Photo: © Narragansett Brewing
H.P. Lovecraft is one of the most famous and influential authors of the 20th century. He’s one of my most favorite horror writers in American history, but, like many authors, he died penniless at a young age (46). He didn’t gain a following until after he died, but in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island his legacy lives on in the most unlikely places: the side of a beer can.
The Narragansett Brewing Company’s Lovecraft series pays homage to the writer who made the area home and wrote some of his greatest works there. “Each brew within the line is inspired by a different Lovecraft story, which is reflected in the style of beer and unique label art,” says Mark Hellendrung, President and CEO of Narragansett. “Each brew within the line is inspired by a different Lovecraft story, which is reflected in the style of beer and unique label art.” Although he was a lifelong resident of Rhode Island, Lovecraft’s influence resonates far beyond The Ocean State. “His work has inspired countless works of sci-fi and horror in pop culture, and our series was crafted in homage to his artistic contributions to the world.” Stephen King once referred to him as “the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” As well as the major influence on his love of horror writing.
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H.P. Lovecraft was born in Providence in 1890 – the same year that Narragansett Beer was founded. “While he is now regarded as one of the great horror writers of the 20th century, he was unfortunately never recognized for his work during his lifetime,” says Hellendrung. Heavily influenced by the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Lovecraft is often credited with inspiring artists from Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro to Metallica. “Known for his dark and twisted works, Lovecraft is a true Rhode Island native.”
To date Narragansett has released three beers in the series – Lovecraft Honey Ale, Innsmouth Olde Ale, and Reanimator Helles Lager. “Each beer style is crafted in celebration of a specific Lovecraft story, which is then also represented by the can artwork designed by local Rhode Island artists.”
Lovecraft Honey Ale
© Narragansett Brewing
The first in the Lovecraft series, the Lovecraft Honey Ale is based on the Lovecraft short story, “The Festival”. “The beer’s flavor inspiration comes from the space mead consumed by the Byakhee interstellar predators in the story.”
Innsmouth Old Ale
© Narragansett Brewing
Innsmouth Olde Ale draws its inspiration from “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” in which a dark seaside town becomes inhabited with strange creatures from the ocean. “The dark, malty beer represents the shadow that hangs over this town. The English-style Ale is also our interpretation of the select stock ales that were traditionally served at taverns and roadside inns in Olde England during the time that the story took place.”
Reanimator Helles Lager
© Narragansett Brewing
The most recent release in the Lovecraft series, Reanimator Helles Lager, “brings back to life” their beloved Bock beer in a modified form. “This release draws parallels from Lovecraft’s famous ‘Herbert West – Reanimator’ story which chronicles one man’s obsession with reviving the dead with a special serum.”
Hellendrung and the crew at Narragansett are all very excited about the Reanimator Helles Lager, because it’s based on one of their favorite Lovecraft stories and also allows them to bring back one of their favorite beers. “The story revolves around a mad scientist, Dr. Herbert West, who experiments with bringing the dead back to life by injecting corpses with a serum that resurrects them…but in a slightly different state. Taking this storyline, we are ‘reanimating’ our beloved Bock by adding dry-hopped Czech Saaz, which metaphorically acts as our “serum” to bring the Bock back with a different twist.”
As a brewery, they’re always looking to collaborate with local brands while supporting their neighbors by showcasing all of the great happenings in Rhode Island. “When we do so, we always like to make sure it’s done through a historical lens with local authenticity, so the fact that we share a birthplace and time with Lovecraft was our initial starting point,” says Hellendrung.
Once they began to dig deeper into the world of Lovecraft, they found that there are similarities between Lovecraft and Narragansett Brewing. “Outside of the very passionate and active Lovecraft fan base, he is largely unknown by the general population, which is in some ways comparable to our status as a brewer. It also doesn’t hurt that his stories are insanely interesting and complex – it gave us a lot to work with when coming up with concepts for the beer and was an incredibly different and fun series to make.”
Lovecraft is a true Rhode Island icon. “He was born here, wrote his greatest works here and is buried here. At ‘Gansett, we always seek to celebrate our Rhode Island pride and it’s a real honor that such an esteemed writer is from here.”
Although Hellendrung believes that any time of the year is perfectly suited for enjoying Narragansett’s Lovecraft Series, because of the horror aspect, they are a great choice for any Halloween gathering. “With Reanimator Helles Lager in particular, the fact that it’s available around Halloween makes it particularly special. The entire essence of the Lovecraft Series and the concept of Reanimator Helles Lager is a seamless fit for this eerie time of year.”
While they always knew these beers were special, they were recently awarded a coveted Silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for their Innsmouth Olde Ale. “It’s quite an honor to win a medal at the GABF period, but to win for one of the Lovecraft Series beers is even sweeter because it feels as though we’re truly living up to the enduring literary work of H.P. Lovecraft. The Lovecraft Series has been a creative outlet for our Brewmaster Sean Larkin to experiment with more unconventional craft beers so we’re really excited to be recognized on this scale.”
