Boston Beer Company Announces CEO Transition

Welcome Back Jim! This news from Boston Beer in Boston, Massachusetts:

Founder, Brewer and Chairman of the Board Jim Koch to assume CEO role; Michael Spillane to remain on board of directors

The Boston Beer Company announced a leadership change effective August 15, 2025. Michael Spillane has decided to step down as CEO to focus on important personal matters. He will remain on the company’s board of directors, on which he has served since 2014, now in the capacity as a non-executive director.

Jim Koch, Boston Beer founder, brewer and chairman of the board, will assume the role of CEO. Koch was previously CEO of Boston Beer from its founding in 1984 until January 2001 and has remained chairman since 1984.

“Michael has been with Boston Beer for nearly 10 years, first as a board member and most recently as CEO for the past year and a half,” said Koch. “He’s given us a steady leadership hand during a dynamic time for our industry, and under his guidance, we delivered one of our most profitable quarters in many years in the second quarter. I appreciate everything Michael has done for us, and we’re thrilled he’s going to continue to help shape our strategy as a member of our board of directors. I am confident in the strength of our management team and Boston Beer’s strategic direction and remain committed to delivering long-term value for shareholders.”

“After careful reflection, I’ve decided to take a step back to focus on some important personal matters,” said Spillane. “Since joining Boston Beer, I’ve seen the company revolutionize the craft beer and flavored malt beverage categories. It’s an amazing company with a great future and I look forward to contributing to its success from my seat on the board. I’d like to thank Jim, the board, the executive team, and all of Boston Beer’s coworkers for their friendship and support.”

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About Boston Beer & Samuel Adams:

Samuel Adams is a leading independent, American craft brewer that helped to launch the craft beer revolution. The brewery began in 1984 when Founder and Brewer Jim Koch used a generations-old family recipe to brew beer in his kitchen. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life with hopes drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavor and started sampling the beer in Boston. He named the flagship brew Samuel Adams Boston Lager in recognition of one of our nation’s founding fathers, a revolutionary man of independent and pioneering spirit.

Today, Samuel Adams is one of the world’s most awarded breweries and remains focused on crafting the highest quality beers through innovation and experimentation in the relentless pursuit of better. Samuel Adams remains dedicated to elevating and growing the American craft beer industry overall, including providing education and support for entrepreneurs and fellow brewers through its philanthropic program, Brewing the American Dream, which helps others pursue their American Dream. For more information, visit www.SamuelAdams.com.

Our Story

Our passion for never settling, and brewing quality, flavorful beers started with our founder, Jim Koch. He brewed the first batch of Boston Lager in his kitchen – a recipe that belonged to his great great grandfather that he found in his father’s attic back in the early 1980’s.

But, even though we grew, we continue to be an independent craft brewery that’s committed to brewing only the best-crafted beers for our drinkers.

At our Boston Brewery, we’re still trying new things every day; some good, and, well, some not-so good. We learn from the process, and never give up on the journey towards the next tasty beer. It’s our commitment to you that keeps us innovative, inspired, and striving to become better every single day.

In his National Best Seller, Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two, Jim offers unprecedented insights into the whirlwind ride from scrappy start-up to thriving public company. knows what they want, and moves forward bravely with an uncompromising spirit, despite the risks. Jim Koch took an entrepreneurial risk in 1984 to brew a better beer for the U.S. beer drinker. Now one of America’s leading independent craft breweries, Samuel Adams helped start a craft beer revolution that redefined the way people think about beer.

From pioneering aging beer in used spirit barrels to the innovative brewing process behind Sam ’76, we are constantly innovating.

Samuel Adams, often shortened to Sam Adams, is the flagship brand of the Boston Beer Company, a publicly traded American brewery founded in 1984 by Jim Koch and Rhonda Kallman. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. 

History and Founding

Jim Koch, a sixth-generation brewer, discovered his great-great-grandfather’s 19th-century beer recipe and brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen in the early 1980s.

He officially launched the beer in 1985, naming it after the American revolutionary patriot Samuel Adams, who was also involved in the brewing and malting business.

Boston Lager challenged the dominance of mass-market light lagers and helped spark the craft beer revolution in the United States.

In 1988, Samuel Adams became the largest-selling craft beer in the country. 

Notable beers and awards

Samuel Adams Boston Lager: The flagship product, based on an old family recipe, an amber lager brewed with a balance of caramel malt sweetness and spicy hop bitterness.

Samuel Adams American Light: A light craft lager with 4.2% ABV and 115 calories, made with American ingredients. It has won Gold and Best in Country at the World Beer Awards and Bronze at the Australian International Beer Awards.

Samuel Adams Just the Haze: A full-body, full-taste non-alcoholic IPA with 98 calories, named “The Best Non-Alc Beer In America”.

Utopias: A high-alcohol (28% ABV) extreme beer aged in various liquor and wine casks, including bourbon, port, rum, scotch, and peated whisky barrels. It is released biennially and considered a collector’s item. Utopias is banned in 15 states due to its high alcohol content.

Seasonals: Samuel Adams was an early pioneer in introducing seasonal beers, such as Octoberfest, Winter Lager, and Summer Ale, inspiring other brewers to innovate.

The company produces over 60 styles of beer under the Samuel Adams brand.

Samuel Adams is the official beer of the Boston Red Sox. 

Breweries and tours
The original Samuel Adams brewery, now a research and development brewhouse, is located in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood and is open for tours and tastings.

The company also operates breweries in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Breinigsville, Pennsylvania.

The Boston brewery offers a variety of tour experiences, including the “Beyond the Brewhouse” tour and the “Keller Crafted: Artisan Beer & Cheese Experience”. 

In addition to beer, the Boston Beer Company also produces Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Truly Hard Seltzer, and Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea.