June 24th, 2025 marks the official 20th anniversary of the Narragansett Beer revival. While the 80s and 90s were a dark time for ‘Gansett, everything started to change in 2005. That’s when our now-president and lifelong Rhode Islander, Mark Hellendrung, rallied a group of investors to purchase the brand and bring it back to life. Their mission was to make Narragansett Beer independently owned and operated once again.
In 2011, we launched the “Drink Your Part” campaign, calling on fans everywhere to support the beer they loved. The goal was to raise enough capital to build a new, state-of-the-art brewery in Rhode Island, where it all began. And our fans came through in a big way. The support we received was nothing short of incredible. It was proof that people still cared deeply about what ‘Gansett stood for.
That dream started taking shape in 2019, when construction began on our new brewery in Providence—right as the world was about to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2020, we had grown to be a top 30 craft beer brewery in the US and a top 5 brewery here in New England. After years of planning and hard work, we officially opened our taproom doors in late May 2021. It was a huge moment for us, one that fulfilled our promise to bring Narragansett Beer back home.
And you all showed up for it! In our first year open, we had a ‘Gansett with over 150,000 people. It was more than just a celebration—it was a homecoming. ‘Gansett is now available in over half of the 50 states, and continuing to grow each year. We can’t wait to see where we’ll be 20 years from now!