Union Station Brewery in Providence and Shaidzon Beer Company in North Kingstown are putting their differences aside to collaborate on something to take the edge off.
"Shaidzon is in the shadows of URI and we’re at the footsteps of the Dunk," said Union Station Brewing partner, Mike Delehanty. "It was a no-brainer, but it came along at a very slow pace -- sort of like how society is right now."
"Big Trouble in Little Rhody" is a light, easy-sipping German kölsch-style ale that pays homage to the PC-URI rivalry. The special release has been a slam dunk among basketball fans in the Ocean State.
"We might sell out of cans here on Saturday," said Union Station Brewery partner, Mike Delehanty. "People have been coming in a buying a case at a time. It's been great."
The idea has been brewing since 2019, but because the rivalry was canceled last season in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the limited-edition release has been kept under wraps.
"Unfortunately, not having the game last year, we weren’t able to do it and we almost built more excitement from that to get to this," said Chip Sampson, co-owner of Shaidzon Brewing Company.
While the special release has drawn attention to both breweries, the collaboration has been bigger than the beverage.
"More than anything, this event, this game feels like a release," said Delehanty. "It's been a while since we’ve been able to have a game. It's been a while since things have felt normal and I think that people are just excited to get back to the core of what we are in Rhode Island."
The beer will officially be released on Friday, Dec. 3 at the "A Road to Rivalry" event at the Ocean Mist in Narragansett.
Union Station Brewery will host "The Big Game Day Party" on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m. when PC takes on URI at the Dunkin' Donuts Center for the in-state showdown.
The game tips off at 2 p.m.