Illustration created by Allison Magnus

State of the Brew: A Panel on the Future of RI Breweries

May 7, 2025

1 min read
Share
Illustration created by Allison Magnus
State of the Brew: A Panel on the Future of RI Breweries
Copy

Join us for an evening of lively discussion, a video screening and insight into the evolving landscape of Rhode Island’s craft beer industry. State of the Brew brings together local leaders and voices from the beer community to talk about one of the hottest topics in the state: distribution rights and the future of small breweries.

📅 Date: Wednesday, May 7
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

📍 Location: The Guild, 461 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI

🎤 Panelists:

From left to right: Matt Gray – Co-owner of Ragged Island Brewing, Portsmouth, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee – (D-Narragansett), Chair of the RI House Small Business Committee and Nick Fede Jr. – Liquor store owner & head of the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative.
From left to right: Matt Gray, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee and Nick Fede Jr.
Provided.

  • Matt Gray – Co-owner of Ragged Island Brewing, Portsmouth
  • Nick Fede Jr. – Liquor store owner & head of the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative
  • Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee – (D-Narragansett), Chair of the RI House Small Business Committee

🎙️ Moderated by:

Ian Donnis, Political Reporter at Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio

Expect a robust discussion on the challenges local brewers face in getting their products on shelves, legislative efforts to support small businesses, and what the future might hold for craft beer in the Ocean State.

The event will feature a screening of the Rhode Island PBS Weekly segment, Restricting the Brew, and conclude with an audience Q&A.

💬 Audience Q&A:

Stick around after the panel and screening for a chance to ask your own questions and engage directly with our panelists.

Admission is free and all are welcome. Come grab a pint and join the conversation!

Unsustainable fishing, not climate change, has been the biggest threat to ocean biodiversity for decades. Scientists warn that dismantling marine protected areas could accelerate the crisis for species, ecosystems, and coastal economies alike
Union says incidents of violence against staff have risen 41% between 2022 and 2024
The measure, introduced by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Seth Magaziner, is unlikely to succeed in the Republican-controlled Congress
Barrier was built without permission along less sensitive water around same time as Quidnessett Country Club’s controversial wall
Local Catholics reflect on the death of Pope Francis and the legacy he leaves behind here in Rhode Island
Invasive sea squirts are crowding out native species and clogging fishing gear, leaving scientists scrambling to track their spread
Brown and the Library’s mission is to ‘serve the community, the nation and the world by discovering, communicating and preserving knowledge and understanding in a spirit of free inquiry’
Survey of 500+ political scientists reveals growing alarm as U.S. democracy sees sharp decline under Trump’s second termat 4