H.P. Lovecraft-Based Beers Announced by Narragansett Brewing Company

New England horror hounds have to be pleased with the way their region has paid tribute to their terror-inducing native sons. This past Halloween season, an unveiling of an Edgar Allan Poe bronze bust took place at the Boston Public Library, while Jeffrey Combs portrayed Poe in a one-man show at the Somerville Theatre. And soon the Narragansett Brewing Company will commemorate another prolific horror author, Rhode Island's own H.P. Lovecraft, with a four-part beer line inspired by the author's written works.

Narragansett Beer President Mark Hellendrung revealed the new Lovecraft beers are being brewed to celebrate both the 125th anniversary of the storied brewery and the 125th birthday of the late, influential horror writer whose Cthulhu Mythos still resonates today with readers, writers, musicians, and other artists.

Lovecraft Honey Ale, the first of the four Lovecraft beers, will debut on January 19th (the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe) and is featured in A.J. Paglia's artwork (pictured above and below). This honey ale is inspired by the 1923 Lovecraft short story, "The Festival."

The next ale in the Lovecraft line will be the "Innsmouth” old ale (inspired by The Shadow Over Innsmouth novella), which is slated for an April release. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Jason Eckhardt will create artwork for the on-deck ale. The third and fourth beers of the Lovecraft series have not yet been revealed. For more information on the Lovecraft Honey Ale, we have official details from the Narragansett Brewing Company:

“When the brewery was shut down, the spirit of Narragansett never died; it went underground, to a deep and dark place. Since reclaiming our beer in 2005, we’ve worked hard to stay true to our roots. But after being in that dungeon for so long, we came back with some baggage. Just like the nameless protagonist from “The Outsider”, we emerged in the light a little different. A little…strange. Think of this brew as our bold, our obscure, our tampered-with mind. It won’t be for everyone, and if it isn’t for you, you’ll know exactly who it IS for. This is OUR Lovecraft.” – Mark Hellendrung

Roll out the Barrel: 7% Alcohol by Volume and 30 IBUs. The Lovecraft Honey Ale draws its rich, malt flavor from the featured Honey Malt. It will be available in 16oz Tall Boys as well as a very limited run for tap.

Quality Supreme: Brewed in collaboration with Sean Larkin, Head Brewmaster for Narragansett and owner of Revival Brewing, Lovecraft Honey Ale is made with a base of honey malt and finished with a touch of hops, producing a bold yet sweet honey-colored ale.

Taste & Enjoy: The spirit of alchemy and mischievous behavior is alive in this brew. Backboned by the combination of five pale malts, the beer opens up with a hint of honey sweetness, then turns with a herbal hop crescendo and a smooth finish. The Lovecraft Honey Ale was inspired by the Space Mead consumed by winged Byakhee as protection from “interstellar space travel” in Lovecraft’s “The Festival”. Pretty awesome, right?

The History: Born in 1890, the same year that Narragansett Beer was founded, H.P. Lovecraft spent the majority of his life in Providence as a struggling author, only achieving literary fame posthumously. Commonly referred to as the “Father of Modern Horror,” he is often cited as an influence on other notable authors and artists from Stephen King to Metallica to Ridley Scott. H.P. Lovecraft is best known for creating Cthulhu, a fictional deity described as being part man, part dragon and part octopus. It is this creature that inspired the Cthulhu Mythos, a cultural lore and shared fictional universe of Lovecraft’s successors.

The label artwork for Lovecraft Honey Ale was designed by Providence-based artist AJ Paglia."