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- 1986-1990: Early Years
- 1991-1996: U.S. Craft Brewing Revolution
- 1997-2000: Brewing Capacity Expands
- 2001-present: Celebrating 20 years
The History of Harpoon
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. <more>
The U.S. Craft Brewing Revolution, 1991 – 1996 Harpoon was an early participant in what would become a major resurgence in local, craft brewing in the U.S. Small breweries were sprouting up, particularly in the Northwest and in New England, eventually giving the U.S. more breweries than any other country. The Harpoon Brewery enjoyed this surge in interest, during which time annual production increased nearly 8 times, going from 7,200 barrels to over 55,000. <more>
Brewing Capacity Continues to Expand, 1997 to 2003 In 1997, Harpoon installed a state of the art bottling and substantially increased its production capacity. With a line-up of beers that now included UFO Hefeweizen, Harpoon continued to grow. When the former Catamount Brewery went up for sale in 2000, Harpoon purchased the brewery in Windsor, VT and began brewing in October of that year. The tradition of festivals was continued in Vermont, with two annual events held in the fields surrounding the brewery. <more>
Harpoon Approaches its 20th Anniversary, 2001 to Present The steady growth of Harpoon, along with an abiding commitment to quality, led to further changes to the brewery in Boston. Starting in 2002, fabrication of a new brewhouse began in Germany. It was later transported to Boston via containers and installation began in late 2002. 2003 saw the first brews from a new, state of the art brewhouse. Having become the largest craft brewer in New England, Harpoon took a page from its early days with the launch of the 100 Barrel Series. <more> |