Samuel Adams (beer)

Last updated
Samuel Adams
Boston Lager
SamuelAdams2019LogoBlue.png
Type Lager
Country of origin  United States
Introduced1984
Alcohol by volume  5.0%
ColorAmber
Website Official website

Samuel Adams (often shortened to Sam Adams) is the flagship brand of the Boston Beer Company. It is named after US Founding Father Samuel Adams, who inherited his father's brewery on Boston's King Street (modern day State Street) and worked as a brewer or maltster. [1] [2] Samuel Adams beer is brewed by the Boston Beer Company, which was founded by Jim Koch in Cambridge, MA, where he started the micro-brewery in his home. Koch comes from a long line of Cincinnati brewers, and Samuel Adams beer was started using a recipe now known as Samuel Adams Boston Lager. [3]

Contents

Beers

Year-round

BeerPack % ABVIBUDescription
Boston Lager6, 12, 24, 28
(bottles, 12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
5.030An amber lager and the flagship product of Boston Brewing Company. Boston Lager is brewed according to Boston Brewing Company founder Jim Koch's great-great grandfather's recipe. [4] "Remastered" in 2023 via a change in the brewing process to be "easier-drinking." Also available in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
American Light6, 12
(12 oz. cans)
4.27A light American-style lager. Also available in the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Golden Pilsner6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.032A light-bodied pilsner brewed with German hops.
Cherry Wheat6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.323An American-style wheat ale brewed with Michigan cherries and honey. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Wicked Easy6, 12
(12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
4.712A session IPA brewed with lager and ale yeast. Formerly marketed as "Sam '76 Lager." Also available as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Wicked Hazy4, 6, 12
(12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
6.835A New England–style "hazy and juicy" India pale ale. Formerly marketed as "New England IPA." Also available as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Wicked Double4
(12 oz. cans)
8.330A double New England-style IPA. Available exclusively as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Wicked TropicalWicked IPA Party Pack
(12 oz. cans)
6.030An IPA with hints of papaya and coconut. Available exclusively as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Just the Haze IPA6
(12 oz. cans)
< 0.535A non-alcoholic hazy IPA, with 98 calories per 12 oz.
Golden6
(12 oz. cans)
0.512A non-alcoholic lager, with 98 calories per 12 oz.

Seasonal

BeerPack % ABVIBUAvailabilityDescription
Cold Snap6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.310JanuaryAn unfiltered white ale brewed with orange peel and spices, reformulated in 2023 to be "smoother and more refreshing." Also available as part of the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Breakaway Blonde Ale6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.715JanuaryA blonde, light-bodied ale. Also available as part of the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Postseason IPASpring variety pack
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.530JanuaryA session IPA with tropical notes. Available exclusively in the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Summer Ale6, 12, 24
(bottles, 12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
5.38AprilA wheat ale brewed with citrus and grains of paradise. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Porch Rocker6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.58AprilA radler brewed with lemon purée. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Pool PartySummer variety pack
(12 oz. cans)
5.530AprilA hazy pale ale with notes of tropical fruit. Available exclusively in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
OctoberFest6, 12, 24
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.316AugustA Marzen brewed for the start of fall. Also available in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Jack-O6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.48AugustA pumpkin ale. Also available in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Flannel FestFall variety pack
(12 oz. cans)
5.220AugustA Munich-style Dunkel. Available exclusively in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Winter Lager6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.622NovemberA spiced wheat bock brewed in celebration of the holiday season. Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Holiday White Ale6, 12
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.88NovemberA spiced white ale, formerly marketed as "White Christmas." Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Old Fezziwig6
(bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.925NovemberA spiced winter warmer. Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Oaked Vanilla PorterWinter variety pack
(12 oz. cans)
5.835NovemberA porter with notes of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. Available exclusively in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.

Utopias

In 2002, the company released Utopias. At 24% abv, it was marketed as the strongest commercial beer in the world (a mark that has since been challenged).[ citation needed ] The company subsequently released new "vintages" of Utopias annually, increasing the alcoholic content to 27% abv by 2007, and increasing further to 28% abv in 2019. [5]

Utopias is made with caramel, Vienna, Moravian and Bavarian smoked malts, and four varieties of noble hops: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalter, and Saaz hops. The beer is matured in scotch, cognac and port barrels for almost a year. A limited number of bottles are released each year; in 2007, only 12,000 bottles were produced, and in 2009, only 9,000 bottles were released. [6] [7] Sold in a ceramic bottle resembling a copper-finished brewing kettle, a single bottle of Utopias cost $100 in 2002, $150 in 2009, $200 in 2017, and $210 in 2019. [8]

Because of legal restrictions, Utopias is not offered in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, or West Virginia. [9]

Official beer of the Red Sox

Beginning with the 2018 season, Samuel Adams became the official beer of the Boston Red Sox replacing Budweiser. The eight-year deal will last through the 2025 season and include signage at Fenway Park. The agreement also allows Boston Beer to use the Red Sox logo for marketing purposes, as well as to conduct Red Sox related contests with tickets to games. [10]

As of 2020, Samuel Adams's Fenway Faithful IPA, a session IPA, is the official beer of the Boston Red Sox.

