Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Hot Donuts A Rising Success At Knead Doughnuts “Night Cruller” Window

If a hot donut doesn’t blow your mind, we don’t know what will. Donut fans have been crowding Knead Doughnuts’ “Night Cruller” window at 55 Cromwell Street in Providence to satisfy their craving for hot, freshly glazed donuts. The made-to-order window pops opens every Friday night from 6-9 p.m. and at least one fan reports his mind was blown. But don’t take our word for it.

On Instagram, @thegratefulbanana posted: “Guys. Way to GO! That was literally the best knead doughnut I’ve ever had – incredible!” And @xjacquileex said: “Yes! I ate 2 that night #noregrets.” And @beth__hart posted “GUYS, that warm chocolate cake doughnut was AMAZING! Now I only want my Knead doughnuts warm.”

The Night Cruller is steps away from Far West Bar and Long Live Beerworks, with sandwiches and more provided by Solid Gold Provisions, so fans can grab dinner and sip craft beer while they get their donut fix.

“We love opening up our production space and sharing the hot donuts that previously only we got to enjoy,” said Adam Lastrina, co-owner of Knead Doughnuts. “There’s nothing quite like eating a hot donut. Try one, it will make your night!”

Street parking is available on Cromwell and Sprague Streets. Follow signs through the courtyard. Knead’s Night Cruller window has sold out, so don’t wait too long to show up and order your own hot donut, made just for you.

Loyal 9 Cocktails Expands Distribution To New Hampshire and Maine

Loyal 9 Cocktails Currently Available In Over 1,300 Locations

Loyal 9 Cocktails: Loyal 9 Lemonade, Loyal 9 Half & Half and Loyal 9 Mixed Berry Lemonade

Loyal 9 Cocktails recently announced that their Loyal Lemonade and Loyal Half & Half are now available in New Hampshire and Maine after having great success in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

“We are thrilled to bring Loyal 9 Cocktails to more thirsty New Englanders,” said Mike Reppucci, president and founder of Loyal 9 Cocktails. “We’ve been experiencing unbelievable demand for the cocktails and we’re psyched to expand distribution for the peak of summer.”

The vodka-based craft cocktails are canned at 9% alcohol by volume, opposed to the typical 5%. The four core flavors – Loyal Lemonade, Loyal Half & Half, Loyal Mixed Berry Lemonade, and Loyal Sangria Cocktail are all gluten-free and produced with real fruit. Only the Lemonade and Half & Half will be distributed to NH and ME to start.

“We’re literally peeling thousands of lemons for these cocktails,” said head distiller Chris Guillette. “Using real fruit definitely makes a difference. We focused on making the cocktails balanced, extremely refreshing and very drinkable.” At 9% alcohol by volume, Loyal 9 Cocktails have set themselves apart from a majority of the ready-to-drink (RTD) market that are primarily 5% and sparkling.

The sleek, 12-ounce cans are sold in 4-packs for $11.99 and are available in over 1,300 locations. Customers can use the product locator on their website to find the closest availability: https://www.loyal9cocktails.com/find-cans.

Bar ‘Cino Now Open for Lunch and Late Night

Bar ‘Cino, located at 22 Washington Square in Newport, RI is now open for lunch and has rolled out a new late-night menu. Bar ‘Cino’s full menu will be available Monday – Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and the late-night menu will be offered Sunday – Thursday until 11:00 p.m. and Friday – Saturday until 12:00 a.m. For more information or to view the menu, visit www.barcinonewport.com.

Conveniently located in the heart of historic Washington Square, Bar ‘Cino offers patrons a casual and authentic Italian bar experience, focused on a playful beverage program of wines and inspired cocktails complemented by a menu of simple, flavor-filled foods inspired by Italian countryside cooking; highlighting fresh vegetables, seafood, cheeses and local ingredients. The 60-seat full-service restaurant features a selection of little plates, bruschetta, grilled pizza, salads, panini and entrees, as well as a complete cocktail menu.

Bar ‘Cino’s new late-night menu features an array of specially-priced grilled pizzas, as well as salads, bruschetta, panini and desserts. Grilled Pizzas are $10 and include oven-roasted Chicken with arugula, chicory and parmesan; Margherita pomodoro with fontina, parmesan, EVOO and basil; Prosciutto with fig, arugula, fontina and gorgonzola; and Roasted Rhode Island Mushrooms, charred radicchio, fontina, parmesan, EVOO, saba, and fresh herbs.

Salads include Arugula with marinated cannellini beans, chicory, parmesan, and lemon vinaigrette; Tuscan Kale with a sundried tomato vinaigrette, avocado, pine nuts and parmesan; Italian Farro and Grilled Vegetables with tomato, feta, pistachios and citrus vinaigrette; Romaine and Kale with parmesan, anchovies, lemon and crushed croutons; and Simple Greens with EVOO, lemon, mint and parsley. Chicken, shrimp, salmon or tuna conserva can be added to each salad.

Share Plates feature Potato Chips with parmesan black pepper, parsley, and garlic aioli; Warm Marinated Olives with rosemary, garlic, and orange zest; and Antipasti with prosciutto, EVOO poached tuna, marinated white beans, parmesan, olives, grilled bread, and fig jam.

Bruschettas feature EVOO Poached Tuna with Castelvetrano olives, and celery leaf; Prosciutto with fig, and goat cheese; and EVOO-roasted Tomato, mozzarella, saba, and sea salt. Panini selections include oven-roasted Chicken with arugula, chicory, and parmesan; roasted Rhode Island Mushrooms with fresh herbs, fontina, and saba; and EVOO Poached Tuna with cannellini beans, kale and romaine.

