He doesn’t look that big, but Andy Cole is the strongest man on the Seacoast. At least he was the strongest man at the Redhook Brewery on Wednesday, March 21. Or maybe the promise of free beer for a year inspired him to perform superhuman feats of strength.

Whatever the explanation, Cole was the only person to chime the bell during a strongman competition to celebrate the brewery’s new beer, Long Hammer IPA. The competition consisted of a carnival-style “ring-the-bell game,” where competitors used a giant mallet to strike a pad and send a weighted object up a pole. The goal was to launch the object all the way to the top of the pole and ring the bell at its peak.

Men and women stepped out on the brewery patio to test their strength, but only Cole succeeded in ringing the bell. The Portsmouth resident later revealed his technique.

“It was all about the physics. It was all about maximizing the most leverage and hitting it right on the edge,” Cole said. “I’ve been training for a couple years now.”

Everyone who took a crack at the bell was entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes, including a free growler of beer every month for a year. The event also featured music from local hip-hop band The Press. Hundreds packed the bar and restaurant at Pease Tradeport, although only a couple dozen competed.

Byron Robyn, who is in charge of tours at the brewery, described Long Hammer IPA as European-style ale with a “rugged hop profile” and “bold flavor.” The beer is 6.5 percent alcohol by volume. The IRI Consumer Network rated it the most drinkable beer in the country. According to Robyn, Long Hammer is more modest and less bitter than most IPAs.

Originally, Robyn intended to offer the growler deal only to those who rang the bell, but he altered his plans when it became apparent that few people would achieve that feat.

Why the low rate of success? Competitors may have been relying too heavily on brute strength instead of finesse. Robyn said the key to ringing the bell is not hitting the pad hard, but striking it flat with the mallet face—a concept only Cole understood.