Harpoon Brewery
Harpoon Brewery is an employee owned American brewery, with locations in Boston, Massachusetts, and Windsor, Vermont.[1]
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founders | Dan Kenary Rich Doyle George Ligeti |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts United States |
| Products | Beer, Cider, Seltzer |
| Website | www |
History
Harpoon Brewery, also known as the Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company, was originally founded in 1986.[2][3] The brewery was the first company to obtain a permit to manufacture and sell alcohol in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in more than 25 years, and as a result laid claim to Massachusetts Brewing permit #001.[2] Harpoon originally struggled to break even; the company reportedly first made a profit in 1992.[2]
Harpoon was the first brewery in New England to brew an India Pale Ale.[4] The beer was originally designed by Tod Mott, in 1992.[4] Twenty-five years after the company's founding, Harpoon IPA had become a baseline of the American India pale ale style and was found on tap at bars and restaurants in Greater Boston, accounting for 60 percent of Harpoon’s sales.[5]
Locally, Harpoon is known for annual festivals that they hold at the brewery. In 1990, Harpoon threw the first Harpoon Octoberfest, which drew 2,000 people. Recent iterations of "Harpoonfest" have drawn more than 10,000 attendees.[2] Harpoon also holds an annual, weekend-long St. Patrick's Day festival.[6][7]
In 2001, Harpoon started a five-mile road race known as the Harpoon 5-Miler.[8] The race has reportedly raised more than $2.2 million for ALS research.[8] In 2002, Harpoon launched the Harpoon Point-to-Point, a cycling race that raises money for the Vermont Foodbank. The race last raised more than $100,000.[9]
Harpoon purchased the former Catamount Brewery plant in Windsor, Vermont, in 2002, expanding its operations beyond Massachusetts.[10]
On August 1, 2014, while then the twelfth-largest craft brewery in the United States, the company became employee-owned.[11] Harpoon's cofounder, Rich Doyle, along with other key investors, sold most of their shares in Harpoon and transferred them into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.[11]
In 2015, for the first time since its founding, Harpoon Brewery suspended production of its beer citing an imminent blizzard.[12] Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brewery ran a campaign to fight food insecurity, donating money from beer purchases to the Vermont Foodbank and Greater Boston Food Bank.[13]
In 2022, Harpoon acquired the Long Trail Brewery of Vermont. The deal involved Harpoon assuming possession of the Long Trail, Otter Creek and Shed brands.[14]
Products
Harpoon has seasonal beers, including an Octoberfest Marzen style Ale [15] and Harpoon Camp Wannamango[16] Another line of beers from Harpoon is its '100 Barrel Series', which consists of a number of one of a kind batches.[17]
It brews multiple other year-round beers including the award-winning Dark, UFO Hefeweizen, UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, UFO White, and Boston Irish Stout.[18] It also brews several house beers at Boston bars, including "Sevens Ale" for the Sevens Ale House in Beacon Hill. Other offerings include Rec League, a New England Pale Ale, Big League, a big and juicy IPA, UFO Light Force, a light white, UFO Maine Blueberry, and selected Clown Shoes beers.[citation needed]
In 2017, Harpoon began collaborating with Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Company to package several varieties of Great Lakes Beer in cans.[19]
In 2018, Harpoon teamed with Dunkin' Donuts to release Dunkin' Coffee Porter. They have released collaborative mix packs of beer with Dunkin’ Donuts every year since. In 2022, the company's flavors included Harpoon Dunkin’ Cold Brew Coffee Porter, Harpoon Dunkin’ Hazelnut Blonde Stout and Harpoon Dunkin’ Coffee Roll Cream Ale.[20]
In 2022, Harpoon teamed up with the Boston Bruins hockey team to create a limited-edition beer called Hometown Hat Trick.[21] The brewery also introduced a custom blood orange IPA in partnership with the Davio's restaurant in Boston's Seaport District.[22] The same year, the company also introduced a non-alcoholic IPA called Open League, with 35 calories per serving.[23][24]
Harpoon Brewery is also well known for their various pretzels made on site, which are made from leftover yeast of beer brewing.[25] Harpoon used to produce several non-alcoholic sodas, including root beer, orange and cream, and cream soda, but ceased production in 2009. As of 2022, its homemade root beer is available on draft at its breweries.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Harpoon Brewery". Craft.co. November 2, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ a b c d Rotunno, Tom (June 2, 2011). "Craft Beer Pioneers Celebrate 25 Years". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Harpoon Brewery to become employee-owned". VermontBiz.com. July 10, 2014. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ a b Osgood, Matt (November 2, 2022). "Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is an annual toast to craft beer's roots". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Greenlee, Steve (June 11, 2011). "Cheers to Harpoon at 25". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ McGrath, Cassie (February 9, 2022). "Harpoon Brewery's St. Patrick's Day Festival returning to Boston in March with live music, local food and beer". MassLive.com. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "HOT SHOTS: Harpoon's Octoberfest". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ a b "Harpoon 5-Miler to be held virtually". WickedLocal.com. March 31, 2011. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Rae, Krystin (August 8, 2002). "Fundraiser for Vermont Foodbank raises over $100,000". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Harpoon buys Catamount Brewery". Realbeer.com. June 15, 2000. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ a b Hughes, Christopher (July 10, 2014). "Harpoon Brewery to Become an Employee-Owned Company". Boston. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Ryan, David (January 26, 2015). "Harpoon suspends beer production". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ McGrath, Cassie (January 26, 2015). "Harpoon Brewery hosting fundraisers this November to fight hunger in Massachusetts amid food shortages". MassLive.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ "Maker of Harpoon beers to acquire Vermont's Long Trail". WBUR-FM. Associated Press. June 18, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ [1] Harpoon Octoberfest
- ^ [2] Harpoon Camp Wannamango
- ^ [3] Harpoon 100 Barrel Series
- ^ Harpoon Beers
- ^ Bona, Marc (22 March 2017). "Great Lakes Brewing Co. to begin distribution of beer in cans". Cleveland.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
- ^ "Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin' Return for a Fifth Season, Introducing Three New Flavors". Brewbound.com. September 7, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Coupal, Brooke (March 9, 2022). "Harpoon Brewery teams up with local Boston Bruins players to create limited-edition beer". WHDH (TV). Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Shemkus, Sarah (June 13, 2022). "Davio's Introduces a Summery New Beer in Collaboration with Harpoon Brewery". Northshore Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Laucharoen, Shira (August 10, 2022). "Harpoon Brewery launches Open League, a non-alcoholic IPA". Boston.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ "Free from alcohol: Harpoon Brewery and Raising the Bar create non-alcoholic beverages in place of traditional spirits". WCTB-TV. October 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ "Inside the Brewery with Harpooner, Hillary Brown - Harpoon Brewery". www.harpoonbrewery.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
External links
- Company website
Coordinates: 42°20′46.69″N 71°02′03.46″W / 42.3463028°N 71.0342944°W