A brewing legacy inspired the new Canned Heat

Haffenreffer legacy helped inspire Tiverton brothers’ new craft beer company

By Kristen Ray
Posted 1/18/19

Taking in the initial sight of what would soon become the home of Canned Heat Craft Beer Company, Miles Wilson was feeling hesitant. Located at 52 Ferry St. in Fall River, the abandoned building was …

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A brewing legacy inspired the new Canned Heat

Haffenreffer legacy helped inspire Tiverton brothers’ new craft beer company

Posted

Taking in the initial sight of what would soon become the home of Canned Heat Craft Beer Company, Miles Wilson was feeling hesitant. Located at 52 Ferry St. in Fall River, the abandoned building was in a rough state. Evidence from its previous life as an oil-canning refinery for textile mills was grossly apparent, with the oil that had once been used acting as a seemingly permanent fixture on the floors.

Looking past the grime, though, Mr. Wilson could tell the warehouse had potential, with its mezzanine-style lighting and location by Borden Light Marina.

“It was meant to a brewery,” he ultimately concluded.

Just a year later, Mr. Wilson and his brother, Matt — both from Tiverton — were able to completely transform the space into the colorful, welcoming hub they envisioned for Canned Heat Craft Beer, which officially opened its doors to the public Oct. 5. Spacious yet intimate, able to house approximately 75 guests, the microbrewery offers a rotating list of six different beers, as well as Commonwealth nitro cold brew coffee on draft, a special house sparkling hop water and a seasonally-influenced tasting menu, courtesy of neighbor Tipsy Pub.

After spending so much time traveling through New England and sampling some of the region’s best local brews, Mr. Wilson was excited to fill that same void here at home.

“Being a beer guy, from a market perspective, this area kind of yearned for a brewery that did hoppy, hop-forward beers,” said he said.

Until now, Fall River has been without a local craft brewery ever since Enterprise Brewing Company was forced to shut its doors over 50 years ago. Though he was only ten years old at the time, Adolf Haffenreffer has since come to understand the magnitude of the closing of his family’s brewery, the victim of televised advertisements by big-name brand like Miller Lite and Budweiser.

“It was the end of an era,” he said.

Now an avid home-brewer alongside his son, Andrew, in Little Compton, Mr. Haffenreffer had mulled the possibility of starting his own brewery, but the idea never came to fruition. It wasn’t until their wives connected them that Mr. Haffenreffer and Mr. Wilson ended up meeting for coffee one day at the Black Goose Café in Tiverton to discuss their shared interests.

“I was excited meeting Miles, because I guess I am kind of living my dream through him,” Mr. Haffenreffer said. “He’s inspiring me.”

For Mr. Wilson, getting to know Mr. Haffenreffer and his family’s legacy has been crucial; with a 100-year span of time in which some Haffenreffer was involved in brewing in either Boston, Narragansett or Fall River, Mr. Wilson values any advice Mr. Haffenreffer can impart.

“It’s like a warm blanket, knowing that’s there,” Mr. Wilson said.

As a testament to the local history and celebration of Mr. Haffenreffer’s family legacy, blown-up prints of Enterprise Brewing Company’s advertisements decorate a corner of Canned Heat Craft Beer’s warehouse. While the industry has since come full circle in recent years, renewing its focus on local craft beer, Mr. Wilson sees plenty of opportunity to get creative and push the envelop further.

Adding brewer and Tiverton resident Matt Ellis to the team, Mr. Wilson said, was “a blessing;” after finally agreeing to meet with the home-brewing neighbor of one of his employees from the medical device distributorship he also runs, one sip of what will be known as Spindle City and Mr. Wilson was sold.

“We’re the lucky recipients of his experience, his recipes, his skills that he’s honed over that time,” he said.

With 20 years of brewing under his belt, Mr. Ellis isn’t afraid to experiment with his recipes and create a sampling of styles that will appeal to almost any crowd. Right now, the offerings range from the 5.4% ABV Khan of Khans, an Asian-inspired lager with subtle lemon and ginger notes (a favorite of his and Mr. Haffenreffer) to the seasonal 8.8% ABV Sleepy Hollow Porter, brewed with five spices and 80lbs of pumpkin per 15 barrels (a favorite of Mr. Wilson’s).

Since half of their menu at any given time typically sways towards being hop-heavy, Mr. Ellis and the Wilson brothers are interested in spotlighting hops from different regions of the world within New England IPAs. Introducing ciders is also on the roadmap, as is expanding their distribution into Rhode Island. One thing will always remain the same, though: the commitment to putting the time, quality and care into their brews.

“Our beers are delicate little flowers. If you don’t treat them right, store them right, drink them fast, they change,” Mr. Wilson said.

That passion and understanding of the industry, Mr. Haffenreffer believes, is what will help Mr. Wilson, his brother and Mr. Ellis rise above the growing number of competitors in the craft beer industry.

“Everybody I’ve sent up here has given it an A plus review,” he said.

Canned Heat Craft Beer is open Thursdays and Fridays from 4-9 pm, Saturdays from 12-9 pm and is available for private events throughout the week.

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