Samuel Adams Announces 2nd Annual Samley Cup

Homebrew Competition Expands Nationally and Challenges Staff at Beer Establishments Across Canada to Develop Their Own Beer

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Samuel Adams is proud to announce the return and national expansion of Samley Cup, a homebrew competition launched regionally last year to challenge local bar and restaurant staff to homebrew a quality beer worthy of carrying the Samuel Adams name. Based on the success of the first annual competition, Samley Cup is now open to staff at participating establishments throughout Canada.

Last year's winning "Blueberry Tawn Ale" was brewed by a team at Bier Markt Esplanade in Toronto using a variety of malt varieties, Hallertau hops, brown sugar, and fresh Ontario blueberries, yielding a complex and flavorful beer that impressed the judges.

Samuel Adams has long been a champion of homebrewing. In fact, twenty eight years ago, Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams, brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager® in his kitchen and that first brew went on to help start the craft beer revolution. Over the years, Jim has helped other aspiring homebrewers realize their brewing dreams through homebrew contests like Samley Cup and Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest.

"Since brewing the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in my kitchen 28 years ago, I've continued to explore interesting ingredients and different brewing techniques to create really interesting beers," said Jim Koch. "Samley Cup encourages participants, who are serving and cooking with beer every day, to rethink the possibilities of what beer can be and empowers them to create their own one-of-a-kind brew."

A panel of industry judges including Dean Gianocostas, brewer at Samuel Adams, Jordan St. John, beer blogger and national beer columnist for Sun Media, Crystal Luxmore, beer columnist for The Grid, Mirella Amato, beer writer, educator and founder of Beerology, and Cass Enright, president and writer for The Bar Towel, will help select this year's winners.

Each beer in consideration for the Samley Cup will be carefully evaluated on the aroma, appearance, flavour, mouthfeel and overall impression according to specific homebrewing guidelines. In addition to taking home the coveted Samley Cup, the winning team will receive a trip to Boston to tour the famous Samuel Adams Brewery.  Awards will also be given for Best Name and Best Packaging and those winners will receive a bottle of limited edition Samuel Adams Utopias. All winners are invited to an exclusive Samuel Adams beer dinner to take place after the awards ceremony.

While judging has been underway regionally for weeks, craft beer fans are invited to attend the final competition which will be held at 7:00 pm on September 17 at the Bier Markt Esplanade in Toronto.

ABOUT THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY:
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father's attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen.  Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America.  That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager®, in recognition of one of our nation's great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit.  Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager soon became a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 50 styles of beer.  It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients.  Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening.  The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer' movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and in the past five years has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its single focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is America's largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market.  The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.

ABOUT MOOSEHEAD BREWERIES 
Moosehead Breweries is a Canadian leader in beer sales and marketing, representing a diverse portfolio including Moosehead, Cracked Canoe, Samuel Adams, Tennent's, Magners Cider, Paulaner, Twisted Tea and Hop City Brewing Co. In the United States, Moosehead Breweries distributes its flagship lager, along with Hop City's Barking Squirrel Lager. For more information on Moosehead Breweries, visit www.moosehead.ca.

SOURCE: Moosehead Breweries Limited

on Samuel Adams in Canada, please contact:

elevator communications inc.
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Geoff Vokes x.233 or Alexandra Sockett x.228
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