Emerald Isle Brew Works of West Warwick doesn’t have talking frogs, bikini-clad models or even a catchy jingle working for them.
Instead there’s owner Raymond McConnell, his sons Michael and Matthew, an old mill-shop turned brewery and one heck of a beer.
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“We are one of Rhode Island’s best kept secrets. But, we don’t have to be,” said Raymond McConnell, whose full-time job is dentistry.
Emerald Isle is the state’s only brewery, which means it’s the only company that makes beer to be sold off-premise, unlike brew pubs like Trinity Brewhouse, which sell their product mainly on site.
Since McConnell’s basement hobby became a business in 1996, the brewery tucked in the old Agawam Mill has received international praise and has been invited to the most prestigious ale gatherings in the world.
Yet, the smallest of breweries has not caught the attention of the nation’s smallest state.
“It’s obvious that Rhode Islanders buy and enjoy craft beers. So why don’t local restaurants and pubs support a Rhode Island brew that a beer connoisseur in London would love?” he asked.
The 58-year-old brew master knows the answer to his own question.
When McConnell joined the microbrew craze earlier in the decade he thought he would tap into cask conditioned beer, a brewing style rarely found in this country.
Cask conditioned brews differ in that they not only ferment in a vat, but ferment a second time while in a keg. The second fermentation creates a natural carbonation opposed to carbonation created by carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which is pumped into almost all beers.
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It’s the purest form of beer. That’s what we wanted to give our customers,” he said.
The move did not go unnoticed in the brewing world. Michael Jackson — not the pop musician, but the well-known English beer critic/writer — visited the Emerald Isle brewery and featured the beer in a column.
Jackson wrote: “I have mixed feelings about attempts to cask condition in the U.S., but I did enjoy Ray’s beer.”
Beer drinkers closer to home also enjoyed the style. In the first couple of years, McConnell set up accounts with establishments like The Capital Grille, The Cowesett Inn in West Warwick, Twin Willows in Narragansett, and the Celtic Pub in Pawtucket.
In all, Emerald Isle has 21 clients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and sells just over 400 kegs a year, a tiny number considering Providence alone has over a 100 establishments dispensing beer.
McConnell found that many bar and restaurant managers were scared off by the initial investment of setting up a cask condition ale. The bar would have to purchase a hand-drawn draught system for $450 that the barkeeper uses to actually pump the brew out of the keg, because gases are also not used in dispensing.
“It’s difficult for people to understand the advantages of this beer. They much rather just say it’s too much work for them,” said Michael McConnell, who now brews and sells the beer.
McConnell said considering Emerald Isle is the only brewery in Rhode Island and one of few in the nation that do cask conditioning he thought restaurants would be eager to spotlight it.
After finding a warm reception to the brewing method, the McConnells decided to diversify.
They added beers that use carbon dioxide in brewing and dispensing, just like every other beer on the market. They also started brewing beers using nitrogen, which creates a thick and consistent head. Nitrogen is used in some imported beers like Guiness and Old Speckled Hen.
The McConnells also expanded their beer styles to seven, which range from the dark porter to a lighter summer ale.
“There is really no excuse now for a restaurant to say it’s too much trouble or the beer is too dark,” said Raymond McConnell. “We are waiting for those who have not caught on to embrace us like the state did for Narragansett Brewery for example.
“With the growth of tourism and conventions in Rhode Island, there are thousands of beer drinkers coming to this state and one of their first questions is ‘what are the local beers,”’ he said. “Emerald Isle should be there to quench their thirst.”
He said unlike breweries owned by major companies, Emerald Isle doesn’t have the resources to market itself or afford the advantage of having a distributor. McConnell and his sons, recent college graduates, are the ones knocking door to door and delivering the kegs in the back of a truck.
Raymond McConnell said with the help of his two sons Emerald Isle has dedicated itself to being more than a hobby that happens to make some money.
“Our first goal is to make sure that we are making the best product possible. Moves like adding (carbon dioxide) and nitrogen helped us ensure we can keep up financially,” he said.
With the expansion of beers in their portfolio, McConnell believes Emerald Isle is ripe for growth.
“Emerald Isle is actively seeking to expand what we offer, bottling for example. In order to do that we are looking for investors to help take us to the next level,” he said.
He said that because of the sensitivity toward drinking and driving there is a growing market of people buying bottled beer to drink at home.
“I think if it is local, fresh and tastes good people will pick us up over any import or any American craft brew,” he said.
McConnell would also like to get more accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and eventually throughout New England.
“There is no reason why this operation couldn’t be sending kegs all over the region,” he said. “Once people can get to us, they will learn that our ale is something special. It takes just a pint to understand how special.”
