Narragansett Beer: Available In Connecticut?

Narragansett Lager is a popular beer that has been around since 1890. It is brewed with six-row malt, seedless hops, corn from Iowa, lager strain, and pure water from Lakes Ontario and Hemlock. The beer is known for its crisp and refreshing taste, making it a perfect companion for barbecue, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Latin American, or Mediterranean dishes. While it is widely available in the United States, some states, such as California, do not have it for distribution. So, can you buy Narragansett beer in Connecticut?

Where to buy Narragansett beer in CT

If you're looking to buy Narragansett beer in Connecticut, there are a few options to try.

Firstly, it seems that the beer is available at Total Wine & More in Norwalk, CT. This store offers an 18-pack of 12oz cans of the Narragansett Lager, which is an American-style lager with a crisp, clean, and balanced taste. The availability may vary by store, so it is worth checking with the Norwalk branch directly or on the Total Wine & More website to ensure they have it in stock.

Another option is to try smaller, independent beer stores. One person on Reddit recalled a store in eastern CT with a large selection that allowed customers to mix and match cans to create a six-pack. This could be a great way to try different Narragansett beers or to create a custom pack as a gift.

If you are unable to find Narragansett beer in a store near you, some larger distributors, such as BevMo, may be able to special order it for you. Additionally, some smaller stores may be willing to take special requests, such as The Connecticut Yankee, which is advertised as taking special requests.

Finally, if all else fails, you could try calling the brewery directly to see if they ship to Connecticut, or look into beer trading groups on Facebook or other platforms.

The taste of Narragansett beer

The Narragansett Lager, also known as 'Gansett, has been a New England favourite since 1890. It is currently ranked 44th out of over 6000 breweries in the US. The lager is brewed to be clean, crisp, refreshing, and perfectly balanced.

Narragansett beer is an American adjunct lager, and some drinkers detect a corn taste. It has a crisp lager mouthfeel and is considered a good, old-fashioned lager. It is also described as having a smooth and thirst-quenching mouthfeel, with a slightly bitter, dry finish.

Narragansett beer is similar to PBR and Yuengling, but with a drier taste. It is a popular lawnmower beer, perfect for summertime drinking, and pairs well with seafood, especially clams, as it is known as the "beer of the clam".

Overall, Narragansett beer is an affordable, tasty, easy-drinking lager with a cult following. It is a working man's lager and a New England classic.

The history of Narragansett beer

The Narragansett Brewing Company is an American brewery founded in Cranston, Rhode Island, in 1890. The company was started by six German immigrants—John H. Fehlberg, Augustus F. Borchandt, Herman G. Possner, George M. Gerhard, Constand A. Moeller, and Jacob Wirth—who together raised \$150,000 in capital funds. With this, they built a brick brewing house, and in December 1890, the first Narragansett Beer was produced. The company officially incorporated the following year.

In its first year, the Narragansett Brewing Company produced 397 barrels of beer. This number jumped to 27,887 in the second year, and by 1901, after 10 full years of production, the company was turning out 115,000 barrels of beer. By the end of 1910, the company had expanded its brewery grounds to cover 42 acres of land and house more than 30 buildings, including a new bottling plant, boiler and engine rooms, two cold storage basements, stables, blacksmith and cooperage shops, and more.

In 1914, the company built the most modern bottling plant in the region, solidifying its status as the largest lager beer brewery in New England. The Narragansett Brewing Company continued to grow and prosper until the United States ratified the 18th Amendment in 1919, prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. During Prohibition, the company released a line of sodas, including Ginger Ale, Cream Soda, Root Beer, and Sarsaparilla. The company also continued brewing beer under special permission from the IRS to brew, bottle, and sell beer for medicinal purposes. Doctors at the time believed that the malt extract in the beer could "reinvigorate" patients and "enrich" their blood.

After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Narragansett Brewing Company quickly resumed beer production. In 1944, the company became the first alcohol company to officially sponsor an American sports team, the Boston Braves, beginning a long and happy relationship with Major League Baseball. In 1951, the Boston Red Sox announcer Curt Gowdy became a spokesman for the beer, popularising the famous advertising slogan, "Hi, Neighbor, have a 'Gansett!".

By the mid-1950s, the Narragansett Brewing Company was the number one choice of consumers and the largest-selling beer in New England. The company celebrated brewing one million barrels by presenting each employee with a gold-plated bottle of Narragansett Beer. In 1959, the company brewed 1 million barrels of beer in a year, and by 1965, it had reached peak sales, producing nearly 2 million barrels of beer, or almost half a billion beers in a year.

In 1965, the Falstaff Brewing Corporation purchased the Narragansett Brewing Company for \$17 million in cash and \$2 million in Falstaff common stock. However, this sale marked the beginning of a decline for the company. Falstaff cancelled the sponsorship of the Red Sox and made other changes that were not well-received by Narragansett's loyal fanbase. In July 1981, citing increasing competition from national brewing companies, the Narragansett Brewing Company laid off 350 workers and ceased production at the Cranston brewery. By February 1982, production of the Narragansett brand had shifted to the Falstaff plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Cranston brewery officially closed in 1983, and demolition of the main brewery buildings began in 1998. After changing hands several times, the Narragansett brand was bought in 2005 by a team of local Rhode Island investors led by former juice executive Mark D. Hellendrung, who set out to expand its market share and reinvigorate the brand identity. With the help of former brewer Bill Anderson and new packaging, Narragansett beer has been successfully revived and is once again available throughout Southern New England.

Narragansett beer's ingredients

Narragansett Beer is an American lager brewed with a variety of ingredients to create its signature flavour. The beer is known for its drinkability and has been a favourite in New England for over a century.

The Narragansett Brewing Company was founded in Cranston, Rhode Island, in 1890 with $150,000 in capital. The company built a brick brewing house, and the first beer was produced in December of that year. The brewery became the largest lager beer producer in New England in 1914 when it built the region's most modern bottling plant.

The exact ingredients used in Narragansett Beer have not been disclosed, but reviews describe the beer as having a standard American lager flavour. It is described as having a grainy, floral, and grassy taste, with a clean, crisp, and refreshing mouthfeel. The beer is also said to have a slight metallic taste and a grainy, adjunct aroma. Some reviewers mention tasting corn, while others note a sweetness, describing it as "wonderbread sweet".

Narragansett Beer is contract-brewed by the Genesee Brewing Company, with the lager and light beers brewed in Rochester, New York, and the bock and porter crafted in Providence, Rhode Island, and Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The company also produces a variety of other beers, including an IPA, a cream ale, and a summer ale.

Narragansett beer's alcohol content

Narragansett Beer, a 125-year-old lager from Rhode Island, has an alcohol content of 7% ABV and 45 IBUs.

The beer, which has been described as clean, crisp, refreshing, and perfectly balanced, has been rated highly by Beer Advocate, which named it the best heritage American lager.

Narragansett Beer has a long history in New England, dating back to the pre-Prohibition era. It was the official sponsor of the Red Sox in the 1960s and was even featured in the iconic film Jaws, where eccentric shark hunter Quint was seen crushing a can.

Today, Narragansett Beer is experiencing a comeback, with a growing fanbase in New York and beyond. Its alcohol content and taste make it a popular choice for those seeking a clean, crisp, and refreshing lager.

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