In early 2019, Harpoon adventurously tried to kill two birds with one stone with the release of Rec. Eventually, even Harpoon recognized that its signature IPA and portfolio had to evolve with the times. Harpoon remained one of those breweries whose flagship remained core to the company, at a time when many if not most other breweries had to pivot to new brands at least once. It went from a one-off seasonal beer to become the brewery’s best seller and flagship, helping define them for a generation of beer drinkers. Harpoon IPA signaled one of the early moves away from that traditional flavor palate. In New England, many brewers focused on English styles, with malt always playing a bigger role than hops for several decades. Harpoon IPA was a reasonably aggressive IPA at the time of its release, especially for the East Coast, which tended towards less hoppy and more malty beers. But it wasn’t until 1993 that the brewery discovered its path forward with the release of its signature India Pale Ale. Out of the gate, Harpoon launched with its original Harpoon Ale, a lovely malty ale with just the right balance of hop bitterness and flavor. He had been home-brewing while working in Ashland, Ky., for a steel company.For more than 35 years, the Harpoon Brewery in Boston has been a pioneer in American craft beer.
Cox said he attended the American Brewers Guild in Salisbury, Vt., learning under brewmaster Steve Parkes of the Drop-In Brewing Co. Cox, a Huntington, W.Va, resident, had been working in Louisville, Ky., for the Bluegrass Brewing Co., makers of the Bourbon Barrel Stout, a beer aged in old bourbon casks. “Everybody has been pulling for us, and the neighborhood is excited.”īut to perfect his production, Amport needed a brewing expert. “We’ve been here for 14 months getting everything in place, and the town has been enormously helpful,” he said. Amport, who grew up in Wilton, said East Haven town leaders welcomed him with open arms when he asked about the Bradley Street property. He developed a passion for the bottle-conditioned brew and returned to his home state of Connecticut to launch his own business. than there were back in the day,” he said.Īmport said he learned more while working for Brewery Ommegang, a Belgian-style brewery based in Cooperstown, N.Y., that opened in 1997. “Now, there’s as many, if not more, small breweries in the U.S. He credits Harpoon, which opened in 1986, along with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
The late 1980s saw a revival in smaller breweries in part because the bigger companies produced similar mass-produced, pilsner and lager tastes.Īmport said he reached out to Harpoon Brewery co-founder Dan Kenary after earning his master’s in business from Boston College. He recalled reading about how small breweries all across America started closing in the 1970s as the biggest companies started dominating the market. Amport said he spent a long time researching the history of local breweries and what has made the successful ones thrive. was not something that happened overnight. “Breweries have been around our area for a long time and at one point, I think at one point in time, New Haven had five,” he said. Maturo said he’s excited to have Amport’s brewery in East Haven. “It’s had other commercial uses, but nothing like this,” he added. Town Economic Development Manager Arthur DeSorbo said the facility, a warehouse-style building, once had been home to a batting cage. and several Town Hall staffers in welcoming Amport, his family and lead brewer Brian Cox to the 250 Bradley St. Members of the East Haven Chamber of Commerce joined Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. “It’s all bottle-conditioned,” Amport said, meaning the beer in a bottle of Overshores is carbonated via the natural aging of yeast and not forced carbon dioxide.
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