Brewery

The Boston Brewery opened in 1987 and it is where every beer was first made, aside from the Boston Lager. There are two other breweries, located in Cincinnati, Ohio and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The Boston Brewery is open for public tours and tastings. [11]

Media

Samuel Adams beer has gained attention in the media for its various beers. In a list of "Best Christmas/Winter Beer in Each State", Samuel Adams' Fezziwig brew won in Massachusetts. [12] Additionally, Samuel Adams brewery itself was named the best brewery in all of Massachusetts according to a Yelp-based Buzzed article. [13]

In the 2015 musical Hamilton, in the song "Aaron Burr, Sir," John Laurens sings "I'm John Laurens in the place to be, two pints of Sam Adams, but I'm workin' on three".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer</span> Alcoholic drink made from fermented cereal grains

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the grain to sugars, which dissolve in water to form wort. Fermentation of the wort by yeast produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, the most widely consumed, and the third most popular drink after water and tea. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale ale</span> Type of ale

Pale ale is a golden to amber coloured beer style brewed with pale malt. The term first appeared in England around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with high-carbon coke, which resulted in a lighter colour than other beers popular at that time. Different brewing practices and hop quantities have resulted in a range of tastes and strengths within the pale ale family. Pale ale is a kind of Ale.

The Boston Beer Company is an American brewery founded in 1984 by James "Jim" Koch and Rhonda Kallman. Boston Beer Company's first brand of beer was named Samuel Adams after Founding Father Samuel Adams, an American revolutionary patriot. Since its founding, Boston Beer has started several other brands, and in 2019 completed a merger with Dogfish Head Brewery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuengling</span> Brewery based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania

D. G. Yuengling & Son, established in 1829, is the oldest operating brewing company in the United States. In 2018, by volume of sales, it was the largest craft brewery, sixth largest overall brewery and largest wholly American-owned brewery in the United States. Its headquarters are in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 2015, Yuengling produced about 2.9 million barrels, operating two Pennsylvania facilities and a brewery in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale lager</span> Light-colored low-temperature beer

Pale lager is a pale-to-golden lager beer with a well-attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wadworth Brewery</span> Brewery in Devizes, Wiltshire, England

Wadworth is a brewery company founded in 1875 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England, best known for their 6X beer brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Belgium</span>

Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales and stouts. In 2018, there were 304 breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as AB InBev, and traditional breweries, such as Trappist monasteries. On average, Belgians drink 68 litres of beer each year, down from around 200 each year in 1900. Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every beer has its own branded, sometimes uniquely shaped, glass. In 2016, UNESCO inscribed Belgian beer culture on their list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in the United States</span>

In the United States, beer is manufactured in breweries which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million barrels (23.0 GL) of beer in 2012, and consumes roughly 28 US gallons (110 L) of beer per capita annually. In 2011, the United States was ranked fifteenth in the world in per capita consumption, while total consumption was second only to China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesee Brewing Company</span> Brewery in Rochester, New York, U.S.

Genesee Brewing Company is an American brewery located along the Genesee River in Rochester, New York. From 2000 to 2009, the company was known as the High Falls Brewing Company. In 2009, High Falls was acquired by the capital investment firm KPS Capital. Together with newly acquired Labatt USA, KPS merged the two companies as North American Breweries. Along with this change, High Falls Brewery changed its name back to the original "Genesee Brewing Company" operating under the North American Breweries name. In October 2012, North American Breweries was purchased by FIFCO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in South Korea</span>

Beer, called maekju in Korean, was first introduced to Korea in the early 20th century. Seoul's first brewery opened in 1908. Two current major breweries date back to the 1930s. The third brewery established in Korea, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in the 1990s. It was later acquired by Oriental Breweries (OB). Hite Breweries's former name was Chosun Breweries, which was established in 1933. The company changed its name to Hite Breweries in 1998. OB Breweries established as Showa Kirin Breweries in 1933. The company changed its name to OB Breweries in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental Brewery</span> South Korean brewery

