Reviews: The Day On Gansett Porter!

A porter for an IPA drinker By Jennifer McDermott Narragansett Beer has released its winter seasonal craft brew, Narragansett Porter. It’s available on draught and,...

Reviews: The Day On Gansett Porter!

A porter for an IPA drinker

By Jennifer McDermott

Narragansett Beer has released its winter seasonal craft brew, Narragansett Porter.

It’s available on draught and, for the first time ever, in the brewery’s signature 16 ounce Tallboy cans. This year is the 75th anniversary of canned beer in the U.S. and the brewers thought that pouring a pint of porter from a can was a fitting way to celebrate.

When I saw the tall brown can, I was somewhat dubious. I typically would go for an IPA and I usually do not like porters, probably because the ones my husband Sean drinks look like tar. But this porter was different.

It wasn’t too heavy or too bitter. It had light hops with a hint of caramel and smokiness. The brewery describes it as approachable, and I certainly agree.

Anyone who wants to try the porter should be able to find it in local stores by the end of this week or early next week.

I had the chance to speak with Narragansett CEO Mark Hellendrung. Narragansett Porter, often referred to as ’Gansett Dark, has been a part of the brand’s heritage for nearly a century, dating back to 1916 when it was first brewed.

"As things get colder and darker, people start to enjoy beers that are a little bit heavier," Hellendrung said. "Our porter has a great flavor profile and it seems to embody the mood and the spirit of New England this time of year."

I asked him, what was the best thing to pair with a Narragansett Porter? Immediately he said’ another Narragansett Porter of course.

For food choices, though, he did recommend a hearty beef stew or a pot roast. The brewery is working on a recipe for a stew featuring the porter as the liquid stock. Once it’s ready, I’ll see if I can post it.

They do have a recipe for how to make a porter float. Check it out here.

The porter is brewed at Cottrell Brewery in Pawcatuck, Trinity Brewhouse in Providence, R.I. and High Falls Brewery in Rochester, N.Y., with Chinook hops for bitterness, Simcoe hops for aroma, black malt, pale malt, chocolate malt, Munich malt, crystal malt, roasted barley and ale yeast. The American-style porter is 7 percent Alcohol by Volume and 28 IBUs.

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