Rave-worthy
Ravenous Brewing puts Woonsocket on map for craft beer revolution
WOONSOCKET – On any given Thursday evening or Saturday afternoon, a small 1,200-square-foot space on Cumberland Hill Road bustles with energy and activity and becomes a hotspot in the city for high-quality craft beer.
The space is home to Ravenous Brewing Co. and head brewer and owner Dorian Rave and assistant brewer and brewery manager Chris Combs see themselves as not only operating a business but also serving as stewards for the city.
Ravenous Brewing Co. debuted in October 2012, with their public launch at Autumnfest 2012. Rave said he saw that as “a cool spot for Woonsocket brewing with Autumnfest being a big event.”
As Ravenous grew in popularity, so too did the success of its coffee milk stout, which now serves as the compa- ny’s flagship beer.
“It’s available year-round and we’re consistently brewing it,” Rave said.
“When we first opened, we didn’t want a flagship beer, but it kind of forced itself.”
Ravenous now has a myriad of different options for a variety of beer fans, from the Blackstone Pale Ale to the Bienvenue French Quarter Red, named in honor of the brewery’s home city.
Rave’s first foray into the industry came when he would assist his friends in making wine. He said he enjoyed the process of “science and nature working together to create a beverage” and said that as more of a beerdrinker than a wine aficionado, he took that passion of creating a beverage but translated it into beer.
While the brewery on Cumberland Hill Road was opened in 2012, it wasn’t until 2014 that Ravenous began offering tours and tastings for scores of thirsty and curious patrons.
“The people really appreciate the beer a lot more. The tours help to get the word out, it’s a great thing for the city,” Rave said, noting that Ravenous has hosted patrons from all across New England. He also said that they look to “spread the wealth” to other local businesses in Woonsocket, recommending a variety of city restaurants and eateries to out-of-towners who are touring the brewery but may be unfamiliar with the city.
Rave said that following the craft beer explosion in 2012, in which the industry saw tremendous growth and success in the Ocean State, awareness was raised not only for Ravenous, but for the myriad other breweries in Rhode Island.
“When I try a craft beer, I want to try them all,” he said, noting that there is a good partnership between Ravenous and many other breweries in the state, saying that he’ll suggest some Pawtucket-based breweries to his customers, knowing those in Pawtucket will return the favor for his company.
“We work hand-in-hand. We compete but there’s a lot of room to grow and make it known that the beer we make in the state is as good or better than anywhere else,” Rave explained.
Rave met Combs about a year after Ravenous debuted and he said he feels they have “good work chemistry.”
Combs said he and Rave instantly clicked when they met.
“We work well together. There’s an art to it, I look at it as being very intimate with the beer … We hand-craft our beer,” Combs said.
Combs said it is very satisfying at the end of the day to see the process from a kernel of barley into a glass of beer.
“Quality is most important. Our styles are high-quality,” Combs continued. “I’m very proud of the beers we make and I’m not afraid to put it down the drain if it’s not up to our level of quality.”
Rave said growth and expansion are always being considered, while he also enjoys the intimate feel of the space on Cumberland Hill Road.
“If we want to stay competitive and get the product out there into Massachusetts and beyond, we have to expand out,” Rave said. “But I don’t want to lose the feel of the brewery.”
If and when the time comes for expansion, Rave said that they would relocate to another space in the city, saying “it’s extremely important to stay in Woonsocket. Ravenous is known for good beers and for being in Woonsocket.”
“We’re the northern-most brewery in Rhode Island, smack in the middle of the 146 corridor between Worcester and Providence,” he continued. “I think we have amazing things to offer in this city.”
Combs said it was important to “stay in the community and be a part of the community.”
Rave said that the brewery’s name and raven logo are what serves as its recognizable trademark. He said “it’s a great name for how we feel. We’re small but we work hard and we’re ravenous about what we do and try to get out there.”
“Ultimately, our trademark is good beer and quality,” he added. “We want to be known as consistently putting out great beer and a great product.”
With many wondering if canning and bottling is coming next for Ravenous, Rave said that the equipment is extremely expensive and labor-intensive. He said that looking into the future, with time they may get out into distribution but he “can’t see how we can squeeze it into the schedule at the moment.”
“That’s a whole new market,” he said. “All in due time.”
Ravenous offers tours and tastings on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. at 840 Cumberland Hill Road.