Tap into what’s happening over in Rhode Island—Revival Brewing Company’s expansion into the Massachusetts market brings a splash of Ocean State suds across state lines. Brewmaster and founder Sean Larkin, who’s long been part of the local beer scene, describes the project as “true New England grit,” rooted in its Rhode Island home. The Cranston beermakers have big plans going forward as the country’s smallest state bulks up its beer presence.
“It’s a really exciting time to drinking beer in New England,” says Director of Sales, Steve Miller. “For the first time really ever, breweries are getting the hype they deserve.” With a destination brewery in downtown Providence and collaborative projects on the horizon, Revival is helping the little state expand its reach to beer-lovers across the globe.
Larkin got his start in 1996 as a cook at Trinity Brewhouse before he transitioned onto the brewery side of things. In his time as an RI beer-man he’s teamed up with Narragansett for specialty brews and has seen the local suds scene triple in size. “I always wanted more breweries in the state—number 1, so I could have more friends, more people doing what we were doing, but also number 2, so that there was more validity in what we were doing.” Miller adds that, “we’re technically all vying for the same shelf space, but something that’s unique about the RI brewing scene is that we end up being a bunch of friends.”
The small-town (or small-state) camaraderie goes beyond the beer world—part of Revival’s mission includes showcasing all that Rhode Island has to offer, whether that’s through partnerships with local businesses (like the popular White Electric Coffee Stout) or supporting regional goings-on (like the Block Island musical festival). Says Miller, “We’re trying to really make people aware of Rhode Island as more than just a tiny blip on the map.”
Funnily enough, there are beer drinkers halfway across the world raising their pints to Rhode Island. Revival, through a connection with global craft beer distributor, is the biggest exporter of beverages to Japan out of Rhode Island. The pallet shipments may be small, but “it’s one of those reminders that even though you’re local, your stuff can make it out on a global scale.” (Mass beer drinkers can catch Revival a little closer to home at a Cambridge Common beer dinner on Tuesday, November 15th.)
On the home front, Revival continues to expand with talk of a barrel facility for distilling, nitro coffee stout, a foray into sours and more. “We’ll still continue to be a brewing company at heart,” Larkin says, but the company is keeping its eye on opportunities for cross-genre partnerships to continue the Rhode Island Revival.
