USA, RI: Narragansett Beer acquires property for new brewery in Providence

Narragansett Beer has officially acquired the property that will become its new, 18,000-square-foot brewery in Providence. Located on the India Point Park waterfront at the top of Narragansett Bay, the space will include an indoor taproom, outdoor beer garden and a special event space, SouthCoastToday.com reported on September 6.

“We could not be more excited about bringing brewing operations back to Rhode Island in such a perfect location,” Mark Hellendrung, president of Narragansett Beer, stated in a news release.

In May, Providence’s Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special use permit for a microbrewery at a site owned by Brown University next to the Hilton Garden Inn. Brown has been using the building for storage and as a professor’s art studio. It is a roughly 1-acre site between Tockwotton and India streets.

Hellendrung said then that the new brewery would produce about 2,500 barrels of small-batch craft beers a year. It will not take over the company’s brewing of 100,000 barrels of lager a year. He plans to continue to produce beer at The Guild in Pawtucket after the India Point facility opens.

The brewery is scheduled to begin operation and open the outdoor beer garden in spring 2020, followed by the opening of the indoor taproom in the fall.

In addition to its flagship Lager, Narragansett’s full stable of craft beers will be available at the new brewery, including its Fresh Catch Golden Ale, seasonal offerings such as Fest Marzen Lager and mash-ups with popular regional brands, including Del’s Lemon and Watermelon shandies and Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout.

In 2005, Rhode Island native Hellendrung and his team revived the company that first opened in 1890. The company is the 32nd-largest craft brewer in the United States. Narragansett is currently available in 19 states, primarily on the East Coast, and in Washington, D.C.

12 September, 2019