Sedge
Well-Known Member
Ask and you shall receive. You can google 'boston beer company market share' or the like to get their figures. Here's the first hit: http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Boston_Beer_Company_(SAM) I'm at work so I can't do the digging properly. I remember numbers from a few years back being under 1% overall market share (with Sierra Nevada, Yuengling and a few others nearby in the third tier range) and something like 20% of the craft beer market. Here's another hit from CNN: http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/07/magazines/fortune/beer_koch.fortune/index.htm
I do not like the Cherry Wheat, but I don't hold them at fault for brewing it. As for the fruit syrup, there are plenty of worse things going into commerical beer as well as homebrew. Magic Hat, for instance, uses apricot flavoring for #9 with much success, and the canned fruit purees that work so well for homebrew are far from fresh fruit.
As for distribution, being on the east coast I do find Sam pretty much everywhere, with not much of the other guys. But when I visit my brother in CA, Sierra Nevada is just as prevalent (althouth they have Sam as well). They've been around for a couple decades now and have had plenty of time to get their name out there. Again I'll refer you to them having tv ads, and Sierra Nevada (and everyone else) relying on word of mouth, festivals, and trade publications.
If you read/listen to some Jim Koch interviews (there are plenty of them out there), he comes across as a really humble guy, and all their employees seem to love working for him. I find that to be craft brew all the way.
I do not like the Cherry Wheat, but I don't hold them at fault for brewing it. As for the fruit syrup, there are plenty of worse things going into commerical beer as well as homebrew. Magic Hat, for instance, uses apricot flavoring for #9 with much success, and the canned fruit purees that work so well for homebrew are far from fresh fruit.
As for distribution, being on the east coast I do find Sam pretty much everywhere, with not much of the other guys. But when I visit my brother in CA, Sierra Nevada is just as prevalent (althouth they have Sam as well). They've been around for a couple decades now and have had plenty of time to get their name out there. Again I'll refer you to them having tv ads, and Sierra Nevada (and everyone else) relying on word of mouth, festivals, and trade publications.
If you read/listen to some Jim Koch interviews (there are plenty of them out there), he comes across as a really humble guy, and all their employees seem to love working for him. I find that to be craft brew all the way.