Press Release:
Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Craft Brewer Experienceship Recipients Introduce Collaboration Beers Brewed with Samuel Adams
Program Continues to Support Craft Beer Growth; Calls for Applicants In 2013
(Boston, MA) – Samuel Adams today announced the introduction of two new collaboration beers with the first recipients of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing and Business Experienceship, a mentorship opportunity offered as part of the company’s small business micro lending and coaching program.
The new beers are Boston Tea Party Saison, developed in collaboration with Jim Woods, brewer and founder of San Francisco-based MateVeza (www.mateveza.com), and ThreeNinety Bock, created in collaboration with Chris Spinelli and Jon Mervine, brewers and co-founders of Roc Brewing Co. in Rochester, NY (http://rocbrewingco.com/). The collaboration beers will have select distribution in California and New York, respectively, and be served in the tour center at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery.
The beers were the culmination of the two microbreweries’ participation in the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing and Business Experienceship, which like an extended internship, provides one craft brewer annually with hands-on educational and enrichment experiences, and is tailored to the awarded brewery’s business needs. The Experienceship includes a series of trips to the Samuel Adam’s Boston Brewery for extended coaching from various functional areas of The Boston Beer Company such as ingredients procurement, quality assurance, brewing, and sales and distribution, among others. The program also provides access to and funding for industry events.
“Brewing with MateVeza and Roc Brewing Co. is a terrific example of how craft brewers work together and support each other in the spirit of growing the entire craft beer industry and creating flavorful new beers,” said Samuel Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch. “Jim, Chris, and Jon are extremely talented brewers, and I understand their challenges because I also faced them when starting Sam Adams. I hope that they got a lot out of the Experienceship program. We had a great time brewing together, and I’m confident they’ll continue to grow and succeed as brewers.”
Koch added that the application process is open to up-and-coming craft brewers nationwide who are interested in participating in the 2013 Samuel Adams Brewing & Business Experienceship and currently part of the Brewing the American Dream program. Between now and the end of August brewers can submit applications, which will be judged by a panel of professionals in the craft beer and microlending industries, with a winner announced at the Great American Beer Festival in the fall. Additional information on the application process is available at btad.samueladams.com.
To date, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream has provided 11 loans to craft brewers across the country. Some are more established such as MateVeza and Roc Brewing, while others, like Big Shoulders Brewing Company in Chicago, are just starting out. The program has also worked with a variety of small businesses related to craft brewing, including Brooklyn Homebrew in New York that provides brewing equipment and ingredients for home brewers.
Taste the Collaborative Difference
Boston Tea Party Saison: Samuel Adams and MateVeza came together to brew a Saison, which is a farmhouse beer traditionally brewed in the autumn or winter for consumption during the summer for the farm workers. The final recipe combines MateVeza’s signature ingredient – yerba mate tea – and Samuel Adams’ one-of-a-kind Kosmic Mother Funk (KMF), a blend of wild yeasts and bacteria designed to give beers unique flavors. The bright and satisfying brew has a slightly earthy and deliciously fruity character with a hint of spice and a long dry finish.
ThreeNinety Bock: The brewers at Samuel Adams and Roc Brewing were inspired by the distance, in miles, between Boston, M.A. and Rochester, N.Y. – hence the name ThreeNinety Bock. At first glance the unconventional Maibock offers an appealing hue of tangerine. At first sip you experience the depth and character of robust bread crust and European malt. The brew has a subtle spice from rye malt and a marmalade sweetness that blends in a hint of smoke for good measure, and a slightly sweet dry finish that is sure to be enjoyed.
Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream
MateVeza and Roc Brewing Co. were loan recipients of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, which provides microloans and coaching to food, beverage, and hospitality small business owners, including small craft brewers.
First launched in June, 2008 and expanded nationally in 2012, Brewing the American Dream, in partnership with non-profit microlender Accion, has provided more than $2 million in loans to 235 small businesses nationwide, coached 3,000+ small business owners, and created or saved nearly 1,400 jobs. Food, beverage, and hospitality small business owners, as well as craft brewers can apply for loans ranging from $500 to $25,000 to be used for a variety of business purposes, with all loan payments recycled back into the fund.
The Boston Beer Company recently announced the expansion of the Brewing the American Dream program, which includes providing an additional $1 million in microloans to approximately 100 new small businesses and increasing the program’s coaching and mentoring activities for small business owners throughout the country.
For more information about the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, please visit http://btad.samueladams.com/.