According to Harpoon Founders Dan Kenary and Rich Doyle, they started the Harpoon Brewery in 1986 because—like today—they loved beer and wanted more good choices. While traveling in Europe after college, they drank many wonderfully diverse, fresh, local beers. They also saw firsthand how important local breweries were to their communities. After their travels, they asked each other, “Why not bring great beer and that sense of community to New England?” That was the genesis of the Harpoon Brewery.
Dan and Rich said, “Twenty years later we still revel in making great beer and sharing that joy with our friends and neighbors. The success that we have had running Harpoon is due entirely to the wonderful employees who brew, package, warehouse, sell, deliver, and market our beer and you, the people who drink Harpoon. We hope that our sense of gratitude is reflected in both the quality of the beer and the spirit of fun and enjoyment surrounding our beer and breweries.”
They continued, “At Harpoon, we have always worked hard at two things: brewing great beer, and welcoming our customers to our breweries. Our beer styles were created to provide you, our beer-drinking friends, with fresh, fun and interesting choices. We draw on numerous brewing traditions to make our beers, but we always add our own “interpretation” of how the styles can be best matched to our – and your – tastes.”
Harpoon Beers each have their own individual characteristics in terms of taste, color and body. Their goal is to make beers that are distinctive and, most importantly, a pleasure to drink. While each is different, they are all made with the same joy and commitment.
The following beers are available from Harpoon Brewery year-round:
Harpoon IPA uses Harpoon’s proprietary yeast strain. Our yeast is cultivated here in the brewery and is unique to Harpoon. Yeast contributes to our beer’s slightly fruity aroma.
The high hopping of Harpoon IPA is not only noticeable in the nose but especially in the finish. The lingering bitter finish of this beer is not harsh or astringent, but crisp and pronounced. This is created, in part, by dry hopping – a technique that involves adding fresh hops to the conditioning beer to provide a fresh hop aroma. This beer is floral, medium body with an aggressive, clean hop finish.
Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA – In 2011 Harpoon co-founders brewed a Rye IPA as part of the brewery’s 100 Barrel Series. It quickly became a favorite at the brewery, so they decided to make it year-round. In April 2012, Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA will be available in six-packs at a package store near you! This beer is brewed with our proprietary yeast, the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale, and some interesting hop varieties. The combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the Rye and the pronounced hop flavor. The Rye also adds a reddish hue to the beer. The kettle additions of Centennial, Apollo, and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight, create a multidimensional hop character.
the spiciness of the Rye and the pronounced hop flavor. The Rye also adds a reddish hue to the beer. The kettle additions of Centennial, Apollo, and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight, create a multidimensional hop character.
Harpoon UFO White – An American White Ale – Light, crisp, refreshing UFO White follows in the tradition of s[iced wheat beers that have been brewed in Belgium for well over 300 years. Brewed with orange peel and a unique blend of spices. Served with a slice of orange and rejoice! Maxim Magazine named this beer on of the “54 Best Beers of 2010.”
Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen – An American Hefeweizen – Harpoon’s most award winning beer features a cloudy golden color, refreshing light body and a clean finish. Traditionally served with a wedge of lemon to complement the citrus taste provided by the yeast and complete the UFO Hefeweizen experience. When UFO Hefeweizen was first introduced over a decade ago, people didn’t understand cloudy beer. And add a lemon wedge? Crazy! Now UFO Hefeweizen is an “old” favorite. Won a Silver Medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup and a Bronze Medal at the 2009 GABF.
Mix Pack Sampler – Summer Vacation – Four different beer styles – Three bottles of each includes – Harpoon IPA – Harpoon Summer Beer – UFO White and Harpoon Bohemian Pilsner. Available now at your local distributor! The following Mix Pack Samplers rotate throughout the various seasons; Fall Tailgater, Wintry Mix and 5:30 Club Mix.
Harpoon also offers a variety of Seasonal Beers, Limited Edition Seasonal and Limited Edition Harpoon 100 Barrel Series as well as Leviathan on a rotating basis but the styles change every two months.
Dan and Rich invite all of you to visit their Boston brewery, where it all began, or their beautiful brewery in Windsor, Vermont. Here you will see a commitment to brewing excellence and receive a warm greeting. In addition, you are encouraged to visit during one of their seasonal brewing festivals, which have grown very popular since they held their first Octoberfest in 1990. Directions to both breweries, schedules of tastings, festival information and a complete listing of Harpoon Beers can be found on their website at www.harpoonbrewery.com Cheers!!
Be sure and check out Harpoon specials at your favorite establishments. Stop by the Hop House in Green Tree or the North Hills, order any Harpoon beer, tell them you saw this feature in Nightwire to receive “FREE” Harpoon merchandise and surprises, while supplies last!