I've always been interested in the old regional "backyard" beers (Hamm's, Schlitz, Falstaff, just to name a few), because they seem to me like they're a rich part of our culture, and because they bring back fond memories of neighborhood block parties when I was a kid.
   Recently I came across this fascinating story about the rebirth of an old New England regional brew, Narragansett. Apparently, as recently as the 1960's, Narragansett had a lock on as much as 65% of the New England market, but in the 70's they were bought out by Falstaff and the quality went downhill drastically when they moved the production out of the region.
   Last year, a young Rhode Island entrepreneur bought the rights to the Narragansett brand and subsequently tracked down the last chief brewmaster from the old R.I. brewery, who had retired back in the 70's, in order to resurrect the brand and to bring its quality back to the standards of its 1950's-60's heyday. From what I've read online, the new Narragansett has been getting rave reviews and a lot of the old-timers in the area feel like they finally have their old beer back.
   So I'd like to ask our members from New England (Chucky, Max, Cat, and Don Carlos, and any others I may have missed) if you have any old memories of this brew, if you've tried the new stuff, and if it really is as much an integral part of New England culture as the website claims. If I should ever find myself in that neck of the woods, I wouldn't mind looking some of you up and having a 'Gansett with you.  :)

http://www.narragansettbeer.net/

In 81  7  82  we drank  Narragansett beer at SUNY Cobleskiill College (State University of New York)
it was cheap the plastic crates that it came in sometimes doubled as dorm furniture
who can forget the puzzles on the inside of the caps