.png)
Community, Beer, Culture.
An ideology that one Providence-based brewery is hoping to build. Led by the ownership of Jeff Goodno and Brian Benedict, as well as head brewer Ben Estes, Moniker Brewery has sights set for big things.
"Providence can be the next Portland", Benedict stated, saying that the combination of great restaurants and breweries can be a hotspot for tourism. Rhode Island, as many know, is filled with a great variety of breweries. Moniker is one of the newer ones to join the scene, and they hope to build something that is long-lasting.
Jeff Goodno began his journey like many others in the industry. He started home brewing in 1997 and went pro with his talents in 2006. He jokes that he went from the "the F@#!ing new guy brewer" to head brewer on brewhouses ranging from 7 to 200 barrels. He elevated his craft and become an expert, which transitioned into his own consulting company. He assisted 27 breweries across nine states and two countries and get them off the ground by sharing his years of production experience.
Brian left Corporate America in 2012 and immersed himself into the brewery culture, working almost every non production job in the industry. Starting as a stock-boy and beer buyer for a bottle shop, his journey brought him to Rhode Island, becoming a sales rep and brand manager for a wholesaler. It wasn't long until Bryan was the Director of Marketing and Sales at the Beer’d Brewing Company in Stonington, CT, overseeing their expansion throughout New England.
Through mutual contacts and a few meetings, the duo teamed up to bring Moniker to West Fountain Street. They brought in Ben from Proclamation and began just in time for the Pandemic. However, word of mouth and social media, spread the word of the "new kid on the block". A few months and thousands of followers later, Moniker opened its doors and has attracted the local neighborhood as well as visitors from across the state and area.
Appreciation of the Rhode Island beer community and local roots, inspiration from German Style beers, and enjoyable atmosphere for all; Moniker is making waves in the craft beer market. We sat down with Jeff and Brian, who gave us the inception story of Providence's next big thing.