Too big for the throne: Sam Adams fighting to keep craft beer status

Samuel Adams Brewing Company, aka Boston Beer Co. had been the leader of the pack in craft beer since the 90s. Its flagship Boston Lager is known throughout the country and parts of the world. Sam Adams is also known for its highly addictive seasonal offerings, summer ale, Oktoberfest, and winter lager, as well as the new Noble Pils.

Samuel Adams is the first brewery people think of when somebody says, “name a microbrewery.” If the government has their way, the people will have to think of a new brewery when thinking craft; Sam Adams is on the precipice of producing so much beer that it would no longer be considered a “craft” brewery anymore.

With brew houses in Brienigsville, PA and Boston, MA , Sam Adams is capable of produce almost two million barrels (a barrel is a unit of measure equaling 42 gallons). But once that 2,000,001st barrel is made, the brewery will no longer be allowed in the craft beer category.

What does this have to do with the government? Well, why else would the government care? MONEY! Upon producing that 2,000,001st barrel of beer the tax on the individual barrel jumps from 3.50 to 7.00 dollars for the first sixty thousand and from 16 to 18 dollars for each additional barrel. This could mean shear disaster for the brewery.

President of Boston Beer Co. Jim Koch is left with a choice. Continue forth and pay the ridiculous tax, shrink the product line, or blow it out and create as much beer as brewing giants like Heineken.

This is where we come in. do we want Sam Adams to make more beer? Won’t that affect the great taste we’ve grown to know and love? They don’t seem to think so. But who knows?

The brewery at this moment is focused on its highest priority, us. They want to keep making delicious beer that we can go back to time and time again… something craft beer drinkers don’t normally do.

Rest assured, in the event that the 2,000,001 barrel is made, it’s not going to taste any different that the 2,000,000th. The major issue is the taxes that may force the company to raise prices, or start brewing more beer.

With the current plethora of government issues I strongly doubt this is going to turn up on the desk of congress anytime soon. However it is something to think about for the future.

To look at it from the positive end, this brewery is capable of making over two million barrels of beer! All of this from company that Koch started from scratch, using a generations old recipe that would ultimately become Boston Lager.

This is how far craft beer has come in the last 26 years. And there is no sign of letting up. So cheers to you Sam Adams. The first craft beer to become a household name, the first craft beer to make a dent in the status quo. Congratulations.