Samuel Adams

Jim Koch comes from a long line of brewers. His family began brewing beer in America in the mid 1800s but had to close their brewery during Prohibition. In the 1950s, Jim's father left the beer business as the big national brewers moved to mass-produced, watered-down beers. In the mid-1980s, Jim realized that American drinkers longed for a return to fresh, flavorful beer brewed with traditional methods and high-quality ingredients. He didn't realize that he was about to help start a revolution in the beer industry. Jim got his great-great grandfather's recipe from his dad's attic and started trying to resurrect it by brewing in his kitchen. Without having tried it before, it took some work to find the ingredients and create the beer he thought the recipe intended it to be. That beer became Samuel Adams Boston Lager®. After only six weeks on the market it won the award for "The Best Beer in America" in the Consumer Preference Poll at the Great American Beer Festival. Since then, Samuel Adams the company continues to grow and has helped lead the return to world-class American beer. For more information on Jim's story and the background of the company, please go to the: History of Sam Adams.

In the mid-1980s, America didn't have a flavorful, high quality domestic beer. Samuel Adams Boston Lager was one of the first full flavored craft brewed American beers and Jim Koch wanted a name that might represent that revolutionary idea. Samuel Adams was a leader of the American Revolution and was a Boston brewer and patriot. A fellow brewer and a fellow revolutionary, Samuel Adams was the perfect namesake.

Samuel Adams beers are brewed at our breweries in Boston, MA, Cincinnati, OH, and Lehigh PA. Tours are offered at the Boston brewery each day. To learn more check out the Brewery Tour link below for details.

No one should drink an old beer. After a few months beer loses its flavor and character. To be sure your Samuel Adams beer is fresh, check the freshness date on the easy-to-read date label on the left side of every bottle. The beer is no longer fresh after the first day of the month notched on the bottle.

Beer really does taste better out of a dark bottle. Light can cause beer to become light struck, or skunky. The brown glass helps protect the beer and allows less light to penetrate than clear or green bottles.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager uses only the four basic beer ingredients – hops, malt, water, and yeast. The Noble hops create the distinct aroma and flavor of the beer. The malted barley adds the rich color and provides the sugar that will be converted to alcohol and carbonation by the yeast. Water is the final ingredient in every batch of Samuel Adams beer. In addition to the four traditional ingredients we also use a range of spices and grains in some of our beers. Check out each beer's page in the Beer Guide for details on each style or visit Ingredients

Each of our beers has different nutritional information. Visit our Beer Guide for the calorie content and detailed information on each of our beers.

We do not use any animal products in making our beers.

Although Samuel Adams is currently the largest American owned brewery, we only represent less than 1% of the U.S. beer market but are also the leader in the craft brewing industry.

Samuel Adams beers are available throughout the United States in bars, restaurants, and retail stores. If you are having trouble finding your favorite style, try the link below to Find a Sam near you. Not every style is available in each state but you should be able to locate what is nearby.

There are certain styles of beer that are traditionally brewed at particular times of the year. We follow this brewing tradition as each seasonal beer matches the flavors and mood of each time of year. Light and crisp beers like Samuel Adams Noble Pils and Summer Ale work perfectly for warmer temperatures while richer flavorful beers like Octoberfest and Winter Lager are perfect complements to cooler weather. For more information please visit Seasonal Beers in our Beer Guide.

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If you're interested in representing our range of quality American Craft beers in your country, then you must send an email detailing your business proposal to exports@bostonbeer.com. We will contact you directly if we see a strategic opportunity for our brand in your market.

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The Boston Beer Company, Inc. is a publicly traded company under the NYSE symbol SAM. For more information, please visit Investor Relations or go to www.bostonbeer.com.

All beer is either a lager or an ale. The difference lies in the type of yeast that's used. Lager yeast ferments at the bottom of the tank at lower temperatures and for a longer period of time. Lagers are generally smooth, crisp, and clean. Ale yeast ferments at the top of the tank at higher temperatures and for shorter amounts of time. Ales tend to be earthy, hearty, and fruity in flavor.