Samuel Adams (often shortened to Sam Adams) is the flagship brand of the Boston Beer Company. It is named after US Founding FatherSamuel 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]
Beers
Year-round
Beer
Pack
% ABV
IBU
Description
Boston Lager
6, 12, 24, 28 (bottles, 12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
5.0
30
An 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 Light
6, 12 (12 oz. cans)
4.2
7
A light American-style lager. Also available in the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Golden Pilsner
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.0
32
A light-bodied pilsner brewed with German hops.
Cherry Wheat
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.3
23
An American-style wheat ale brewed with Michigan cherries and honey. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Wicked Easy
6, 12 (12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
4.7
12
A 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 Hazy
4, 6, 12 (12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
6.8
35
A 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 Double
4 (12 oz. cans)
8.3
30
A double New England-style IPA. Available exclusively as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Wicked Tropical
Wicked IPA Party Pack (12 oz. cans)
6.0
30
An IPA with hints of papaya and coconut. Available exclusively as part of the "Wicked IPA Party Pack."
Just the Haze IPA
6 (12 oz. cans)
< 0.5
35
A non-alcoholic hazy IPA, with 98 calories per 12 oz.
Golden
6 (12 oz. cans)
0.5
12
A non-alcoholic lager, with 98 calories per 12 oz.
Seasonal
Beer
Pack
% ABV
IBU
Availability
Description
Cold Snap
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.3
10
January
An 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 Ale
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.7
15
January
A blonde, light-bodied ale. Also available as part of the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Postseason IPA
Spring variety pack (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.5
30
January
A session IPA with tropical notes. Available exclusively in the "Primetime Beers" variety pack.
Summer Ale
6, 12, 24 (bottles, 12 oz. & 16 oz. cans)
5.3
8
April
A wheat ale brewed with citrus and grains of paradise. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Porch Rocker
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.5
8
April
A radler brewed with lemon purée. Also available in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
Pool Party
Summer variety pack (12 oz. cans)
5.5
30
April
A hazy pale ale with notes of tropical fruit. Available exclusively in the "Beers of Summer" variety pack.
OctoberFest
6, 12, 24 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.3
16
August
A Marzen brewed for the start of fall. Also available in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Jack-O
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
4.4
8
August
A pumpkin ale. Also available in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Flannel Fest
Fall variety pack (12 oz. cans)
5.2
20
August
A Munich-style Dunkel. Available exclusively in the "Beer Fest" variety pack.
Winter Lager
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.6
22
November
A spiced wheat bock brewed in celebration of the holiday season. Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Holiday White Ale
6, 12 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.8
8
November
A spiced white ale, formerly marketed as "White Christmas." Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Old Fezziwig
6 (bottles, 12 oz. cans)
5.9
25
November
A spiced winter warmer. Also available in the "Beers for Cheers" variety pack.
Oaked Vanilla Porter
Winter variety pack (12 oz. cans)
5.8
35
November
A 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]
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".
References
^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; ISBN978-0-7432-9911-4; ISBN0-7432-9911-6), 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.
