The Recipe For One Of The Best Classic American Beers Was Found In A Garage Attic

You never know where you may find inspiration for the next big thing. For the brewers of one classic beer, it was buried away in a garage attic. This is the origin of the recipe for Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which rose from a regional craft favorite to a nationally known beer icon. As our ranking of the classic American beers show, that humble origin didn't stop the brew from reaching the top tier among its peers.

The story, detailed in Cincinnati Magazine, comes directly from Jim Koch. He founded the Boston Beer Company and is credited as one of the leading figures in the early American craft beer movement. Koch came from a long tradition of brewmasters, including his father and grandfather. When he decided to start a brewery of his own, his father unearthed the recipe that would become Boston Lager. Stashed in a trunk filled with "stacks of old car magazines on top of his brewing notes and course material from brewmaster school," it had sat languishing in the garage attic of his parents' house. Jim's great-great grandfather had used the recipe at Louis Koch brewery in St. Louis during the 19th century.

The resulting brew, dubbed Boston Lager, earned critical and customer acclaim when it was released back in 1985, and it remains a top choice for lovers of American beer today. Our reviewer noted the toasted and yeasty flavors that help define the beer, writing, "The sweetness and bitterness are balanced and subtle, boosting some of the warm, spicy, and malty notes." 

Boston Lager claimed the fourth-highest spot among 18 contenders in Mashed's ranking. It was bested only by third-place Shiner Bock, runner-up Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and champion Yuengling. On BeerAdvocate, it has received an 84 out of 100 rating ("good"). One example of high praise came from a reviewer who said the product was "my daily drinker, and has been for decades." Another person characterized it as having a "modest flavor, but well-balanced and fairly distinctive."

While this fan-favorite brew has become the signature beer of Massachusetts, drinkers anywhere in the U.S. will likely be able to find Samuel Adams Boston Lager at their local liquor store, supermarket, or other beer-seller. It's just one of the numerous beverages produced by Boston Beer Company, whose roster of offerings includes other types of alcohol such as hard seltzer Truly, Angry Orchard cider, and Twisted Tea.  So every time a fan takes a sip of Boston Lager, boozy cider, or another one of this company's popular offerings, they can be grateful that the Koch family didn't throw away their stacks of old papers.