Big beer helps little beer: Sam Adams to help craft brewers during hops shortage

The brewers of Sam Adams have made the stand-up decision to sell tons of their hops to craft brewers on an at-cost basis, helping out the struggling microbrewers during the nationwide hops shortage.

Boston Beer Company founder and master brewer Jim Koch said:

For a couple of months now, we’ve all been facing the unprecedented hops shortage and it’s affected all craft brewers in various ways. The impact is even worse on the small craft brewers–openings delayed, recipes changed, astronomical hops prices being paid and brewers who couldn’t make beer.

So we looked at our own hops supplies at Boston Beer and decided we could share some of our hops with other craft brewers who are struggling to get hops this year. We’re offering 20,000 pounds at our cost to brewers who need them. (thanks, Universal Hub!)

I have yet to figure out exactly who will take advantage of this offer, but I wager that small-time New England breweries like Smuttynose and Magic Hat are no doubt feeling the crunch, as I’ve seen their brew prices increase by nearly 25% ($9.49 for #9) at the always-cheap Trader Joe’s in Brookline.

Cheers to Jim for your corporate social responsibility efforts. Now please get rid of the Cranberry Lambic. It’s disgusting.