• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Monday, July 2, 2007 11 AM

Narragansett was once the best-selling beer in New England, but it had become known as "Nasty Gansett" by the time Mark Hellendrung bought the rights to the brand from Pabst Brewing in 2005. The brand had "slipped almost into obscurity," over the past two decades, due, in part, to a lack of marketing.

Hellendrung's approach to reviving the old favorite has been to play on nostalgia and local allegiances, while attracting new consumers. The first step was bringing back its former brewmaster as a consultant to re-create the old flavor, which had been altered.

Then, shunning the days of traditional advertising, Hellendrung set out to personally talk to bar and restaurant owners and beer drinkers, persuading them to taste Narragansett and spread the word that the brew is once again locally owned. Hellendrung estimates that Narragansett was bringing in about $100,000 in annual revenue when he took over; he expects to exceed $5 million this year.

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