Sons of Liberty Spirits and the Beers They Rhode in on

For this story, I’m coauthoring with my wife, Shelley Goetz. She’s from Rhode Island—where we were also married—but we both live in Baltimore, Maryland. As such, we frequently travel to Rhode Island to visit family and friends. I also worked with a company based out of Newport.

A few years ago we caught wind of Sons of Liberty, based out of South Kingston. Being the beer lovers that we are—along with our new exploration into the whiskey world—their approach to making whiskey deeply piqued our interest. At the time we read about the American Single Malt whiskies, “Uprising”, made from stout malt, and “Battle Cry”, which uses belgian ale style malt and yeast. We also watched their video about their Pumkin Spice flavored whiskey. Hooked, we made it a point to track down a few bottles.

While in Newport for work, I looked into visiting their distillery with a coworker and friend. At the time they offered tours, where they discuss their proceesses and philosophies. An interesting point emphasized: they only distill to about 127 proof, instead of the typical 160 proof, retaining more of their artfully crafted beer flavor. It is my understanding that most whiskey is made with a “distiller’s beer”, which can lack the character that popular beer possesses. This group recognized the opportunity to spotlight the beer and whiskey as equals. Brilliant!

Shelley and I have returned to their distillery over the past few years—watching them grow. While Sons of Liberty expanded their physical space into what was once a farmer’s/local market, they also continued to experiment with their whiskey. Eventually, beer was offered at their distillery. Considering that whiskey is born from beer, one couldn’t ask for a more apt experience! We were very impressed with the first few beers that they offered to the public about a year ago. Sons of Liberty also continue to explore different barrel aging processes—something we’re not at all strangers to.

Beer and whiskey are social beverages, so we make it a point to talk over these libations with family, friends, coworkers, and complete strangers. If you ever find yourself able to visit the Sons of Liberty distillery, you will be in good company. Everyone that works there pours their hearts into what they do. They clearly enjoy themselves and you should benefit from the fruits of their labor. If you’re lucky enough to be nearby when they’re seeking volunteers, you’ll have a fantastic opportunity to interact with those that love this craft!

We’ll leave you, dear reader, with an invitation to try a beer or spirit from Sons of Liberty. They clearly have our endorsement. Cheers!