TILTED BARN BREWERY
My first and only (to this point, I’ll certainly be back) trip to Exeter, RI’s Tilted Barn Brewery happened to be on the same gorgeous early-autumn Saturday that I visited Fox Farm. I had been aware of the brewery for a while, their gorgeous can artwork catching my eye, likely on Instagram. After reading Kristen Foster’s Good Beer Hunting spotlight on the tiny, family-owned and operated farmhouse brewery, I knew I had to visit.
The scene that Kristen so vividly described is exactly what I encountered when I arrived. Owner and Head Brewer Matt Richardson’s father, Gary was at the entrance of the parking lot and directed me where to park. Tupelo, the Black Lab greeted me as I stepped out of the car, donning an inflatable collar to keep her from nibbling at a pesky skin irritation. With a tiny taproom space inside the indeed-tilted barn, the afternoon crowd relished in the expansive outdoor space, many enjoying a picnic out of the open tailgates of their vehicles.
The atmosphere was warm, jovial, and welcoming. Born and raised in Upstate New York, just south of the Adirondacks in very rural Washington County, I felt as though I was visiting home. Not more than a half hour into my trip, I heard someone call out my name.
It was Kristen Foster and her partner May, who just so happened to be visiting on the same afternoon. We had met a few times previously, during my time at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA. After a few minutes catching up, Matt emerged from the barn and Kristen generously introduced us to each other.
Unbelievably kind and hospitable, he offered to take us on an ATV tour of the farm and the recently-cleared land that their future brewery expansion would lie on. With his youngest son, Tate joining in, the five of us slowly cruised around the property, taking in the many gorgeous views that his land has to offer.
The new and much larger brewery and tasting room will sit just a stone’s throw up the dirt road that the current facility lies on, overlooking the family Christmas tree farm and hop bines.
We then proceeded to head back down the hill, past the barn and the family’s home, which sits just steps away from the brewery and tasting room, to the goat paddock tucked away behind the house. Matt grabbed a five gallon bucket quarter-filled with feed. With one quick shake, the roughly half-dozen sized herd came charging towards the fence where we were standing. With no hesitation and a giant smile on his face, Tate began to feed his animals.
Before jumping back in the car and beginning the 90-minute trek home to Boston, Matt very generously gifted me a bottle of the first entry to their Wild Ale series, ‘Seek the Wild’. Fermented with two strains of native yeast isolated on the family farm, I’ve since thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful, Brett-forward beer, while reminiscing over one of the most unique and congenial brewery visits I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to return to the property and check out the new facility.
