Local Micro Brewery is an Extreme Hit on Rhode Island’s Coastline

By: Meaghan Pike
Posted In: News

Brent Ryan, President/CEO of Coastal Extreme Brewing Company, has done what every college graduate could only dreamed of: He’s turned a weekend past time into a local brand and a successful business.

After graduating in 1997 from Colby College in Maine, Ryan and three college friends, Derek Luke, Mark Sinclair, and Will Rafferty, decided that they did not want to work for “The Man.”

Since Ryan always aspired to be self-employed,he started a painting company the summer after graduation. Once Ryan and Luke began working in the hot sun, a new friend joined them, a home-brewing kit.

After a couple trial batches of beer, the ideas started flowing and plans were in the making for the Coastal Extreme Brewing Co. with the help of Sinclair and Rafferty.

In July of 1999, the first batch of Hurricane Amber Ale kegs were sold to three Newport Restaurants, and after only one month their signature beer hit liquor store shelves. Ryan is proud to distribute their recipes in bottle form all over the Northeast, but he says that local loyalty is the No. 1 priority.

What is Newport Storm all about?

It’s all about the Extremes. That’s our company motto. We like to push the limits and have fun doing it.

Why Rhode Island?

New England has the biggest market for microbreweries and Rhode Island hadn’t had one since the early 90s. It was about time they needed one. That’s where we come along.

Who were your first carriers?

Yesterday’s Restaurant and the Rhumbline. Both still carry our products today. Also, Jake and Ella’s but they got shut down.

How did you celebrate?

Well, it was the Fourth of July, so we spent the day going to each of the three bars and testing our own beers.

How far has Newport Storm spanned to?

We now distribute to Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of Virginia, but mostly in Rhode Island. We like to keep our focus here. Soon we might take the product to Southern California since there is a marketplace for our Newport name.

How many varieties do you produce?

We currently have three lines. Our year-round Hurricane Amber Ale is our first and signature brew. Then there’s the seasonal line. We have our Regenschauer Oktoberfest for the fall, the Blizzard Porter for the winter, the Thunderhead Irish Red Ale for the spring, and the Maelstrom IPA for the summer.

We also have a vintage line, which we create once a year and we never use the recipe again. We name it after the year and package it in a wine bottle. It is something no one else has ever done.

Any plans for new products?

Yeah, actually next week. It’s called the Cyclone series. It’s an extreme version of the traditional recipes, but its alcohol content is in between the seasonal line and the vintage line (7 to 9 percent). We will use one recipe for the year, and then it too won’t be used again. We’re looking forward to it.

Where do the recipes come from?

We like to get feedback from the consumers, so when we visit bars we ask the customers. We also get good suggestions from distributors, promoters, and our Friday tours. Then the four of us sit around and brainstorm till we find a combination that we like.

What is your favorite?

I love them all, but if I was stranded on a deserted island and could only drink one beer it definitely would be the Hurricane Amber Ale.

Is it hard work?

I often work 70 or 80 hours a week. To some people that is a lot, but I’m not sitting behind a desk at a computer. Half that time is spent at bars promoting our product or doing our tours. I kind of just hang out a lot; I can’t complain.

What are your tours like?

Every Friday we have tours of our facilities starting at 6. It’s a great way to interact with our customers, let them try our product, tell them who we are, and teach them how to make beer. Micro brewing is only 3 percent of the industry, so we are trying to get people to move away from Budweiser and Coors and get them into craft brewing. It’s an acquired taste, but even if people don’t buy our product we at least want them try other microbrews.

Do you throw any events?

Saint Patrick’s Day is always huge in Newport; we love getting involved in that. We also throw a Pajama party every Valentine’s day at a local bar, which always gets interesting. We also have a Mardi Gras party in Marblehead every year.

Is Newport Storm a success?

We are continuing to grow gradually and get our name out there, but people like their local brews and will stay loyal to theirs. So we really just want to stick to our area. We’ve done something no other brewery in Rhode Island has done, stay in business. So, yeah we’re doing well.