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Beer Pioneer Jim Koch Shares Secrets About The Sam Can

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These days, a lot of people feel that beer is actually better in cans. Very different from when Jim Koch first launched Sam Adams, and canned beer represented corporate America. As with all good things in the culinary and drink world an attention to quality make a difference. I recently had the opportunity to ask Jim Koch about beer and the development of Sam Adams’s subtly unique can. As you can imagine, a man who estimates he’s tasted more than 21,000 beers in his lifetime has a lot of insights about America’s favorite alcoholic beverage. Our email discussion has been lighted edited and the order of some questions changed.

Boston Beer Co.

Tell me about the Sam Can.

Our can design required a million-dollar investment in special equipment along with two years of time, research, and testing. It may seem a little crazy to make that kind of investment, but we felt the improvement in the experience for our drinkers was worth the expense. We think that the difference is a subtle but noticeably better drinking experience than the standard beverage can.

What was the inspiration behind the can itself?

We wanted drinkers to be able to take our beer in places where bottles can’t go, like the beach, hiking, golfing, boating and BBQs.  Cans also protect the liquid from sunlight and oxidation, which can compromise the flavor of beer.

In 2007, we developed our Samuel Adams Pint glass, which was designed to enhance the drinkers’ experience when enjoying our flagship Boston Lager. With an outward turned lip, rounded shape and laser etching on the bottom to create bubbles for constant aroma release, our Samuel Adams Pint glass elevates the drinking experience. We took that mentality and focused our efforts on creating the best can for craft beer.

Why is the Sam Can better than the normal beer can?

When drinking from the Sam Can, you’ll notice several important differences from your standard beer can. The larger, wider lip helps open your mouth allowing for more air flow with every sip. The can opening is located slightly further away from the edge of the lid, placing it closer to the drinker’s

Sam Adams has finally jumped on the can-wagon.

Boston Beer Co.

nose to help accentuate hop aroma. The hourglass ridge creates turbulence which ‘pushes flavor out of the beer’ and the extended lip places the beer at the front of your palate to maximize enjoyment of the sweetness from the malt. These aspects of the can work together to allow more airflow and aroma when drinking, which enhances the flavor of the beer.

The can design actually was a fairly intense development process, wasn’t it?

When we made the decision to can our beer, we knew we couldn’t use just any beer can. So, our team studied everything from how the can could potentially impact the flavor of a beer like Boston Lager to the ergonomics of how the beer flows from the can and hits the taste receptors on a drinker’s tongue. Collectively nicknamed the “Bunker Hill” team, we worked with can manufacturer Ball Corporation to understand can design, technology, and how to package premium beer in cans, as well as a team at IDEO, a recognized global design firm, to create the can design. Finally, we enlisted the help of GEI Consultants sensory expert Roy Desrochers, a recognized beer flavor expert who also works with the Master Brewer’s Association of the Americas and who has provided counsel to the brewing industry for almost three decades. With Desrochers’ help, we studied every aspect of the new can and the effect it had on our beer until we reached a final design.

What’s the best environment to drink the Sam Can? Where do YOU drink the Sam Can?

One of my favorite times to crack open a can of Boston Lager is when I’m kayaking around the salt marshes of Massachusetts. It’s a beautiful experience to enjoy a great beer like Boston Lager just about anywhere. The beauty of canned beer is the fact that it’s perfect to drink in any occasion – on a boat, at a game, on the beach etc. so really every environment becomes the perfect place to drink beer in cans.

Tell me about how Sam Adams started and what you’re looking forward to with the Boston Beer Co. in the year ahead?

I recently wrote a book, Quench Your Own Thirst – Lessons Learned over a Beer or Two which tells a lot of the story, but in short, I quit my job as a well-paid consultant in 1984 to start a brewery.  I had family recipe for a full-flavored beer that was drastically different than the pale, yellow fizzy beers that were available at the time. Using my great-grandfather’s recipe that my father found in his attic, I brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in my kitchen and started selling the beer door-to-door at Boston bars and restaurants. I chose the name because the patriot Samuel Adams was a Boston firebrand and a revolutionary thinker who fought for independence, and he was also a brewer who had inherited a tradition of brewing from his father, much like myself.

Separately, our philanthropic program Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream supports small businesses across the country through mentorship and speed coaching. It’s approaching nearly $17 million in micro-financing loans to food, beverage and craft brewing businesses nationwide.  I’m also looking forward to my yearly hop selection trip to Germany and the Yakima Valley.  And really, the best part of being a brewer is experimenting with new and interesting ingredients as well as brewing techniques. I look forward to coming to our brewery every day (I still taste test every batch of beer myself), and working with our brewery team to innovate and brew the next great beer for our drinkers.

 Nothing beats summer in New England. What entertaining tips can you to share with my readers?

My first tip is to make sure to have great beer on hand and lots of it! Beer is the absolute best pairing with food. For example, Summer Ale’s crisp wheat, citrus and pepper notes pair well with foods like seafood while our Boston Lager, with its sweet caramel malt, is a great pairing for the grilled flavor found in foods like burgers and steaks.

 

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