On the 1st of January, as part of their efforts to reestablish themselves as major players in the beer market, CCA began distribution of iconic US brewer Samuel Adams.
Though today it rides high on the surge of interest in American craft beers, Samuel Adams grew out of humble origins in the microbrewing scene some 30 years ago. It came as a reaction against the dominance of mainstream beers, said founder and brewer Jim Koch.
“When I started brewing Samuel Adams 29 years ago, I wanted to push the boundaries of traditional brewing and introduce Americans to full-flavoured craft beer,” he said, “and that’s what excites me most about the current state of the craft beer industry in the US. Today, Germany and many other well-known beer countries look with excitement to the craft beer movement in the US for its boundless creativity and innovation.”
In addition to the flagship Samuel Adams Boston Lager (which started out as a homebrew in Koch’s kitchen), they’ve released a number of seasonal and experimental beers throughout the years — some of which CCA is considering for distribution come our winter. It’s these seasonal and special brews that have helped to cement Samuel Adams’ reputation as a leading light of the craft beer scene.
“At Samuel Adams, we strive to elevate people’s perception of beer by introducing new and innovative styles, like barrel aged beers, bringing back nearly-lost styles, and Belgian beers, to offer beer lovers an inspired drinking experience,” said Koch.
Koch is passionate about the brand’s achievements.“We were the first to age beer in barrels previously used for other alcoholic beverages,” said Koch. “More than 20 years ago, I started thinking about the far reaches of the beer universe. As big brewers were making their beers lighter and lighter, I was curious about the other end of the beer spectrum and wanted to continue exploring the uncharted territory of extreme brewing. Brewing an “extreme beer” was an adventure in brewing with an uncertain outcome. After several years of exploration, I released Samuel Adams Triple Bock in 1994 and set the record for the strongest beer ever (17.5% ABV). This was also the first time that any brewer in the U.S. had released a beer aged in barrels previously used for other alcoholic beverages. This practice is now one of the mainstays of American craft brewing.
“Triple Bock, the ancestor of all of our Extreme Beers, served as the archetype for Samuel Adams Millennium, a brew which commemorated the year 2000. In 2002, we introduced Samuel Adams Utopias which shocked the beer world with an incredible 24% ABV. With each new batch of Utopias, I was eager to push for more complexity and strength, producing brews with alcohol levels reaching 27% ABV over the last 10 years of Utopias’ existence, and an unprecedented 29% with this year’s batch. While some of our barrels have reached over 33% alcohol, we blend down to 29% because taste, not alcohol percentage, is the goal.”
You can find out more by contacting your CCA Representative