I did a good thing this summer – I drank some beer to help out the river otters! Let me explain…

I got a new nephew in August when my brother-in-law Eric and his wife Debbie had a baby boy. The arrival of John Edward was cause for a road trip to Providence, Rhode Island. The baby came early, before the baby shower in fact, and so a shower was held while we were in town to see the new baby. The men were told to get lost, so we went to a brewpub.

So where do the river otters come in? Union Station Brewery, in the heart of downtown Providence, partnered with Roger Williams Park Zoo to offer River Otter Ale. For every pint of the beer sold, 50 cents are donated to fund the creation of the zoo’s river otter habitat. I did my part to help the river otters by drinking a pint after trying it with the sampler, which included:

• River Otter Ale, a malty Amber Ale
• Summer Blonde Ale, a light beer for the masses
• Half Day IPA, a strong and balanced IPA (7% ABV)
• Blueberry Ale, a refreshing fruit beer with subtle blueberry flavor
• Funky Monk, a Belgian-style Ale
• Coffee Bean Porter, an imperial Porter brewed with espresso and vanilla beans (9%)

In addition to good beer, Union Station has good burgers. The menu offers “all natural gourmet burgers” with a variety of accoutrements, and I opted for the Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Burger. I think everyone ordered burgers, and between the beer and the burgers, our group of five guys left satisfied (hey to Eric, Dave, Glenn, and Benjamin). Union Station is definitely worth a stop when in Providence.

As for RI bottles, I picked up a six-pack of Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale, a malty, drinkable Amber Ale brewed by Coastal Extreme Brewing Company in Newport, RI.

Finally, I also found a six-pack of Trinity India Pale Ale, a bottled beer from the Trinty Brewhouse, which is another Providence brewpub that is worth a visit. We had lunch at Trinity Brewhouse a few years ago when my brother-in-law got married in Providence, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t get back there this trip. But finding a six-pack of their IPA soothed my concerns.