Harpoon History (1986-1990)

The Early Years, 1986 to 1990

Harpoon was officially born on June 19, 1986 when the Mass Bay Brewing Co. was incorporated, though its origins preceed the actual date.  Rich Doyle wrote the business plan for the Harpoon Brewery during his second year at Harvard Business School.  At that time, he was unable to find the variety of beers that were available in Europe, nor the rich beer culture he had enjoyed there.  Breweries in the U.S. had changed from being a part of the local community to remote facilities serving national markets.  The craft brewing revolution had yet to bloom.  Rich teamed up with Dan Kenary and George Ligetti, who also shared a passion for local brewing, to form a company. 

The first employee of Harpoon was Russ Heisner, a recent graduate of the University of California’s graduate brewing program.  In addition to Harpoon Ale, the brewery went on to brew Harpoon Golden Lager and Harpoon Winter Warmer, the first craft seasonal beer to be introduced in New England.  Along with the challenges of a young company came a warm reception to Harpoon by New England beer lovers. 

The brewery outgrew its antiquated bottling line and transferred production of bottled beer to FX Matt in Utica, NY while continuing to brew draft beer in Boston.  In 1990, Harpoon celebrated Octoberfest under tents outside the brewery, starting a tradition that has become a centerpiece of Harpoon’s annual calendar.

Next: The U.S. Craft Brewing Revolution, 1991 – 1996