Oriental Brewery or OB is a South Korean brewery currently owned by AB InBev, and initially founded by Doosan Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahr and Sons Brewing Company</span> Brewery in Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Rahr and Sons Brewing Company is a brewery in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, owned by Fritz Rahr. Since opening in 2004 Rahr has released numerous beers. Their core lineup is made up of 6 year-round beers, including their newest year-round release, Rahr’s Original. Along with these, they release 4 seasonals, and several specialty beers throughout the year. Rahr is currently distributed in most of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malt Shovel Brewery</span> Australian brewery

The Malt Shovel Brewery is an Australian brewery owned by Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Kirin. It is located in Camperdown, New South Wales. Malt Shovel is best known for its James Squire range of beers. The beer is named after the convict turned Australia's first brewer James Squire, who also went on to grow Australia's first hops and is said to have created Australia's first commercial brewery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in the Caribbean</span>

The beers of the Caribbean are unique to each island in the region, although many are variants of the same style. Each island generally brews its own unique pale lager, the occasional stout, and often a non-alcoholic malta beverage. Contract-brewing of international beers is also common, with Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout being the most popular. The beers vary between the islands to suit the taste and the brewing method used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Lawrence Brewing Company</span> Craft brewery located in Elmsford, New York

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Elmsford, New York. The brewery is owned and run by head brewer Scott Vaccaro. Vaccaro, a homebrewer since 1995, trained in brewing science at UC Davis.

Dundee was a Rochester, New York–based brewing company that produced ales and lagers. It was part of the Genesee Brewing Company, owned by North American Breweries which started marketing the brand's first lager in 1994 as J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown. Honey Brown quickly gained a good reputation and won awards, most notably the gold medal at the 2004 World Beer Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells & Young's Brewery</span> Brewery formed by a merger of Charles Wells Ltd and Youngs Brewery

Wells & Young's Brewery was formed in 2006 from a merger of the brewing operations of Charles Wells Ltd and Young's Brewery. Charles Wells initially had a 60% stake and Young's 40%. In 2011, Charles Wells took full control when it bought Young's 40% stake. Wells & Young's is now responsible for brewing, distributing and marketing Charles Wells' and Young & Co's brands at the Eagle Brewery in Bedford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anheuser-Busch brands</span> Brewing company

Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016.

Baderbräu is a Czech-style pilsner beer first brewed in 1988 by the Pavichevich Brewing Company based in Elmhurst, Illinois. After Pavichevich Brewing declared bankruptcy in 1997, Goose Island took over production of the beer until 2002. Acquisition of the Baderbräu trademark in 2010 by entrepreneur Rob Sama led to the creation of the Baderbräu Brewing Company, which resumed brewing of the Baderbräu pilsner in 2016 until it closed in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peerless Brewing Company</span> Brewery in Birkenhead, Wirral, England

Peerless Brewing Company is an independent microbrewery based in Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, producing cask brewed beers by combining traditional techniques and fine ingredients with a modern tang.

References

  1. Most historical evidence suggests that Adams worked as a maltster and not a brewer; Stanley Baron, Brewed in America: The History of Beer and Ale in the United States (Boston: Little, Brown, 1962), pp. 74–75. However, Ira Stoll in Samuel Adams: A Life (New York: Free Press, 2008; ISBN   978-0-7432-9911-4; ISBN   0-7432-9911-6), p. 275n16, notes that James Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company, reports having seen a receipt for hops signed by Adams, which indicates that Adams may have done some brewing.
  2. "The Boston Brewery: Home of Experiences". Samuel Adams Boston Brewery. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  3. "Our Story". Samuel Adams. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  4. "Samuel Adams Boston Lager". SamuelAdams.com. November 19, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
  5. Rice, Briana (October 15, 2019). "Samuel Adams is releasing a beer that's 28% ABV. Here is how you can get a taste". USA Today. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  6. "The 48 proof beer". Beer Break Vol. 2, No. 19. Real Beer Media, Inc. 2002-02-14. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  7. DellaSala, Steve (2007-01-31). "Sam Adams Utopias - Strongest Beer in the World". Audioholics. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  8. "Samuel Adams' new $200 beer that's as strong as liquor is the ultimate gift for beer lovers". Business Insider .
  9. "Samuel Adams – America's World Class Beer". Boston Beer Company. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
  10. Adams, Don (2017-12-12). "So long, Bud — Sam Adams is the new official beer of the Red Sox". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  11. "The Boston Brewery". Samuel Adams. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. Vorel, Jim (13 December 2016). "104 of the Best Christmas/Winter Beers, Blind-Tasted and Ranked". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  13. No, Michelle (12 December 2016). "The Best Brewery In Every State, According To Yelp". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 24 January 2017.