Sam Adams: Brewing Patriots.

Samuel Adams is introducing a new beer to its family. Celebrating Boston's 375, Sam Adams released for "draft only" a Colonial Ale at the BeerSummit Octoberfest, on tap at the Tour Center in JP. What followed was an advertising campaign wishing Boston a Happy Birthday and conincidentally placing the beer on tap at a lot of Boston's beer friendly local bars. The much publicized Boston 375 Colonial Ale was a hit in the limited locations it was served and a second round was released. Bostonist has found it over near Faneiul Hall (where a statue of Sam Adams stands and the yearly Jim Koch dunk occurs), at the Thirsty Scholar in Somerville (we had a heated debate at the tour center about which side of the line T.S. was on) and recently down at the Joshua Tree in Davis Square. 375 was told by Northeastern Co-op intern at Sam Adams that the brewmasters tried to brew it “more like Sam Adams would have brewed beer,” it uses more molasses in fermentation that sugary malt like modern beer.

Jim Koch and the Sam Adams Nation aren’t satisfied with one release for the fall season. They got their hands on some really awesome hops and brewed up some Imperial Pilsner. Boston Beer Company isn’t going to waste our time celebrating the harvest with another pumpkin spice ale. They celebrate like any good beer-drinker celebrates the harvest: a butt load of hops. Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops, a rare, fine, hand chosen hop, is used in the new Imperial Pilsner that hits shelves this week in a 24 oz. bottle. Bostonist thinks that one time when we toured the brewery hosted by the brewmaster himself, Jim Koch, that we may have tasted the younger sister of this beer, the discontinued India Pale Ale. Koch had to go over to Germany to get these hops direct from the grower—no dealer involved in this trade. Not only does the newest Sam Adams product feature an outrageous amount of hops, it’s also got a whopping 8.8% Alcohol by Volume. Shame that all this time you were drinking 5.9% Harpoon IPA because you thought it got you drunk quickest. Let us know where you’re picking up the twenty-fours in your neighborhood.

Join Bostonist tomorrow on the Brewery Tour at 5:30 p.m. It's Veteran's Day and after the parade. The Stony Brook T stop is now adorned with wayfinding signs to the brewery, so you'll get more tipsy and less lost.

Matthew Nelson collaborated on this post.