Dolce feature Pistachio Ricotta-Cream Layer Cake; Tiramisu; Molten Chocolate-Nutella Souffle; Limoncello-Mascarpone Cake; and a selection of gelato.

In addition to a playful wine list of more than 45 carefully-curated labels and a beer list that includes local and regional bottles, draughts and 25 oz ‘share beers,’ Bar ‘Cino features an array of hand-crafted cocktails including Shadilady featuring mezcal, Aperol, and lime with a tajin rim; Pirate’s Last Dance with Newport Craft Distillers’ Thomas Tew Rum, Bacardi, Gosling’s Coconut, grapefruit and honey; Arnaldo Palmer with chamomile and honey-infused grappa, house lemonade and iced tea; Ciao Bella with Tito’s vodka, Malfy Italian gin, Contratto Bianco, vermouth and fresh and toasted herbs; and Tempo Triplo with Contratto Americano, Bianco and Rosso vermouth with orange bitters, to name a few.

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Knead Doughnuts Expands Into Former Pilotworks Space; Invests In New Small Businesses

Knead Doughnuts has expanded their donut production into a 5,000-square-foot commercial kitchen previously operated by the food incubator Pilotworks, now called Providence Kitchen Collaborative. With the capacity to handcraft even more gourmet doughnuts, Knead will be at more farmers markets, serve more weddings, and craft more special seasonal flavors. A third donut shop is slated to open at their new production space this spring.

With a significantly larger commercial kitchen, Knead is now able to give back and support several budding food businesses by leasing them commercial kitchen space. “We are humbled to be able to support Providence’s dynamic food scene” said Knead co-founder Adam Lastrina. “All these businesses were right where we were two years ago.”

The new location at Providence Kitchen Collaborative is already home to all of Knead’s doughnut production, as well as seven food entrepreneurs leasing commercial kitchen access from Knead, including Brown Paper Bounty, Fountain & Co, and Long Live Beerworks, which will operate a brewery and bar just steps from Knead. Inquire about leasing kitchen space here.

Knead plans a grand opening of its new donut shop at Providence Kitchen Collaborative, which will be open on weekends and select evenings, in May 2019. Follow updates on Knead’s lively Facebook and Instagram pages.

The award-winning gourmet doughnut shop opened its first Providence location, at 32 Custom House, in December 2016. A second Providence storefront opened in April 2018 at 135 Elmgrove Avenue. To learn more about Knead Doughnuts, visit kneaddoughnuts.com.

Graze Burgers in Westerly Announces Community-Based “Graze Gives” Initiative

Graze Burgers, located at 127 Granite Street in Westerly, RI, is pleased to announce its new community-based initiative, Graze Gives, designed to engage local non-profit organizations by providing them with a venue to hold fundraisers and to express appreciation to their donors.

Through Graze Gives, participating organizations are responsible for inviting guests and selling tickets, while Graze will provide the space, light bites of their famous 100% grass-fed burgers and chicken sandwiches, fries, and more; wine and beer tastings; and soft drinks. The organization receives one hundred percent of the proceeds.

“At Graze Burgers, we are passionate about supporting the community we serve and we hope that our Graze Gives initiative not only allows us to become more familiar with the members of our community, but that it provides our local non-profits with the opportunity to further expand their reach and fundraising efforts,” said Kevin Bowdler, Co-Owner, Graze Burgers.

Non-profit organizations in the greater Westerly area interested in participating in the Graze Gives program can contact Spencer Gossy at 401.351.8855. Events will be booked monthly in the spring and fall on a first-come-first-served basis.

Chardonnay and Cider Cask Finished Whiskies Back in Stock at Virginia Distillery Company

Virginia Distillery Company Cider Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky

Just in time for warmer weather, American Single Malt whisky distillery Virginia Distillery Company will release batch #3 of its Chardonnay Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky and batch #4 of its Cider Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky on Saturday, April 13^th. Earlier batches of both whiskies produced limited cases, some becoming out of stock shortly after release. The Cider Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate’s “Top 20 Whiskies of 2018.”

The bottles kick-off the distillery’s rolling release schedule of its Virginia-Highland Whisky series. The new approach allows consumers to purchase offerings from the line more regularly throughout the year in markets across the United States, online through Passion Spirits and on-site in the distillery’s Visitors Center.

The Virginia-Highland Whisky series is made from 100% malted barley and marries American Single Malt whisky made on-site in Virginia with whisky from Scotland. It is then cask finished in barrels sourced from wineries, cideries and breweries across Virginia and beyond.

Batch #3 of the Chardonnay Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky spent an additional 8 to 10 months in Chardonnay casks, adding nuance and complexity to the whisky. The final product offers notes of lemon zest, green apple and honeysuckle.

Batch #4 of the Cider Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky features finishing barrels from two Virginia cideries, Potter’s Craft Cider and Buskey Cider, giving the whisky notes of apple, pecan and vanilla.

“We’re excited to have both of these whiskies back in our regular rotation,” said Ian Thomas, Distillery Director at Virginia Distillery Company. “The offerings from our Virginia-Highland Whisky series are a great testament to our many partnerships across the state of Virginia – and the result is some pretty phenomenal whisky.”

Both products retail for $64.99.

These new batch releases are part of the Virginia-Highland Whisky series, which includes the flagship offering, Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky and a beer finished whisky, Brewers Batch Virginia-Highland Whisky.

The distillery is preparing for the 2020 launch of Courage & Conviction, its signature American Single Malt whisky. The name is a nod to a phrase founder Dr. George G. Moore was often heard saying: “Always have the courage of your convictions.”

For more information, visit the distillery’s website at www.vadistillery.com.

Adam Lastrina

News Bites: Knead Doughnuts “Night Cruller” / Loyal 9 Expanding Reach / Bar ‘Cino Extends Hours