Now operating in its third century, Providence, Rhode Island-headquartered Narragansett Brewing is proof that it’s possible to stay afloat on the industry’s changing tides and remain resonant with drinkers.
Dollar sales of the 134-year-old brand have increased +8.3% year-over-year (YoY) in the 52-week period ending November 2 at off-premise retailers tracked by NIQ, according to data provided by 3 Tier Beverages. Volume, measured in case sales, is up +5.5% YoY in the latest 4-week period. And that doesn’t include the on-premise channel, where Narragansett has a robust draft business.
Last year, Narragansett’s volume increased +10%, to nearly 110,000 barrels, according to data from the Brewers Association (BA).
Narragansett has had several owners since its founding in 1890. CEO Mark Hellendrung led a group of investors to acquire the brand in 2005, after several decades in the proverbial wilderness. Since then, the brand has come roaring back to life, and began brewing beer in Rhode Island again in 2020.
In the latest edition of A Round With – an exclusive Q&A series with industry leaders for Brewbound Insiders – we caught up with Lee Lord, head brewer at Narragansett’s innovation brewery and taproom in Providence.
Here is our conversation with Lee…
Narragansett’s taproom opened in 2021, finally giving a physical home to what had been a long contract-brewed brand. How has the space been received?
Lee: When Mark took over the company it was always his goal to bring back a brick and mortar Narragansett brewery to Rhode Island. His enthusiasm and vision towards that goal has been so inspiring and contagious for both employees and fans of the brand. The community response to our brewery and taproom has been really incredible. Narragansett beer has such an enthusiastic and loving following and we see folks from all over the country visiting the brewery to not only drink our beers but see what goes into making them.
It’s really amazing when former production workers from the original brewery which closed its doors in the 80’s come in and I get to show them around the brewhouse and cellar and hear stories of what it was like to make Narragansett beer back in their day. So many Rhode Islanders have ties in some way to the original brewery, we get folks in every day saying things like “my uncle used to drive the truck!” and things like that. For a lot of folks especially here in Rhode Island, it’s a very personal connection.
What have you learned from engaging directly with consumers?
Lee: How contagious passion is and how important connecting with folks is. People are so eager to share their memories and favorite stories of drinking Narragansett and how much the brand means to them. From World Series wins, to pulling all nighters in grad school to basement punk shows. I’ve gained a much deeper understanding and admiration for how much Narragansett Beer means to people and how the importance of beer is as much about the human experience and anchoring things in a time and place as it is the liquid in the glass.
How do you strike a balance between honoring Narragansett’s long history and innovating new styles?
Lee: That’s probably my favorite part of my role here. It really ties into my philosophy and approach to beer and brewing as a whole. Being an unabashed history nerd, I’ve always held a deep reverence and interest in brewing traditions and how beer and culture have intertwined over the centuries. I tell folks that I brew with one foot in the past and the other in the future.
Working here at Narragansett has given me the opportunity to lean hard into this and align my personal inspiration and passion as a brewer with the brand. We’ve resurrected historical recipes and discontinued offerings like our 1953 lager and Hanley’s Peerless Ale to give visitors to our taproom a tangible taste of Narragansett’s past. I also love putting an innovative spin on classic beers from Gansett’s lineup like our cream ale which has been updated to use more modern hop varieties and yeast strains.
On the other side of things, sometimes we just love leaning hard into emerging styles, techniques and ingredients for something completely new. It’s really thrilling to throw ourselves into purely innovative beers. It’s thrilling to create beers that harness flavors that have never before been able to be expressed in beer (what’s up thiolized yeast and phantasm), and styles of beer that are just entering the chat.
We’re really lucky here because with 12 tap lines and a large fermentation cellar, we have a lot of freedom to play across the spectrum of history and innovation. What we have on draft and in tanks at any given time is a fairly eclectic mix of traditional styles, historical and throwback beers, and beers that embrace modernity and the future.
What’s your favorite beer to offer someone who has only ever had Narragansett Lager?
Lee: That depends on who that someone is! My overall answer is our Bohemian Pilsner. It harnesses a lot of what folks have loved about Narragansett Lager in terms of overall flavor profile and drinkability but offers its own crafty nuance and elegance. It’s a really good jumping off point to bridge the gap between Narragansett Lager and what we’re doing here at the new brewery. We have an interesting mix of consumers here. Some are tried and true Gansett lager fans who have maybe never tried an east coast IPA or a sour ale or have ever had an interest in craft beer. We also get loads of folks with extensive knowledge and interest in craft beer, for these folks I love offering them a big flavorful IPA or a barleywine. It always makes me smile when folks exclaim “HOLY CRAP! I didn’t know Gansett could do that!” If I get the sense that someone is feeling adventurous, I’ll always tell them to try the barleywine.
How often do beers graduate from taproom exclusives to distribution?
Lee: A handful of seasonal recipes have been scaled up and brewed in Rochester where Narragansett Lager is produced for distribution to regional markets. We also distribute other seasonal beers brewed here in the Providence facility to our Northeast territories, and send draft and cans of our flagship IPA and the Bohemian Pilsner to distribution in New England.
The brand is nearly universally beloved in Rhode Island, where nearly two-thirds of all beer-selling establishments carry it, according to the company website. How, if at all, does that kind of popularity weigh on you as a steward of the brand?
Lee: As my mentor and former boss Will Meyers [Cambridge Brewing Company brewmaster] likes to say, “Don’t f*ck it up!” I try not to let it weigh on me too much (emphasis on “try”) and harness it as a benchmark of quality and source of respect and appreciation. It’s a great motivation to create beers worthy of the brand. Quite honestly, although I was confident in my product and skill as a brewer, when I was brewing and sending out my first batches of Gansett I was sh*tting my pants with anxiety. Thankfully, that’s somewhat calmed down although it’s always present. I think that’s a good thing though, it focuses my drive and perspective as a brewer.
You’ve done a host of collaborations with local institutions like the Newport Polo Club and the Rhode Island Historical Society, brewer friends at New Belgium and Sam Adams and classic local brands like Del’s Lemonade. What’s your dream collaboration?
Lee: Timothy Taylor’s. Full stop. I have such a huge place in my heart for that brewery.
If I had a time machine, though, I’d kill to travel back to 1851 and sit in on the first Allsop’s Arctic Ale brew day.
Last year, Narragansett bucked overall craft trends and increased output by +10%, to nearly 110,000 barrels of beer, which makes the company the 23rd largest craft brewery nationwide and the fifth largest in New England by volume. What do you think has been driving that?
Lee: A whole lot of tenacity and hard work! There’s really never a moment where we take things as they are. There are always new opportunities out there and folks here work tirelessly to identify and harness them. We have such a great team of folks who are scrappy, creative and driven from brewing to marketing to sales. We’re the mighty ducks of breweries.
What’s keeping you up at night?
Lee: What happened to Tonya and 10 Barrel.
What’s the biggest opportunity you see for the brand in the next year?
Lee: Reminding consumers that beer is for everyone and that it’s fun! Identifying new markets and the emerging consumer base is hugely important, but so is communicating the personality of our company. We’re New Englanders. We’re gritty, silly, at times a little foul-mouthed, tenacious as hell and we love a good party.
We’ve been doing “Share a Gansett” nights at local bars. Our reps are at the bar buying Gansett’s for the masses as a token of our appreciation, community spirit and a way of bringing folks together. We’ll be also allowing fans to “Share a Gansett” with their neighbors online. We’ll be selling cases of Narragansett Larger on our website and for anyone that buys a case, they will have the opportunity to send a Free Six Pack of ‘Gansett Tallboys to their Neighbor.