What inspired you to start a small brewery when no one else was doing that?

It was all mass domestics at the time. I figured Sam Adams wouldn’t be just small, but infinitesimal. I greatly underestimated the number of people who were interested.

Now, with six-tenths of one percent of the market, Sam Adams is still small in the American beer landscape, but I like to compare us to the Porsche. A small number of people own Porsches, but everybody knows that car. We’re the same way. We’ve made a bigger impression than the number of beers we sell.

Are people’s tastes in beer becoming more sophisticated?

Absolutely. Recently, The Today Show had a segment on beer called “Beer Is the New Wine.” That captures what’s going on— just like thirty years ago, when people got interested in varieties of wine beyond red, white, and rosé. All that’s happening with beer now. People are drinking less but drinking better. Instead of 30-pack of domestic beer, they may buy a 12-pack of Sam Adams. And they enjoy it more. People are discovering a whole world of flavor.

What’s the appeal for you to make new beers?

As a brewer, I’m interested in exploring the range of tastes I can make and expanding the range of what’s available. Giving our drinkers new styles that they’ve never had before continues the bond we have with them. It keeps them as well as me interested. Our business has grown by challenging beer drinkers.