Background – Samuel Adams Brewing
The Boston Beer Company “AKA Samuel Adams Brewing” was founded in 1984 by James “Jim” Koch as a limited liability partnership. Koch’s father and great, great grandfather were both involved in the brewing industry. Koch brewed his first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen, using the original family recipe for Louis Koch Lager. In March 1985, Samuel Adams was voted “Best Beer in America” at the Great American Beer Festival. The beer was first put on tap at Doyle’s Cafe in Jamaica Plain near Boston. Finally the Samuel Adams Brewing was opened in 1988. There are two other breweries in Cincinnati, OH and Lehigh Valley, PA. In 1995, The Boston Beer Company went public.
Experience
The only Samuel Adams Brewing open for tours and tasting is the Boston facility. Because of that we visited the brewery is in the old Haffenreffer Brewery compound founded in 1870. We arrived with our tour tickets in hand one rainy Monday morning. The Morning Mash In Tour was on our sites. It was interesting to learn the history, see the copper kettles in the brew house and taste, smell and touch some of the raw ingredients that make the beer. We completed the tour in a pub style tasting room. The crew sat at long tables, served pitchers of a few flagship beers and had the opportunity to try a specialty beer and evaluate an experimental brew!
We had a fun tour guide and we highly recommend a visit. If you take your stub to the famous Doyle’s Cafe mentioned above, you can get a glass and yet another free beer. For a great bite to eat, check out ULA Cafe in the same complex, across from Sam Adams. Recently, the Boston brewery opened a spacious tasting room and beer garden. Flights and pours can be enjoyed without taking a tour. Games are available also.
No nearby lodging noted but, its a two block walk from the Stony Brook stop on the Orange line.
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