Dr. Seuss Drew Ads for Rhode Island's Narragansett Beer

In the 1970s, you could walk into any bar or tavern in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and order a “Narry” or a “Gansett,” and before long, you’d be wiping away a foam-head mustache while guzzling your Narragansett beer.

Narragansett was once the No. 1-selling beer in New England. Big changes in the beer brewing industry and changes within the Narragansett Brewing Company have resulted in the brew occupying a much smaller segment of the beer-brewing market.

Narragansett Beer was originally brewed in a brick brewhouse in Cranston, Rhode Island.

The Narragansett Brewing Company website says, “In 1890, six German immigrants came together with $150,000 to construct this building and start Narragansett Beer. Less than a decade later, Narragansett Beer was the largest-selling beer in New England.”

Ownership changes, court battles and company relocations negatively impacted the Narragansett product name. In 2005, a group of Rhode Island businessmen attempted to reinvigorate the Narragansett name.

In 2016, it was announced that Narragansett was returning to Rhode Island. A new generation of Narragansett Beer was brewed in Pawtucket the following year. The Narragansett Brewing Company is now located in Providence.

In the first half of the last century, Narragansett Beer was a primary sponsor of Boston Red Sox baseball broadcasts during which announcer Curt Gowdy coined the slogan, “Hi neighbor, have a ‘Gansett.”

Narragansett Beer was featured in several films, including Jaws, parts of which were filmed in Massachusetts.

During World War II, Springfield, Massachusetts native Theodor Seuss Geisel, later known as Dr. Seuss, created advertising lithographs with a character named “Chief Gansett,” to promote Narragansett Beer.

The lithographs appeared on posters, trays and other promotional products.

Geisel’s father and grandfather operated a brewery in Springfield until it was forced to close under prohibition.