Gansett's Top 20 Of 2011: 10 Through 6
10. Neighbor Day Block Party [caption id="attachment_12423" align="alignnone" caption="The Crowd - Aerial view"] The first ever Neighbor Day Block Party in Luongo Square of Providence...
10. Neighbor Day Block Party
[caption id="attachment_12423" align="alignnone" caption="The Crowd - Aerial view"]
The first ever Neighbor Day Block Party in Luongo Square of Providence this past Saturday was a complete success. With over 500 people showing up, we couldnt have asked for a better party. Just about everyone came out to celebrate including the Mayor Of Providence, Angel Taveras. The music was rockin, food was great and beer was cold. that's just about all you need really. We had some games like cornhole and ladder ball going while the kids waited for their face to be painted. Then the Gansett Beerd Off was absolutely hilarious. Congratulations to Nicole Fisher of Watertown, MA for taking home the grand prize in that competition. Yes a girl beat the boys in this facial hair frenzy. She came with a homemade-freestyle beard. You can see her photo below in the gallery. Thanks to the Rhode Island Beard & Moustache club for making that happen. The folks from Anarchy Eyewear came out with some shades for everyone. Be on the look-out for some custom Gansett ones soon. Also thanks to the bands Michelle Lewis, Brian McKenzie, The Tower & The Fool and Jeff Byrd & Dirty Finch for rockin the party with sound provided by Chris Foster and a stage from our friend Mike at the Hope Artist Village. And dont forget about the food like De Las Olas taqueria truck, Jakes Sweet Meat BBQ truck, Poco Loco taco truck, Wrap N Roll truck from Billys, Ama's and We Love Macarons. A big shot out goes to The Avery, E&O Tap and West Broadway Neighborhood Association for helping put it all together. And of course our media partner 94 HJY. Cant wait for next year.
9. Gansett is now available in New York City and Long Island
That pretty much sums it up. 2011 was the year that Narragansett beer became available at bars and package stores in the New York City and Long Island. It went over really well too. New Yorkers love Gansett. If this is news to you, then click here to view a list of spots were you can enjoy a Gansett in NYC.
8. First ever release of Narragansett Summer Ale
And it was TOO GOOD TO MISS! We introduced, for the first time in our 120-year history, the seasonal release of a summer craft brew, Narragansett Summer Ale this year. Distributed throughout New England, Southern New York, and Philadelphia at leading package stores, bars and restaurants, Summer Ale was available on draught and in 'Gansetts signature 16oz. Tallboy cans. We couldn't have been happier with the overwhelming response to this beer. Next summer we'll have to brew double the amount to keep up with the demand. We can hear the waves crashing at the pier already.
Narragansett Summer Ale is brewed under the supervision of award-winning Brewmaster Sean Larkin at Trinity Brew House in Providence, RI, Cottrell Brewery in Pawcatuck, CT, and High Falls Brewery in Rochester, NY. This easy-drinking light session ale features two row pale malt and citra hops, a very popular, newer variety of hops with very evident aromas of citrus and passion fruit that complement the pale malt perfectly. Golden blonde in color, its pour produces a generous white head and balanced carbonation. A supremely drinkable summer craft brew, the malt flavor is smooth and subtle, balanced out by a crisp hop bitterness, perfect for the beach, boat or ballgame. Summer Ale is 4.2% Alcohol by Volume and 24 IBUs.
Gansett Summer is the first Ale to be produced by Narragansett Beer since the 1970s. Known best for its signature Lager, a wide variety of Ales were once available, beginning in the late 1800s. The original brewery devoted an entire four-story building to the Ale Department, and staples like the Pale Ale, Select Stock Ale, and Banquet Ale outsold Lager until the 1940s when American tastes changed as a result of thousands of GIs returning home from Lager-drinking European countries during World War 1 & II, and a wave of Lager-drinking immigrants.
The Summer Ale Tallboy can features iconic imagery of the famous Narragansett Towers. Once part of the Narragansett Pier Casino, the Towers remain a historic landmark, having endured two great fires in 1900 and 1965 and three tremendous hurricanes. The surfer catching waves in the foreground symbolizes Narragansett Bays reputation as one of the regions top summer surfing destinations.
7. The Missing and Recovery of Gansett Tall Boy
This was the kind of PR stunt we couldn't make up. Seriously, there are skeptics who thought this was fake, but it was real. Our Tall Boy mascot was stolen at our Neighbor Day Block Party in Providence and instead of counting our loses we posted on the internet about returning him back to us. That suit is quite expensive and Tall Boy is a beloved part of Narragansett beer so we wanted it back. NBC 10 even picked up the story briefly. After a few days missing, we received a phone call that someone had him and wants to return him to us. We offered up a reward of a case of beer for a safe return and Tall Boy was back. Above is the video with the full story.
6. The Holly Jolly Holiday Parties and 2012 Gansett Girl Calendar
One thing is for certain, when Narragansett beer throws a party it's always a good time. That's why we say it's the "Good Beer for the Good Hours!" To celebrate the release of our widely popular 2012 Gansett Girl calendar we decided to throw not one, but two parties. Yes both Providence and Boston got a taste of our Holly Jolly Holiday parties. Well actually tonight is the Boston party. But Providence was a few weeks back and wow. What a great time that was. Great live music, Gansett specials and yes all 12 girls were there. They were signing calendars and even got up on stage for some special introductions. Tonight should be just as fun so don't miss it. Click here for the photo gallery and recap from the last one.