The maker of Samuel Adams is wading deeper into the taproom business.
The Boston Beer Company — which makes and markets a variety of beer, cider and FMB products — today announced plans to open a 9,000 sq. ft. taproom just steps away from its current Cincinnati production facility.
The new retail establishment, slated to open this fall, will feature on-site brewing capabilities as well as unique beers made exclusively for taproom visitors.
“We’ve been dreaming of opening a taproom in the neighborhood since we purchased the brewery 21 years ago, so we could share our beers with local drinkers,” founder and chairman Jim Koch said via a press release.
Located at the entrance to Findlay Market, the new Samuel Adams-branded taproom is part of a project led by Urban Sites, the “largest private market-rate developer and real estate company” in the Over-The-Rhine district of Cincinnati.
According to Urban Sites, Findlay Market had 1.2 million visitors in 2016 and is the fourth most-visited destination in Cincinnati.
“Cincinnati is my hometown with such a rich brewing history and I’ve seen our city blossom as a craft beer mecca that is home to some of the finest breweries and taprooms in the country,” Koch said in the release.
Indeed, the new taproom will be located less than a quarter mile from popular Cincinnati craft brewery Rhinegeist, which was founded in 2013 and ranked as the 33rd largest craft brewery in the U.S. last year, according to industry trade group the Brewers Association (BA).
“The goal for our new tap room is to offer beer enthusiasts in the area a cool place to hang out while they enjoy some really unique and interesting beers made right here in Cinci,” Koch added.
Boston Beer, which purchased the former Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery in 1997, also owns and operates a large-scale production facility in Pennsylvania as well as a research-and-development facility in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston.
Last November, in an attempt to engage Boston-area drinkers, the company opened its first full-fledged taproom in a redesigned space at the Jamaica Plain brewery.
The following month, Koch told the Boston Business Journal that the company was eyeing a second location, in the Faneuil Hall area of downtown Boston.
“We’d love to bring the brewery experience to a more accessible site in Boston,” he said at the time.
Although the company has yet to open up a Boston taproom, Koch will get his chance to make his flagship beer brand more accessible this week, when the “Sam Deck” at Fenway Park opens for the Red Sox home opener on Thursday.
The company, which owns the Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea and Truly Spiked & Sparkling product lines, as well as the smaller Traveler Beer, Coney Island, Concrete Beach and Angel City offerings, was ranked as the second largest craft brewery in the U.S. by the BA last year.
But in recent years, it has struggled to compete with smaller taproom-minded breweries. Koch and other Boston Beer executives have repeatedly blamed their declines on increased competition from smaller upstarts that have lured consumers away from on- and off-premise retail locations with the opportunity to buy product directly from the brewery.
The amount of barrels sold directly to consumers has grown considerably since 2015, according to BA economist Bart Watson. That year, an estimated 1.75 million barrels were sold via brewery-owned taprooms and retail outposts. In 2017, own-premise sales grew to about 2.7 million barrels, the BA estimates.
A press release with additional information is below.
On Tap Soon! Samuel Adams to Open New Tap Room Across from the Brewery in Cincinnati’s Historic Over the Rhine Neighborhood
Doors scheduled to open Fall of 2018
CINCINNATI, April 2, 2018 – Cincinnatians will soon have a new option for happy hour and tap room excursions. Today the brewers at Samuel Adams proudly announce their plan to open a new tap room in the historic Over The Rhine neighborhood, in the fall of 2018. The site will be located directly across from the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery at the Urban Sites’ Film Center Project – at the entrance to Findlay market.
The nearly 9,000 square ft. tap room will brew onsite and feature both indoor and outdoor space. The tap room will be a fun and inviting place for drinkers to enjoy a wide variety of unique beers, brewed exclusively onsite and at the Cincinnati brewery including fan favorites such as Cincinnati inspired lager 513, Boston Lager and Summer Ale. Drinkers will be able to purchase growlers and crowlers of select beers on tap. Additionally, many of the design elements visitors will see was inspired by the rich history and brewing heritage of Cincinnati.
Additional details forthcoming, and completion of project is dependent on securing permits and construction. Sam Adams recently opened their first tap room at their Boston Brewery.
Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams, on the Tap Room
“We’ve been dreaming of opening a tap room in the neighborhood since we purchased the brewery 21 years ago, so we could share our beers with local drinkers. However, our main focus up until now has been to continue to improve and enhance our brewery capabilities. Now, I’m thrilled to see this dream finally become a reality. Cincinnati is my hometown with such a rich brewing history and I’ve seen our city blossom as a craft beer mecca that is home to some of the finest breweries and tap rooms in the country. The goal for our new tap room is to offer beer enthusiasts in the area a cool place to hang out while they enjoy some really unique and interesting beers made right here in Cinci. I look forward to sharing a beer with our neighbors in a few months!”
Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery
The new tap room location is across from the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery. Samuel Adams purchased the Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery in 1997 and currently has over 130 employees. Over the past 21 years the brewery has gone through a series of renovations, remediation projects, expansions, and improvements to the brewery buildings, the brewhouse, and surrounding property. Samuel Adams has also supported the local brewing and business community through various programs and partnerships. Through the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, the brewery has provided nearly $150,000 to 14 businesses in Ohio and coached or mentored hundreds more. Additionally, Samuel Adams has helped to preserve and celebrate the rich history of brewing in the area by supporting organizations such as the Brewery Heritage Trail and ArtWorks.
About 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 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, please visit www.samueladams.com