There isn’t a local brand that’s as synonymous with Rhode Island culture as Narragansett Beer.

Before the pandemic, the company would usually sponsor any social event people were at, with restaurants and bars all over the state having its brews either on tap or in cans. But 2020 was a rough year for almost every industry worldwide, including craft beer.

With 2021 in its infancy, things are looking brighter. Narragansett Beer CEO Mark Hellendrung plans on riding that feeling into the warmer months and beyond into a year of transition.

We recently had a talk about getting ready for a busy season last year before it all came to a halt, a certain obstacle breweries are currently facing, a giveaway series Narragansett Beer is currently doing and plans to move the brewery from downtown Pawtucket to Providence’s waterfront.

ROB DUGUAY:  Before COVID-19 came last March and disrupted everything, what was the big thing you were working on as CEO of Narragansett Beer and what was the first thing that got derailed because of the pandemic?

MARK HELLENDRUNG:  The biggest thing we were working on, aside from building the brewery in Providence, was really ramping up for our seasonal push. Obviously, we sell a lot of beer for the Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day and all that other stuff, but it really spikes in the summertime on every level. You’ve got your seasonal bars and restaurants, you’ve got beer festivals, you’ve got events, and when you roll into the summertime it’s a lot of fun and it’s a lot of work. In our business, Christmas is the Fourth of July and everything sort of revolves around that. We were in the cannon ready to be shot out and then we were told not to fire the cannon so we had to climb out, it’s kind of funny.

RD: That’s a good way to put that feeling. You were getting ready for the big season of your industry and all of a sudden it’s a dud.

MH: Yeah.

RD: One big obstacle that a lot of breweries have been dealing with is this aluminum can shortage that’s been going on. Has this had a major effect on Narragansett Beer when it comes to vending and packaging?

MH:  Knock on wood, so far so good. I think a lot of the problems that you read about come from layers of brokers or unique packages. For example, Coors Light had a tough time last summer because they have this 12-ounce proprietary can. We’re buying them direct, and it’s either the standard 12-, 16- or 24-ounce cans, so we’ve survived pretty good so far.

RD: That’s good to hear.

MH: Yeah, we’ve gotten lucky.

RD: For the past few weeks, Narragansett Beer has been doing this Hi Neighbor Hideaway Giveaway, and this week a Narragansett Beer branded kegerator with a tap handle will be the prize. Who came up with the idea for this and where do you get the items to make this happen? Do you do it in house or do you order from a company?

MH: Last summer, you could really feel this energy building where people were getting fatigued. We were all kind of getting fed up with this thing. We all want to do the right thing but we all wanted a little bit of freedom, and at the same time you could see this coming again where it’s going to get cold and people are going to be indoors. Outdoor dining is going to stop and all of that stuff, but that’s the negative side and we were trying to figure out how to have some fun. We wanted to turn this around and we know the Super Bowl is still going to happen, there’s still going to be college basketball and we’re still going to want to drink beer. What’s better than having your own hideaway and trying to make the best of a bad situation?

We came up with this program and everyone loves it. We have over 20,000 entries in this campaign, so we kind of hit it right and as far as getting the stuff. Some of it is what we already have. We give away gift packs with pint glasses, coasters and neon signs and stuff you would put in a bar anyway, that you’d want in your hideaway. With the recliner that we gave away or the TV, depending on who wins we’ll partner with a local furniture store or Best Buy or some place like that and have it shipped direct. It’s been pretty fun. We’ve had a winner in Pawtucket, a winner in Ohio and a winner in South Carolina.

RD: Wow, that’s pretty cool. Before you became CEO of Narragansett Beer and led a group to take the brand over in 2005, you were involved in the juice industry, right?

MH: Yeah, Nantucket Nectars.

RD: Going from Nantucket Nectars to make this shift in your career to Narragansett Beer, what are you most proud of since you became the head of the company?

MH: It’s just keeping it alive is the thing I’m most proud of. That’s the reason why I did this in the first place. I remember knowing the history of Narragansett Beer when I was leaving Nantucket Nectars and trying to figure out what to do next. I love beer a hell of a lot more than juice and I was with Magic Hat in between these two. While I was in a bar one time I discovered that it was still around and it was kind of dying out but everyone had these great stories about it. I knew that it shouldn’t happen to this beer and it shouldn’t die the way it was dying. I love driving down the road and seeing a “Hi Neighbor!” bumper sticker on somebody’s car. It’s just a little thing but it means something. You look around and Benny’s is gone or whatever, and to be able to preserve 130 years of history is just really great.

RD: That’s a great thing to be proud of, and thank you for sustaining it. How do you see 2021 going for the beer industry, and what are Narragansett Beer's plans to make this year a successful one while managing the transitional hurdles that will come into play?

MH: I think we’re going to come out of this dark winter while still having the masks and social distancing, but we’re going to be ready to roll. Last year restrictions got eased up at the end of May and early June with everyone trying to figure out where to get the proper things to put in place to run things safely. Maybe that’ll continue, but everyone is going to be ready for it, they’re going to know how to do it and they’re going to be looking forward to it after the winter. I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement, a lot of energy, and I’m psyched for it with our new brewery opening up on the waterfront of Providence. We’re going to be open in April with a huge patio deck, overhead doors so the inside is going to feel like the outside, and there’s a lot of space around the building.

I think the brewery is going to be awesome. It’s going to be a great experience and I think people are going to be ready for it. We’re going to be ready to rock and roll.