A cousin of patriot and president John Adams, Samuel Adams was known as a somewhat eccentric fellow and didn't have what you would call an easy life.  Born in Boston in 1722 to a father who was a brewer,  he was largely a failure in his attempted business ventures.  Early on in his career he attempted to dabble in the brewing craft himself, but without success.  Even in dress, he was known for wearing rumpled and unwashed clothes, and was often regarded as being somewhat of a slob.  But luckily for him, he was much more proficient as a writer in the cause for independence.   Adams made very clear what he thought of those who were not on board in the crusade against British colonial abuse:

“If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace.  We seek not your counsel, nor your arms.  Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”  

Samuel Adams is credited as being the first to publically suggest the formation of a Continental Congress.  A signer of the Declaration of Independence, he went on to serve as governor of Massachusetts before his death in 1803.

It is perhaps fitting that the legacy of Samuel Adams provided the inspiration to budding entrepreneur Jim Koch to use Adams' name for his fledgling brewery when he launched it back in 1985.  His award-winning flagship beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, was based upon a beer that Koch brewed in his kitchen from his great-great grandfather's 1880 recipe.  I remember purchasing my first six-pack of “Sam” at Alexander's supermarket in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1986.  I vividly recall my skepticism as I picked up the small, entirely enclosed cardboard box that housed the beer (not realizing its purpose was to protect the beer from damaging light).  My reasoning was that the beer was probably little more than an expensive interpretation of the standard light American-style lager.  But when I brought it home to my apartment and sampled it, I was admittedly blown away.  Never before had I sampled a domestic beer that could rival the quality of the finest European imports (and exceed them in freshness).  It is a medium-bodied lager blessed with the crisp spiciness of “noble hops” mostly from Germany and the Czech Republic.  Although somewhat pilsner-like in character, it has a somewhat more pronounced malty undercurrent than traditional European pilsners.  It is no wonder  that this beer was one of the primary catalysts of the American microbrewing movement.  Today, Samuel Adams is the leading craft brewer in the U.S.A., producing over one million barrels per year in Boston, Cincinnati and the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania.  It has since branched out to produce numerous excellent products, including a Boston Ale, Noble Pils, Summer Ale, Cherry Wheat and many others.

I must admit to having a certain respectful envy of Jim Koch and the enormous contribution he has made to the American brewing scene.  Sometimes I feel like perhaps I missed my calling and should have followed in his footsteps.  However, like the historic patriot Samuel Adams himself, I am not endowed with the business skills required to successfully launch such a venture.  With that in mind, I will content myself to do my part to spread the gospel of good cheer in beer, and defend the right to responsibly partake of it.  Those who similarly partake and agree with me should do no less!

Cheers,
Glenn