For two decades, Sean Larkin has been synonymous with brewing in Rhode Island. From Trinity Brewhouse to Revival to Brutopia to his work with Narragansett Beer on their mash-ups, Lovecraft and specialty releases, he’s built an esteemed rep with his diverse and award-winning brews. Sean will be sharing craft beer enlightenment at one of the seminars at Beervana Fest on October 14. We asked him a few questions in advance of the big event.
Lou Papineau: What’s the biggest misconception people have about the work life of a brewer?
Sean Larkin: That we are drunk all day long and that it’s a big party.
LP: Many of your fellow RI brewers have thanked you for your support when they were launching their brands. What’s the key bit of advice that you share with budding beermakers?
SL: Get ready to get dirty – real dirty. Get ready to fix broken things all the time. If you hate getting wet or sticky, then this is is not the profession for you.
LP: There are a lot of clever/punny beer names in your portfolio. Do you have a favorite?
SL: They are all my children. I can’t claim responsibility for the names. My staff – Alex, Jamie, Harry and Sam – are the culprits of the joke names. My humor is too dry to keep up with those fools. My favorite is the Elder Dweller.
LP: Have you ever hit upon a great beer as the result of a “happy accident”? Something that shouldn’t have worked, recipe-wise, but did?
SL: Bushido, batch 3 is coming out this fall and it will be amazing – that beer is so complex and has become amazing with time to age.
LP: You’ve masterminded a lot of distinctive beers for Narragansett. What were your favorite collaborations with the Hi, Neighbor! folks?
SL: White Ships Belgian IPA and Octoberfest – so sad to see it retired.
LP: What new Revival brews are on the drawing board?
SL: Too many to count! We are working on keeping our established beers cranking and not worrying too much about keeping up with the Joneses on new beers. We are expanding on our sour collection, however, and I think people will be pleased with what we have in store.
LP: What does the future hold for Revival?
SL: We are working on multiple things right now. We lease and manage Brutopia. It has been a great partnership and we are planning a buyout for 2017, then we will be working on a bigger facility in Providence for 2019.
LP: What will you be talking about at Beervana?
SL: It’s a secret.
LP: Do you have any advice for Beervana attendees? An ideal game plan for sampling the abundance of world-class beer assembled at Rhodes On the Pawtuxet?
SL: Get off your phones and enjoy everyone’s beer. All the brewers will be working hard to give you their best. Don’t wait in line when you could be drinking someone else’s beer. Have an open mind and try something you normally would not.
LP: And a big picture question: Do you have any reflections on your two decades at the center of the Rhode Island brewing scene?
SL: I’m an old man now. I finally have friends to hang with who know what my life is like and what I and my team go through on a daily basis. We have finally turned a corner where local beer is hot; this has opened up a new host of opportunities for all of us. We need to look to cities like Denver, Portland, Boston and Philly and realize that our beer culture can help fuel the economy beyond the breweries. We have some amazing beer and it’s time New England and beyond recognizes it.