Narragansett Summer Ale Hits The Shelves

May 1, 2012;Providence, RI – Narragansett Beer today officially announces the return of its summer seasonal craft brew. Introduced last year, Summer Ale is the first summer seasonal released by the brand in its more than 120-year history. Wildly popular among beer drinkers, Summer Ale received critical acclaim in its premiere year and was awarded the Silver Medal at the 2011 World Beer Championship. Previously distributed in New England, Southern New York, and Philadelphia, Narragansett’s ongoing expansion into new markets now makes for increased availability of the supremely drinkable craft brew, perfect for the beach, boat or ballgame. Summer Ale is available at leading package stores, bars, and restaurants on draught and in 16 oz. Tallboy cans in New England, Eastern Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida.

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 North American Breweries in Rochester, NY. This easy-drinking light session ale features two row pale malt and citra hops, an increasingly popular variety that complement the pale malt perfectly. Golden blonde in color, its pour produces a generous white head and balanced carbonation. The malt flavor is smooth and subtle, balanced out by a crisp hop bitterness that delivers natural notes of grapefruit and passion fruit. Summer Ale is 4.2% Alcohol by Volume and 24 IBUs.

‘Gansett Summer’s introduction last year made it the first Ale to be produced by Narragansett Beer since the 1970s. Known best for its signature Lager, a wide variety of Ales were previously available beginning in the late 1800s. The original Narragansett Brewery devoted an entire four-story building to the “Ale Department.” 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 GI’s 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 the Southern Rhode Island shoreline’s reputation as one of the region’s top summer surfing destinations.

For more information about Narragansett Summer Ale or to find a retailer near you, visit:http://www.narragansettbeer.com/products/summer-ale.