Cingari Family ShopRite, the Cingari family-owned and -operated supermarket chain, has partnered with Half Full Brewery to create two beers.
The beers are available in all Cingari Family ShopRite stores across Connecticut. They are named Grade Above Golden Ale and Grade Above IPA after the Cingari Family’s first foray into grocery, Grade A Market in 1943.
“Cingari Family ShopRite has always been about community, so we’re really excited to team up with Stamford’s own Half Full Brewery to launch these two beers,” said Tom Cingari Sr., president of Cingari Family ShopRite.
“This has been in the works for a while and we’re happy to offer our customers these exclusive, limited-edition brews.”
The Grade Above Golden Ale is brewed with a light malt backbone and has a light blonde hue. The Grade Above IPA is hopped in the boil and during fermentation with five different varieties of hops, allowing a range of flavors and aromas. The dry hop additions give notes of tropical citrus and pine with floral undertones.
“Our collaboration with the Cingari Family and Grade A is our most rewarding collaboration to date due to its focus on local,” said Conor Horrigan, founder of Half Full Brewery.
“The process started by bringing together two local community businesses to figure out what the local consumer would want, building recipes around that, and then leaning on local graphic designer Chris Sainato to design a package to match. Through the adept creative direction of the Cingari’s and recipe writing of our brewers, we were able to deliver two beers that will excite the palate without emptying your bank account.”
The two beers are available at the Cingari’s 12 ShopRite and Grade A Market locations in Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
After losing his job during The Great Depression, Salvatore Cingari bought an old school bus, loaded it with fresh produce and became a grocer. In 1943, he moved to his first building and his sons soon joined him in the business. In 1991, the Cingari’s stores became members of the Wakefern/ShopRite cooperative. Today, its third and fourth generations own and operate 12 ShopRite locations in Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
