Boston, MA, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Samuel Adams, one of the pioneers of craft beer, today unveiled Samuel Adams Utopias 2025, the 14th release of the highly anticipated, barrel-aged extreme beer. Defying convention with a 30% ABV, Utopias 2025 is one of the strongest beers ever brewed, and as a result, is illegal in 15 states. This limited-edition beer is bottled in individually numbered ceramic vessels at a cost of $240 SRP, reflecting the rarity, complexity, and unparalleled craftsmanship of the liquid.
Since the introduction of Utopias in 2001, Samuel Adams founder and CEO of Boston Beer Company, Jim Koch, and the award-winning craft beer brewing team set forth two innovation goals:
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- Push the boundaries of barrel-aging techniques and flavor profiles to achieve a boundary-bending, barrel-aged beer that blurs the line between beer and fine spirits with increasingly strong and complex vintages.
- Reach the auspicious goal of achieving 30% ABV to make it one of the strongest beers in the world.
Each Utopias release explores uncharted territory, harnessing new blending techniques and the strength of the Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Brewing team. Most notably, this year, after 14 releases, Utopias 2025 marks a milestone for the team with the achievement of their decades-long goal of 30% ABV.
“When we first began the Utopias journey over thirty years ago, we set out to explore the limits of what beer could be,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. “Reaching 30% ABV is a remarkable milestone for Utopias— not for the number itself, but for what it represents: the relentless pursuit of craft without compromise. Every vintage, barrel, and bottle reflects decades of experimentation, innovation, and collaboration, delivering a sipping experience that is truly unparalleled, collectible, memorable, and worth the wait.”
The Challenges of Brewing High ABV Beers
The biggest challenge in brewing a high ABV beer is the flavor and quality. Sam Adams has brewed 24% - 28% ABV+ beers since its first release in 2001. Utopias leverages the technical skills with a blend of proprietary yeasts that can withstand the conditions. However, the Sam Adams brewing team was not singular in its pursuit. Flavor, above all, drives this revolutionary team of brewers.
About Barrel-Aging Utopias 2025
The barrel-aged ale blends vintages aged up to 30 years and achieves its flavor through a blend of liquids finished in Irish Whiskey, Amarone, and White Port barrels, along with traditional Ruby Port, Carcavelos, Cognac, and Scotch casks to deliver the layered flavors of caramel, oak, dried fruit, smoke, and subtle citrus.
How It’s Made
Utopias 2025 reflects decades of innovation and the collaborative spirit of The Boston Beer Company. The journey first begins at the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery, where the beer is brewed and fermented. Next, it moves to the Utopias Vault at the Pennsylvania Brewery in a towering 6,000-square-foot, climate-controlled space for barrel aging. After achieving the desired age, brewers blend it with previous vintage Utopias at the Boston Bier Keller, and the beer is finally bottled at Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware.
Each bottle is a heritage collectible, with the numbering system corresponding to employee hire order – the first bottle belonging to founder and brewer Jim Koch.
How To Enjoy It
Utopias is ruby-black in color and non-carbonated. A brew as unique, complex, and spirited as Utopias 2025 should be enjoyed in a glass that enhances its aroma and flavor, such as a small-bowled Cognac or snifter glass at room temperature, in one-ounce pours. The beer behaves as a fine spirit, as the bottle can be resealed to enjoy at a later date and should not be refrigerated.
Where To Buy It
While it is illegal to sell in 15 states, the exclusive beer is legal in 35 states, including California, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and more. Available in select specialty beer, wine, and liquor stores, beginning today for a suggested retail price of $240 per 24.5-ounce bottle.
Key Information About Samuel Adams Utopias 2025
- Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 30%, the highest in Utopias history
- Limited Availability: Legal in 35 states; illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia
- Bottle Size & Packaging: 24.5-ounce handcrafted ceramic bottles
- Price: $240 per bottle
- Serving Instructions: 1–2 ounces per pour at room temperature; 12–24 servings per bottle
- Blending & Aging: Combines vintages up to 30 years old
- Cask Finishes: Irish Whiskey, Amarone, White Port, Ruby Port, Carcavelos, Cognac, Scotch
- Tasting Notes: Caramel, oak, dried fruit, subtle smoke, and citrus
For more information, visit SamuelAdams.com or follow @SamuelAdamsBeer on social media.
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ABOUT SAMUEL ADAMS: THE BEER
Samuel Adams is a leading independent, American craft brewer that helped to launch the craft beer revolution. The brewery began in 1984 when Founder and Brewer Jim Koch used a generations-old family recipe to brew beer in his kitchen. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life with hopes drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavor and started sampling the beer in Boston. He named the flagship brew Samuel Adams Boston Lager in recognition of one of our nation's founding fathers, a revolutionary man of independent and pioneering spirit. Today, Samuel Adams is one of the world's most awarded breweries and remains focused on crafting the highest quality beers through innovation and experimentation in the relentless pursuit of better. Samuel Adams remains dedicated to elevating and growing the American craft beer industry overall, including providing education and support for entrepreneurs and fellow brewers through its philanthropic program, Brewing the American Dream, which helps others pursue their American Dream. For more information, visit www.SamuelAdams.com or follow @SamuelAdamsBeer
About The Boston Beer Company
The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer and has since grown to become one of the largest and most respected craft brewers in the United States. We consistently offer the highest-quality products to our drinkers, and we apply what we’ve learned from making great-tasting craft beer to making great-tasting and innovative “beyond beer” products. Boston Beer Company has pioneered not only craft beer but also hard cider, hard seltzer, and hard tea. Our core brands include household names like Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Samuel Adams, Sun Cruiser, Truly Hard Seltzer, and Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea. We have taprooms and hospitality locations in California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. For more information, please visit our website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to our respective brand websites.
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Devon Savage Samuel Adams devon.savage@bostonbeer.com HUNTER SamAdams@hunterpr.com
