Samuel Adams, a brand of Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., has been named the “official beer of the Boston Red Sox.” Samuel Adams and the Red Sox have entered into a multi-year partnership, bringing together two beloved Boston icons, the companies say.

In 1984, Samuel Adams Founder Jim Koch hit the streets of Boston, going door-to-door to introduce bartenders to his new full-flavored beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Sam Adams’ flagship beer, a leader of America’s craft beer revolution, was born in Boston. Many of the first bars and restaurants that carried the local brewer’s beer were around the Fenway neighborhood, giving special meaning to the new partnership, the company says.

“I moved to Boston the year of the ‘Impossible Dream Season.’ Now visitors to this historic ballpark will enjoy the freshest Sam Adams beer, while watching an incredible team playing under our sign over in right field. It’s my personal impossible dream come true,” said Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams, in a statement. “We got our start right here in Boston, and for the past three decades we’ve worked our butts off to stay independent and brew great beer. As the official beer of the Red Sox, we get to celebrate our New England roots with millions of other fans as soon as the season kicks off.”

Visitors to Boston’s storied, historic Fenway Park will start to see the multi-year partnership come to life as soon as January 2018. The following are additional details of the agreement:

• Two Sam Adams experiential bar areas: the right field roof deck now will be known as the “Sam Deck,” and a bar area located beneath the third base stands will be known as “Sammy’s On Third.”
• In addition to crowd favorites like Boston Lager and Summer Ale, fans will be able to enjoy new brews launching in 2018 like the highly anticipated Sam ’76.
• Visible signage throughout the ballpark including the iconic right field sign, which last changed nine years ago.
• As the official beer of the Boston Red Sox, Sam Adams will have opportunities to partner across New England and at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.

Sam Adams is the first American craft brewer to enter into a partnership with a Major League Baseball franchise for this length of time and at this level, according to the company. The move continues to highlight an important cultural shift as the popularity of American craft beer provides new opportunities for independent craft brewers.

“Both the Red Sox and Sam Adams are rooted in Boston tradition and history, and Jim Koch and the entire team are as passionate about beer as we are about baseball,” Red Sox President and Chief Executive Officer Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “We are excited for this long-term partnership, and look forward to working collaboratively to represent Boston through our two brands.” 

This also marks the first professional team partnership of this scale for Samuel Adams. The local craft brewer has also been the official beer of the Boston Marathon for several years, and throughout the years, it has had limited sponsorships or other arrangements with the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics and the Bruins. Since opening the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, the brewer has donated beer and tour proceeds to support hundreds of local and regional charities, as part of its commitment as a New England neighbor, it says.