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Located in the Farm Fresh RI complex on Sims Avenue, Providence Brewing Company stands proud in their new home. A spacious 3,000 square foot facility that is nuzzled up against other thriving small businesses in the area, it quickly has become a destination neighborhood for the city.
Many patrons remember their original location in North Providence. A small whole in the wall in the basement of a mall complex. It was quaint, but it served it's purpose. That's where the story of current owner, Efren Hidalgo, begins. But did you know their history runs much further back?
In 1892, Irish immigrant James Hanley founded American Brewing Company, which became Providence Brewing Company in 1896. Prohibition closed their doors, and over a hundreds years passed by. That was until 2013 that a new chapter would be written.
Hidalgo, a former web and UX designer at large corporate entities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, saw an opportunity to combine his passion for homebrewing and small business. In his research, he decided to honor the brand that Hanley had created; and it became Providence Brewing Company once more.
We sat down with Efren & Assistant Brewer Mark Stone (11:45 mark) to discuss the exciting new era for PVD Brewing Company. The duo discuss getting evicted from their small facility in a North Providence strip mall, the innovative beer concepts they’ve released such as Slushy Beers, and the brands they’ve partnered with across New England.