Samuel Adams Announces 2014 National LongShot American Homebrew Contest Winners

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The brewers at Samuel Adams today proudly announce the latest in a line of talented and imaginative LongShot American Homebrew Contest winners, at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver – craft beer's most celebrated gathering. This year's winners include Forestville, California resident Greg Rasmussen's Robust Porter, Smithtown, New York resident Matthew Knott's Classic Rauchbier and Samuel Adams employee John Marra's Dunkelweiss. The three winners will now be able to share their homebrewed creations with craft beer lovers across the country when these winning brews are bottled and made available nationwide next spring as part of the 2015 Samuel Adams LongShot variety six-pack.    

Samuel Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch has been hosting the annual LongShot homebrew contest since 1995 to recognize and honor American homebrewers who continue to push boundaries and challenge the notion of what beer can be, just as Jim did in his kitchen 30 years ago when he first brewed what would become Samuel Adams Boston Lager. American craft beer has undergone a revolution over the past three decades, with more than 3,000 brewers currently operating, compared to about 50 in 1984. This boom is thanks in large part to homebrewers and craft brewers like Jim Koch, who are resilient, unafraid to challenge the status quo, and passionate about quality craft beer. Past LongShot American Homebrew Contest winners have gone on to become professional brewers, turning their homebrewing hobby into a full-time career. The most recent example is Cesar Marron, winner of the 2013 LongShot American Homebrew Contest, who opened Sketchbook Brewing Company in Evanston, IL following his win.

"I know firsthand that brewing great beer in your own home is a messy and challenging, yet rewarding, endeavor – definitely more of a passion than a weekend hobby," said Jim Koch. "These dedicated LongShot winners are brewing high-quality beer and now they will get the chance to share their delicious brews with craft beer lovers across the country. Greg Rasmussen's Robust Porter, Matthew Knott's Classic Rauchbier and John Marra's Dunkelweiss are outstanding brews that are worthy of this great opportunity."                     

Samuel Adams also recognizes the ambitious and adventurous brewing spirit of its own employees and chooses an annual employee homebrew winner to include in the LongShot variety six-pack alongside two consumer winners. This year's employee winner, voted on by visitors to the Samuel Adams Brewery, is John Marra, Samuel Adams Brewery Representative in Brooklyn, NY.

A panel of industry judges including Bob Townsend of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tony Forder of Ale Street News, John Holl and Julie Johnson of All About Beer Magazine, Tom Dalldorf of Celebrator Beer News, Jeff Cioletti from Beverage World and esteemed beer writers Jay Brooks and Marty Nachel, joined Jim Koch in selecting the consumer winners. Together, they selected the winning brews based on the American Homebrewers Association Beer Judge Certificate Program guidelines. Each beer was carefully evaluated on the aroma, appearance, flavor and mouthfeel according to the style category under which it was submitted.

About the winners:

• Greg Rasmussen's Robust Porter: This traditional robust porter is full of complex malt flavors. The variety of malts in this beer contribute flavors of cocoa, coffee, toffee, and slight vanilla to create a wonderful roasted yet balanced beer. This gorgeous mahogany porter has a roasty and chocolate aroma. The beer is complemented by slight citrus and earthy notes from the US and UK hops.
• Matthew Knott's Classic Rauchbier: This deep copper colored Rauchbier has all of the flavors you would expect in this traditional style: smoky, slightly savory with a malty sweetness and roastiness.  The smoky flavors are balanced by a light toffee malt character and slight citrus from the hops. The brew finishes with a lingering smokiness, sweetness and subtle hop character.
• John Marra's Dunkelweiss: This beer is brewed with a traditional Bavarian yeast that contributes to the variety of aromas and flavors.  The aroma is characterized with notes of tropical fruits and clove.  The malted wheat contributes a bright clean cereal note, which complements the spicy flavors of clove, nutmeg, banana and a slight sweetness.

The 2015 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest variety six-pack will be available nationwide in select retail stores in the spring of 2015. The variety pack will include two bottles each of Greg Rasmussen's Robust Porter, Matthew Knott's Classic Rauchbier and John Marra's Dunkelweiss.

Learn more:

• For Samuel Adams recipes and pairing suggestions visit www.samueladams.com
• For additional information and to locate a retailer visit www.samueladams.com

Samuel Adams, Boston Lager, LongShot, and American Homebrew Contest are registered trademarks of The Boston Beer Company.

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 would soon become a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 60 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 is one of world's most awarded breweries at international beer competitions. 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.

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