that will grow from year to year."

The Great Northeast International Beer Festival will be held November 8 at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, with two shows, 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m.

"This is obviously a big step forward," Ryan said. "We had read the concerns about Colorado. About the same time we got calls from two separate brewers who had participated in the GABF and also at the event down in Miami. They had asked me if we could do it since there isn't a show like this in New England. This is a natural continuation of our beer festival to make it more appealing and add some growth."

Ryan contacted Yankee Brew News publisher and nationally certified beer judge Don Gosselin to organize the judging. As of press time, plans called for gold, silver and bronze medals to be awarded in each of eight to-be-determined beer categories, while a gold and silver will be given in the cider category. The awards will be announced on the day of the show. In addition, a "best of show" award will be given the same day.

Beers and ciders must arrive in Rhode Island up to 10 days before the show, with the judging conducted the week preceding the show.

In addition, Ryan said, "we're counting on having a separate event for home brewers."

As of late August, more than two months before the competition, around 35 brewers had expressed interest and many had already signed up, Ryan said.

The interest is not just local, he said. Among those who have already signed on are Labatt's, which owns several breweries across North America, and California's Sierra Nevada, considered by many among America's great breweries.

"The general perception has been pretty good," Ryan said. "The next two months will tell." He anticipates having as many as 55 brewers participate in the competition, with some 80 participating in the festival's public exhibition.

The participation level has been "stronger this year than in the last two," Ryan said. "We've had a pretty good turnout at this stage of the game."

Also added this year is a breakfast the day of the show where brewers will have the opportunity to meet with retailers directly.

The show and its many elements, Ryan said, "is intended not only for the consumers but to be of marketing assistance for the brewers."

"We want to make a strong and significant step in the East and not put all the emphasis on (the GABF) in Colorado," Ryan said. "Frankly, I think this is the opportunity to run this on the East Coast. Of course we're modeled in a way after the GABF, but we want to make this a stand-alone and prestigious event that will contribute to the brewing industry."