DRAFT Magazine

The Samuel Adams Employee Homebrew LongShot competition is one of the coolest perks in corporate America: Each year, every Sam Adams employee (besides those who work in the brewery) are placed in random teams and asked to craft an outstanding homebrew. Brewing expenses are paid, and they’re even granted a half-day of vacation time to brew. The group then chooses its favorite, which moves on through further match-ups, until three finalists remain. After a vote, the winning beer is brewed, bottled, and sold under the Sam Adams umbrella.

On Saturday, DRAFT was there in the flesh to witness the crowning of a new champion. All three entries were so outstanding (attendees are still pushing for the trio to be brewed for an employee mix-pack), but the super-close vote left Carissa Sweigart, part of the brewery’s sales staff, with her mug on a Sam Adams bottle. Below, our notes on the finalists.

THE WINNER:

Cranberry Wit, by Carissa Sweigart, national account manager
Carissa’s wit was Thanksgiving dinner in a glass… but somehow also reminiscent of summer. Brewed with real cranberry juice, the beer has a bit of sweetness, but the cranberry’s scent and tartness were the more noticeable characters. Spiced with orange peel, cinnamon, coriander, and grains of paradise, Cranberry Wit is fragrant and full of flavor. And with a nearly 5.0% ABV, it’s the perfect accompaniment to holiday feasts.

THE FINALISTS:

Allspice Honey Wheat, by Dave McNally, legal team contract manager
A touch of allspice gives this brew a flavor we’d never experienced before in a wheat beer. The beer is light but sturdy, with a level of spice that’s appropriate for the mouthfeel, making it dangerously drinkable and thought-provoking all at once.

Belgian Style Spiced Dubbel, by Swapna Mehta, senior manager of operations finance
Leave it to a financial guru to get all scientific with her homebrew: Though a bit of nutmeg is added to the brew, Swapna coaxed most of the beer’s spice from the yeast’s esters. Nutty with a bit of banana in the nose, the beer is dark but certainly sessionable.

The finalists

The man who started it all, Jim Koch

The finalists with the winning homebrew.