I took a tour of the Boston Beer Company's (maker of Sam Adams Lager) brewery in Jamaica Plain (section of Beantown) a few years back, and I can swear that the tour guide said that Jom Koch's daughter's name is 'hidden' on every bottle of Sam Adams - not sure in what form, or if he was kidding, or what.
Anyone ever hear of this, and if so, is it true? And if true, where the hell is it?
Sounds like the artist Al Hirschfeld (not sure on the spelling). He used to incorporate his daughter Nina's name into all his drawings. It became a game with fans to try to find where it was in each drawing.
Bruce
Haven't heard that, but I heard the lager is made from Koch's great grandfather's (or some such relative) recipe -- a story I'm a little suspicious of.
Right. He also indicated on his signature how many "Nina"s where in the picture. It was fun to find - not that hard, but it made you look at the drawing. Thanks for writing.
Their website has the history. He's a nth-generation brewer, so I wouldn't doubt the story. Similar to the current batch (pardon the pun) of Coor's kids who are brewing what must be at least their grandfather's brew.
Yeah, I know Koch's from a brewing family. But the story about using his great-great grandfather's recipe strikes me as pat. Also, didn't Michael "The Beerhunter" Jackson say that, before Koch started his company, he and Koch had a night of bar-hopping and debate over what Koch's first style of beer ought to be? It's possible the debate ended with Koch stumbling home and finding the recipe, I guess.
What do the people who know their brewing history say? How likely is it that SABL is Koch's great-great grandather's beer?
Rightly so. The beer was designed, by, um... Lew will remember. I suspect a Google search of this newsgroup and rec.food.drink.beer will also reveal the real story.
Yeah, thanks what I was thinking, too... wasn't it that guy Owald or Oswald or Owade or something who seemed to be involved in the recipes of a lot of the early contract brews and who's "claim to fame(infamy)", in most newspaper stories, was having "created" Gablinger's (an early "light" beer, brewed by Rheingold). Seems he still pops up regularly in the latest, soon to be forgotten "new" beer type from a macro other than the big 3 or a contract brew.
It's possibly that Koch's great grandfather's "recipe" was "heat malted barley in water and add hops to taste" ... so Sam Adams is based on that.
Yup, that's the guy. Joe Owades.
:-)
When I met Jim Koch about five years ago at an appearance in Santa Monica, I had a chance to sit and chat with him over a brew before the festivities started. (He also paid for my beer for the night after I won a bet that I could name at least ten of SA's varieties. Too bad I had a
15-mile drive home and had to serve on a jury the next day, or I would have taken more advantage of that!) Jim told me about the aborted attempt at making a Sam Adams light beer, called "Lightship." His two kids' names were on the ship which was on the label of the bottle.The beer was such a failure that he said he would never again put his kids names on the label, for fear it would tank, and he did not want their names on a failed venture.
He also told me that he had learned his lesson and that there would never again be a Sam Adams light beer, either.
Liar.
-Ed
Ah ha, Ed - thanks - perhaps I'll assume in the mist of spelling the aroma of malt, hops, and mash, I heard the tour guide incorrectly and it was something that happened 'once'. I'll sleep easier now - and I enjoyed your tale!
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