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Isle Brewers Guild Officially Launches Brewing Operations

Pawtucket-based craft beer cooperative announces full list of brewing partners; celebrates with investors, industry leaders and elected officials

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – March 10, 2017 – The hops have been added, and beer is coming soon at Isle Brewers Guild, the largest American-made craft brewhouse in the United States.

 Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien joined Isle Brewers Guild (IBG) on Friday to celebrate the official launch of brewing operations at the craft beer cooperative’s 100-barrel brewhouse located in the heart of downtown Pawtucket.

 “Rhode Island was once known for making things, including textiles, jewelry and Narragansett Beer. Thanks to Isle Brewers Guild, Narragansett is back in Rhode Island and other brewers from across New England have started brewing here,” said R.I. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. “Because we are investing in workforce development and have taken strides to make it easier to do business in Rhode Island and brew in Rhode Island, the craft beer industry is supporting nearly 1,500 jobs in our state. We are rebuilding and reinventing our state’s manufacturing tradition, and craft breweries like IBG are an important part of that work.”

 IBG gives partner brewers the space and equipment they need to overcome manufacturing, packaging and distribution restraints, while maintaining control of their core business practices. Put more simply: Partners will utilize IBG’s 100-barrel brewhouse and use the facility’s brand-new, state-of-the-art equipment to brew, package and distribute the beers their customers know and love.

 “After more than three years of planning, we are beyond ecstatic to start making beer in Pawtucket,” said Jeremy Duffy, founding partner, Isle Brewers Guild. “We thank Governor Raimondo, Senator Reed, Mayor Grebien and the dozens of industry leaders who joined us on Friday. We’re looking forward to working with our brewing partners to complete their first batches of beer in the coming weeks.”

 To date, IBG’s brewing partners include:

  • Narragansett Beer Company: Making its long-anticipated return to Rhode Island, Narragansett will be brewing a brand-new New England-style IPA. The first locally brewed Narragansett product since 1983, the new beer will be aptly named It’s About Time IPA. 
  • Newburyport Brewing Company: The second company to announce its partnership with IBG, Newburyport will be producing and packaging its flagship Greenhead IPA at the Pawtucket facility.
  • Devil’s Purse Brewing Company: Devil’s Purse was founded on Cape Cod by co-founders Matt Belson and Mike Segerson. At IBG, they’ll be brewing – and, for the first in their company’s history, canning – two of their most popular beers: Handline Kolsch and Surfman’s Check ESB.
  • Farmer Willie’s: Farmer Willie’s was founded on Cape Cod, but has strong Rhode Island ties. Co-founders Nico Enriquez and Max Easton are graduates of Brown University – and the brand’s locally famous “bearded can” was designed by a RISD student. At IBG, Farmer Willie’s will produce its flagship Craft Ginger Beer, the first carbon-neutral-brewed beverage made in the United States.
  •  Sons of Liberty Spirits Company: Based in South Kingstown, R.I., Sons of Liberty was recently named American Craft Producer of the Year by Whiskey Magazine.

“Rhode Islanders have been brewing beer for centuries, but never in a space quite like this. I congratulate IBG and its brewing partners for bringing this beautiful new facility to life,” said Sen. Reed, who helped the Isle Brewers Guild successfully navigate through the Small Business Administration loan process. “This is an exciting new enterprise that will bring people and businesses of diverse talents and interests together to collaborate and grow. Hopefully it will become a destination for beer lovers, a catalyst for economic growth, and a real community asset. I think everyone can drink to that.”

IBG’s current capacity will produce around 60,000 barrels of beer every year. For context: That’s around 19.8 million 12-ounce cans. In order to keep up with this rate of production, IBG will hire a team of at least 25 employees by Summer 2017, covering the areas of brewing, packaging, finance, property management and retail.

“Congratulations to Devin, Jeremy and the Isle Brewers Guild team for their vision, persistence and incredible hard work in building one of the largest breweries in New England,” said Mark Hellendrung, president, Narragansett Beer. “On behalf of Narragansett Beer and IBG’s other partner brewers, it is a privilege to call this magnificent brewery, right here in Pawtucket, our new home for craft brewing.”

Friday’s launch event marked the beginning of business operations for IBG and its brewing partners. By the end of March, IBG plans to open its first tasting room to the public – giving craft beer drinkers from Rhode Island and beyond an opportunity to sample a wide variety of locally crafted beers. 

In the coming months, IBG plans to build its 131,000-square-foot Pawtucket property into a one-stop food and beverage campus. Once fully operational, The Guild will include indoor and outdoor event space, an outdoor beer garden, tasting rooms, restaurants, classroom space and corporate offices.

“We welcome IBG, their brewers, and visitors to Pawtucket – the craft beer capital,” said Mayor Grebien. “Our brewers have seen the value of our city and the buzz happening here and chose to ‘Join the Evolution.’ The craft beer industry has great tourism, employment, and economic development implications. With the commuter rail on the horizon, the possibilities are endless.”

Isle Brewers Guild purchased its Main Street property in November 2015. Brewing equipment began coming in last summer. Now, in the coming days, Narragansett’s first batch of It’s About Time IPA will be ready for packaging.

“The public’s collective appetite for unique, locally made craft beers gets bigger year after year, and – fortunately for the folks who like to try new beers – there are plenty of talented brewers out there who are happily meeting that demand,” said Devin Kelly, founding partner, Isle Brewers Guild. “We formed IBG to help those brewers expand, manufacture more beer, and give more customers a chance to taste their final products. Our brewing leadership team, our staff, our brewing partners – we all can’t wait to get started.”

About Isle Brewers Guild 

Isle Brewers Guild is a craft beer cooperative that provides a production alternative for craft brewers facing manufacturing, packaging and distribution restraints. IBG gives partner brewers the facility and equipment to maintain control of their brewing and packaging processes in a cooperative, highly efficient enterprise.

IBG’s brewing, packaging and distribution operations take place on a 131,000-square-foot brewing campus located at 461 Main Street in Pawtucket, R.I., which will include a 100-barrel brewhouse, a tasting room, indoor and outdoor event space, classroom space and corporate offices.

Learn more at www.islebrewers.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris Raia, Duffy & Shanley

craia@duffyshanley.com, 401-278-4445

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