Samuel Adams

In the world of craft beer, the name Samuel Adams is synonymous with quality and innovation. The eponymous Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 and its name is a tribute to America's Founding Father, Samuel Adams. The remarkable brewery is the flagship brand of the Boston Beer Company - the brewery that spearheaded the American craft beer revolution. As a thought leader and tastemaker for more than a generation, Boston Beer Co is currently America's 2nd largest craft brewery and releases plenty of great brews - from its iconic and traditional beers to new and exciting seasonals!

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Founded in 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts, the Samuel Adams Brewery is one of the oldest and most well-respected craft breweries in the United States. But how did this iconic brand come to be?

The story of Samuel Adams begins with its namesake, Samuel Adams, a revolutionary figure in American history. Born in Boston in 1722, Adams was a political activist and a vocal opponent of British rule in the American colonies. The American revolutionary played a key role in the events leading up to the American Revolution, including organising the Boston Tea Party.

Fast forward to the 1980s, Jim Koch, a sixth-generation brewer and descendant of Samuel Adams, was inspired by his family's brewing legacy to start his own brewery. Back then, Koch was a Harvard graduate who had a 6-figure salary at a consulting job but he wasn’t happy. Koch decided to quit his high-paying and stable job to pursue his own happiness, a chance that was a huge gamble, but was definitely worth the risk.

Koch teamed up with two other beer enthusiasts, Rhonda Kallman and Jack McAuliffe, and together they founded the Boston Beer Company, which would produce Samuel Adams beer.

Samuel Adams’ brews

Koch named his brewery after Samuel Adams because he shared Adam’s spirit in his fight for America’s independence and the opportunity to pursue happiness and follow their dreams. In 1984, Koch reached his first milestone by brewing his very first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager with his great-great-grandfather’s recipe in hand.

Samuel Adams ignited the passion, confidence, pride, and optimism in Americans, which brought them together to fight for the American revolution. In a similar vein, Koch’s Boston Lager also started the craft beer revolution in America, as it was extremely well received.

However, it wasn't until 1985, when the Samuel Adams Boston Lager won first place in a beer tasting competition, that the brand really took off. This win helped to establish Samuel Adams as a leading craft beer brand in the United States, and also paved the way for the growth of the craft beer industry.

From there, the company continued to innovate and experiment with new beer styles and flavours. In 1995, they introduced the Samuel Adams Triple Bock, a high-alcohol, barrel-aged beer that was one of the strongest beers ever brewed at the time. They also released seasonal beers, such as the popular Samuel Adams Octoberfest, and experimented with barrel ageing and sour beers.

Throughout its history, Samuel Adams has remained committed to using high-quality ingredients and traditional brewing methods. They hand-select their hops from Germany and use only two-row malted barley in their beers. In addition, the brewery only uses traditional German methods to brew their beers, which takes over a month to brew a single batch! Samuel Adams is fully committed to quality lager brewing, even though it is slow, inefficient, expensive, and just plain difficult.

Samuel Adams - a pioneer in America’s craft beer industry

Today, Samuel Adams is one of the largest craft breweries in the United States, producing over 60 different styles of beer. With its numerous styles of beers, including seasonal beers, extreme beers, imperial beers, and barrel room collection beers, Samuel Adams truly has everything for everyone.

Despite its growth, the company has remained true to its roots, continuing to innovate and experiment with new beer styles while staying true to their commitment to quality and tradition. Samuel Adams’ glowing success has paved the way for countless other craft breweries, and its legacy as a pioneer in the craft beer industry is irrefutable.