Monday, September 9, 2013

Raising a Pint to Boston Lager

So Jim Koch is officially a billionaire.

Koch once commented on the Boston Beer Company's success at becoming the largest craft brewery in the country. He likened the success to being the tallest pygmy in the room. Although with the announcement that Samuel Adams stock (NYSE: SAM) was selling at above the $224 mark last week, it makes you wonder what kind of private jet that pygmy owns?

For all the posturing and assuring that he, and Samuel Adams, aren't one of the big boys—but kinda are—I still have to say, I think they do a pretty good job. Boston Beer Company (which includes the brands Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea and most recently—under the Boston Beer Company subsidiary Alchemy & Science—Coney Island) runs a fine line between marketing and a solid product. Koch may come off as a bit of a zealot in his TV and radio spots for Samuel Adams, and not all of Boston Beer Company's 70+ products may astound or amaze you (although most are quite good, and well made) but the one that started it all, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, still stands the test of time.

Boston Lager is truly a phenomenon. You can walk into almost any bar, pub or restaurant in the U.S. today and find it—be it bottle or draft. There aren't really any other craft beers you can say that about. That craft bit is pretty important, too—because it's still craft. I'm not just talking about the "legal" definition of craft, either. Your barrel pear year capacity or the revenue you generate is irrelevant to the quality of beer you make.

Boston Beer Company may be getting bigger everyday, Jim Koch might be a billionaire pygmy, and all those Boston Beer Company stockholders might be getting rich, but what really matters—at least to me—is that Boston Lager is still a pretty good beer.

8 comments:

  1. Absolutely. The lager is better than ever, in fact, more refined and tasty than 10-20 years ago. It was and is (IMO as well) a craft beer irrespective of what barrelage limits are or who controls the company.

    The Stock Ale is perfectly balanced and, unusually for America, a craft beer you can find in any large beer retailer which has a solid English flavour. I wish it was better known especially on draft. Just last night I had a Latitude 48 which was clean yet full-flavoured, full of fine hop flavours. Sure, not every beer in the range shines but many do including the Imperial Stout and Scotch Ale. I didn't know the Coney Island brand was theirs and I always liked those too.

    He deserves every success, took a lot of risks in the old days, and kept at it.

    There's lots of room for others to grow, too. Not all will be able to do it like he did, but they can grow and the market can accept new companies - there is more than 90% of the market to win! He's a giant with Maytag, Jackson, Papazian, Grossman, the Widmers (and others), each in his own way laid the ground for the craft beer scene today.

    Gary

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    1. Coney Island just came in—within weeks actually. That's significant for this area since Shmaltz just open its brewery, just 15 minutes north of Albany.

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  2. Boston Beer Co. is the giant of the craft beer industry producing something like 20% of the total craft beer reported to the Brewers Association in 2012.
    .. Boston Beer produces some very good beers.
    .. I enjoy their Noble Pilsner, Latitude 48 IPA, and several specialty beers. Eg., Saturday I enjoyed Sam Adams - Verloren Gose at a Denver brewery's Taphouse.

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    1. I actually really look forward to their Nobel Pils in the spring.

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  3. How big would Sam Adams have to become to stop counting as "craft"? 6 million barrels? 10 million?

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    1. A couple years back the Brewers Association changed their definition of a "craft" brewery—upping the maximum out-putage from 2 million bbls to 6 million. I'm pretty sure that was in response to Sam Adams. Will it stay capped at 6? Your guess is as good as mine.

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    2. I view it that since Anheuser Busch InBev, say, is shipping approximately 100 million barrels per year, the 6,000,000 figure is - in that context - reasonable. This takes account too of the growth (welcome) of one of the pioneers of the craft beer movement - of the very concept. But in the end for me it's taste - it's got a craft taste.

      Gary

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  4. The big man theory is a bit of a sideshow and an oxymoron when referred to with craft beer. The recent news is that the alcopops sales are the source of expansion these days.

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