WINNER , SMALL CATEGORY : 10 – 49 employees
LOCATION : Westerly , greysailbrewing . com A small craft brewery with both year-round and limited edition brews .
Visitors to Grey Sail ’ s tasting room may
recall buying fresh pasta here during its former life , when the building was home to the original Westerly Macaroni Factory . For the last ten years , however , Grey Sail has been brewing up batches of craft beer with evocative names such as Pour Judgement and Flying Jenny in the squat building overlooking the Pawcatuck River .
When the pandemic hit , the brewery staff recognized a critical need and responded with an out-of-the-box idea . After researching the World Health Organization ’ s formula , they retooled the equipment and produced more than 15,000 gallons of hand sanitizer and distributed it free in two-ounce bottles to first responders , hospitals and small businesses in the area . The company also donated $ 1,000 to the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce ( OCCC ) to help pay for personal protective equipment for small businesses , and free masks to the public .
“ Their fast acting and generous actions helped keep our community safe ,” wrote one nominator , Lisa Konicki of the OCCC . Fellow nominator , Tony Vellucci of the Frank Olean Center , agreed . “ Rather than move on a new line of beverages , they chose to use the alcohol to make hand sanitizer and were extremely generous and quite unselfish in helping those in need .”
The judges confirmed those sentiments : “ It ’ s amazing to see an applicant already affected by the pandemic do so much for nonprofits and the community .”
Did you know ?
The brewery ’ s name comes from the gray sails visible on the horizon to any South County beachgoer .
70 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JANUARY 2021