Tavern Night, featuring beverages and samples of tavern food as it was served in colonial times, will be celebrated at historic Baird's Tavern on February 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. under the sponsorship of the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick.

A highlight of the tavern offerings at the evening event will be porter - George Washington's favorite beer - brewed from an authentic recipe by David Sherfey of Pine Island, an amateur brewer who has won national awards.

"Colonial porter was a dark beer that could range from ordinary strength to relatively strong, and the bitterness level could be anywhere from minimal to pretty stiff, but not anywhere close to some of the hop-monster beers we can get from our favorite microbrewery," according to Sherfey.

There will be three versions of porter served at Tavern Night; one will be a mild ale that is sweeter and less bitter than the others. There will be a stock ale like those intended for storage that is stronger and with higher bitterness, and finally there will be another stock ale that is very lightly sour and will be an example of one that has been in the barrel for a while.

Baird's Tavern, a stone tavern dating back to 1766, is located at 105 Main Street in Warwick. Tavern Night Admission at the door is $20.00 per person - proceeds to be used for the Society's new Education Center.

Tavern Stories:

• Life at the Tavern - Installment #1
• When Warwick Applejack Was King - Installment #2
• `Pigeon Pie' on Menu at Baird's Tavern Night - Installment #3