Samuel Adams Boston 26.2 Brew Officially Tapped for the 2016 Boston Marathon

Patriots’ Day will always hold a special place in my heart – it was on that day in 1985 that I officially released the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager. So whenever I see runners crossing the finish line on Marathon Monday, I’m reminded of my starting line 31 years ago.

As our city marks the 120^th running of the Boston Marathon, and our fifth year as a proud partner, we’re excited to bring back our commemorative race beer – Boston 26.2 Brew.  We brewed this year’s batch to help toast the runners, spectators, Bostonians and race volunteers of the 2016 Boston Marathon.

Yesterday, we tapped the first keg of Boston 26.2 Brew at the Boston Marathon Adidas RunBase, along with some very special guests. We were joined by Becca Pizzi, a heralded marathoner and the first American woman to accomplish the Word Marathon Challenge. That means she ran seven marathons…in seven days…on seven continents. Yeah, we could hardly believe it too! Becca spent nearly thirty hours running 183 miles over the course of seven marathons and flew 23,000 miles  from Antarctica to Chile, Florida to Spain, Morocco to Dubai and then to Australia. This year will mark her 16^th Boston Marathon, and her 52^nd marathon overall – what an amazing competitor, and the perfect person to help us kick of the Boston Marathon Season and this special beer. We were also joined by Joann Flaminio, President of the Boston Athletic Association, and our very own brewer Megan Parisi, who will be running the 2016 Boston Marathon alongside 20 other Samuel Adams employees.

Like a spot in the Boston Marathon itself, Boston 26.2 Brew is annually coveted by Bostonians. The beer is a Gose style, with a lighter body and lower alcohol level (4.5% ABV) than most Sam Adams beers. It’s a brew fitting for both runners racing to the finish line and spectators cheering them on! Boston 26.2 Brew is brewed with kosher salt, which imparts a soft mineral character, and coriander, which provides a subtle peppery spice to contrast the beer’s soft cereal notes and citrus character. I like to say it’s like an energy drink for adults!

Following the events that took place at the 2013 Boston Marathon, we committed to donating the profits from the sale of the beer to The Greg Hill Foundation, which provides support to survivors of the Boston Marathon tragedy and their families. This year, we are continuing that commitment and will donate profits from the sale of Boston 26.2 Brew sold in Boston and along the marathon route to The Greg Hill Foundation, which is helping to meet some of the long-term needs of survivors.

Boston 26.2 Brew will be available on draft only at race-related events, at our Brewery, at pubs and restaurants along the marathon route, and a limited number of pubs and restaurants throughout New England.

Click here to see where you can find Boston 26.2 Brew – and cheers!