Narragansett Beer Announces Release of Lovecraft Honey Ale
19 Jan 2015 --- Narragansett Beer announces the release of Lovecraft Honey Ale to celebrate the life, works and heritage of Providence’s hometown horror fiction writer, H.P. Lovecraft. As the prologue in Narragansett’s Lovecraft Series, the new beer is crafted in collaboration with Revival Brewing Company.
Born in 1890, the same year that Narragansett Beer was founded, H.P. Lovecraft spent the majority of his life in Providence as a struggling author, only achieving literary fame posthumously. Commonly referred to as the “Father of Modern Horror,” he is often cited as an influence on other notable authors and artists from Stephen King to Metallica to Ridley Scott. H.P. Lovecraft is best known for creating Cthulhu, a fictional deity described as being part man, part dragon and part octopus. It is this creature that inspired the Cthulhu Mythos, a cultural lore and shared fictional universe of Lovecraft’s successors.
“When the brewery was shut down, the spirit of Narragansett never died; it went underground, to a deep and dark place,” said Mark Hellendrung, President of Narragansett Beer. “Since reclaiming our beer in 2005, we’ve worked hard to stay true to our roots. But after being in that dungeon for so long, we came back with some baggage. Just like the nameless protagonist from “The Outsider,” we emerged in the light a little different. A little…strange. Think of this brew as our bold, our obscure, our tampered-with mind. It won’t be for everyone, and if it isn’t for you, you’ll know exactly who it IS for. This is OUR Lovecraft.”
Each chapter in the Lovecraft Series will pay tribute to a different Lovecraft tale, represented by the beer’s style and label, each of which will be designed by local Rhode Island artists. Serving as the series’ prologue, Lovecraft Honey Ale is a reference to space mead consumed by the winged Byakhee, interstellar predators that first appeared in the famed Lovecraft short story, “The Festival.” The label artwork for Lovecraft Honey Ale was designed by Providence-based artist AJ Paglia.
Brewed under the supervision of Sean Larkin, Head Brewmaster for Narragansett and owner of Revival Brewing, Lovecraft Honey Ale is made with a base of honey malt and finished with a touch of hops, producing a bold yet sweet honey-colored ale. Backboned by the combination of five pale malts, the beer opens up with a hint of honey sweetness, then turns with a herbal hop crescendo and a smooth finish.
Narragansett’s Lovecraft Honey Ale will be available starting on January 19th, the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, a significant literary influence on H.P. Lovecraft. The brew will be available in six packs of 16-ounce tallboy cans, priced between $10.99 – $11.99 SRP per six pack. The beer is 7 percent Alcohol By Volume and 71 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). Lovecraft Honey Ale will be distributed throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, and Portland, Ore. The timing and availability of Lovecraft Honey Ale will vary per market.
