(Courtesy Narragansett Brewing)

Some beer brands make a big splash before going quietly into the night, while others find a way to reinvent themselves. Narragansett Brewing belongs firmly in that second category.

Known affectionately as “Gansett” across New England, this brewery rode out booming success, celebrity endorsements, ownership overhauls, near extinction, and an unlikely revival that has become one of the beer world’s best underdog stories.

The brewery actually traces its roots all the way back to 1890 in Cranston, Rhode Island. That makes it one of America’s older beer brands, arriving long before the modern craft beer movement and outlasting more than a century of beer industry upheaval.

For generations, Narragansett was more than just a regional lager. Across Rhode Island and much of New England, it became a way of life. At its peak in the mid-20th century, the brewery produced millions of barrels annually, cementing its status as one of the largest beer producers in the country.

Long before viral marketing existed, Narragansett relied on one of the most recognizable beer slogans in America. And its tagline  “Hi Neighbor, Have A ’Gansett.” impossible to shake loose from your head. The phrase became deeply embedded in New England culture and remains connected to the brand today.

Narraganset’s friendly image was boosted by baseball legend and broadcaster Curt Gowdy, who became closely associated with Narragansett through decades of radio and television ads. His relaxed style and recognizable voice helped make the brewery feel local and approachable. That connection spawned one the most iconic partnerships in American sports broadcasting history. During the 1950s and 1960s, Gowdy was the radio and television voice of the Boston Red Sox, and Narragansett Lager Beer was the team’s official sponsor.

Pop culture gave the brand an even bigger boost in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws.

Quint, the grizzled shark hunter played by Robert Shaw, famously crushes a can of Narragansett beer during a tense, memorable scene. That brief silver-screen appearance helped cement the beer’s cult status for generations of movie fans.

The choice of beer wasn’t a paid corporate sponsorship. Jaws was filmed almost entirely on location in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Because Narragansett was the dominant regional, working-class beer of New England at the time, it was exactly what a local fisherman like Quint would actually be drinking.

Despite decades of success, the original Cranston brewery shut down in 1981 as consolidation swept through the beer business. For many locals, it felt like the definitive end of an era, but the story didn’t actually end there.

Narragansett returned to shelves in 2005 thanks to entrepreneur Mark Hellendrung, who recognized that affection for the brand had never truly disappeared. Rather than starting completely from scratch, the relaunch leaned heavily into the brewery’s rich history while introducing new beers for modern drinkers.

For years after the original brewery closed, Narragansett beers were brewed under contract. Eventually, the company brought its actual brewing operations back home to Rhode Island, giving fans a true sense of closure. That return became a cornerstone of the brand’s modern identity.

While Narragansett remains best known for its easy-drinking lager, the brewery has since developed a surprisingly broad lineup over the years, using seasonal beers, craft-style offerings, shandies, and creative collaborations to introduce the brand to entirely new audiences.

Many historic American beer brands disappear and never return, but Narragansett managed to do something much tougher. It stayed relevant long enough to connect with a new generation of drinkers while preserving the nostalgic appeal that older fans remembered. Today, the phrase “Hi Neighbor” still carries real weight across New England.

Narragansett Brewing’s story feels uniquely American, especially in the East. It is a tale of local pride, changing tastes, near extinction, and unexpected survival. More than 135 years after it first began, the brewery remains proof that sometimes a beer brand still has more stories to tell.

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