Hi Neighbor! Have a ‘Gansett! If you live in New England, that's a slogan you probably heard a lot before 1981, even if you were too young to drink beer (as I was then). That's because this was the slogan of the Narragansett Brewing Company, which was based in Cranston, Rhode Island, and famous far and wide for its beer. As long as far and wide meant throughout New England, of course.

Sadly, the brewery closed its doors in 1981 after a series of acquisitions, a decision made by corporate bean counters. Of course, that decision wasn't made immediately, but only after years of neglect to the brand.  Much to the chagrin of beer drinkers throughout Rhode Island and New England, Narragansett disappeared from store shelves. But was it never to return?

Thankfully, Narragansett would return, albeit 25 years later, and much to the delight of beer enthusiasts the likes of yours truly, it's now OK again to say "Hi Neighbor!" That's because the brand was revived as a contract brew in 2006, contract brewed in Rochester, NY by the Highfalls Brewery for a Rhode Island based group. It's now sold in cans, bottles, and on draft in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

But wait. There's more. The new Narragansett team wants to offer New Englanders more than just a beer brewed in New York with a classy nostalgic label pasted on it. They want to build a brewery in Rhode Island, and restore the glory of the brand. Could we eventually see Rhode Island-brewed Narragansett beer sold in liquor stores, bars and restaurants all over New England? Being hawked at Red Sox and Pats games? This beer enthusiast surely hopes so.

To do that, though, the fine folks at the new Narragansett say they need to sell 7.5 million cases of beer a year. Just how much is that you ask? Multiplied out times 12 ounces per bottle, we get 90 million ounces of beer. Now we'll divide that by 128, and get 703,125 gallons. Of course, the standard industry measure of beer is the barrel, which holds 31 gallons. So, Narragansett needs to sell 22,681 barrels of beer a year as a contract brewer to build their brewery. That's a tall order, since it exceeds the 15,000 barrel microbrewery threshold.

That said, Narragansett might want to aim a bit lower. Rhode Island's Hope Brewing Company came close to building a brewery in Rhode Island and thereby establishing a presence, but backed out at the last minute-and went out of business. Hopefully, (pun intended), Narragansett fares better.

Because this is definitely a beer that should survive. I first tasted it on a warm spring afternoon in downtown Providence out of the bottle, and was very impressed by its crisp, clean body and refreshing drinkability. So much so, in fact, that I bought a 12-pack of cans to bring home. And here's what I think.

Narragansett Lager Beer pours to a beautiful golden straw color with a thick creamy head formation and a crisp malt nose laced with a hint of vegetal corn. The palate is as crisp as the nose promises, a bit biscuity even, with a tasty fresh malt flavor and just a hint of corn poking through. There's even a hint of grassy hops in the finish, though if you drink the beer really cold you'll likely miss them.

Sure, this is an American style lager, broadly in the pilsner style, but it's one of the best examples of that style this guru of brew has ever tasted. I'd take this beer over a Bud, Miller, or Coors any day, and I think it's flavorful enough for a beer geek like me, while still being easily drinkable by Joe Six-pack. Best yet, you can enjoy it ice cold in the can on a hot day, or a little warmer to savor the flavor-either way, Narragansett satisfies.

With Bud, Miller, and Coors now being foreign owned, maybe it's time beer drinkers got back to their roots and supported the revival of local brands. If you live in New England, why not pick up some Narragansett in that vein? When I'm in the neighborhood, I'll do just that.

Update 12/9/2018: Narragansett is now sold in Georgia! I'm enjoying a cam on a Sunday afternoon while watching the Pats play. Life is good!

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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