Boston Beer Weekend: Sam Adams Taproom, Rare Brewery Pours & Late Night Pizza
In this episode, Adam and Dedra recap their Boston trip with a visit to the Sam Adams Taproom and the Boston Beer Company brewery in Jamaica Plain, complete with hazy IPAs, behind-the-scenes R&D beers, and a barrel-aged Boston Lager that sadly can’t be bought anywhere. Along the way, they enjoy Boston’s rainy weather, historic views, late-night pizza at 21st Amendment, a failed attempt to visit Cheers, and the ongoing mission to hear a real Boston accent in the wild.
Adam & Dedra
6/12/202610 min read
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Boston Beer, Sam Adams, and the Dangerous Side of an 11% Triple IPA
There are some trips where you come home with souvenirs, a few photos, and maybe a receipt you pretend not to look at.
Then there are trips where you come home with a new appreciation for historic brick buildings, brewery innovation, tiny plastic beer cups, and the realization that 48 degrees feels “refreshing” when you live in Phoenix and your normal summer forecast is basically “air fryer.”
This episode of The Adam and Dedra Show took us to Boston, Massachusetts, where we visited the one and only Sam Adams, also known as Boston Beer Company. And because we are responsible adults who make thoughtful decisions, we started the episode by drinking an 11% West Coast Triple IPA from Beer Zombies.
You know, just to keep things classy.
The Featured Beer: Beer Zombies: 16oz Love Letters West Coast Triple IPA
Before we got into Boston, we had to introduce the beer of the episode: Love Letters, a West Coast Triple IPA from Beer Zombies out of Las Vegas.
This thing came in at 11% ABV, which is the kind of number that makes you double-check the can and then start making better life choices tomorrow.
The hops included Nelson Hyperboost, Idaho 7 Hyperboost, Citra Cryo, and Simcoe. Now, we know Nelson. We know Idaho 7. We know Citra Cryo. But “Hyperboost” sounds less like a hop product and more like something you install in a street racing car right before Vin Diesel shows up and talks about family.
But once we took the first sip, the mystery didn’t really matter.
This beer was thick, flavorful, juicy, and dangerously smooth. It had that viscous Triple IPA mouthfeel where your tongue knows something serious is happening before your brain has had time to process the ABV.
Dedra said it best: it did not drink like 11%.
Which is exactly the problem.
First Stop: Sam Adams Taproom in Downtown Boston
Our Boston beer day started at the Sam Adams Taproom in downtown Boston, which we had actually passed earlier while doing a duck tour around the city.
Side note: if you have never done a duck tour, it is exactly what it sounds like. You ride around town in a vehicle that also becomes a boat, and somehow everyone just agrees this is normal. Boston makes it work.
The Sam Adams Taproom immediately caught our attention. It is a big two-story building with a beautiful patio, great views, and the kind of Boston scenery that makes you understand why people write songs about old cities and not about subdivisions named “Desert Vista Ranch Estates Phase 9.”
Boston is gorgeous.
Red brick everywhere. Historic buildings. Green trees. Beautiful bushes. Architecture that actually looks like someone cared when they built it.
Coming from Phoenix, where the landscaping is often rock, cactus, and one brave palm tree fighting for its life, Boston felt lush and alive.
The Patio That Made the Beer Taste Better
The upstairs patio at the Sam Adams Taproom was one of those places where the beer and the atmosphere came together perfectly.
There were picnic tables, umbrellas, a nice breeze, and a view overlooking the surrounding marketplace and courtyard area. It was sunny, the temperature was in the low 70s, and we were sitting outside with beers in our hands.
Basically, it was the kind of moment where you start thinking, “Maybe I could live here.”
Then you remember winter exists.
Dedra had the New England Juicy IPA, which fit the setting perfectly. There is just something about drinking a hazy IPA in Boston, outside, with a breeze and a view, that makes the beer taste ten times better.
Adam had Operation Hop: Alora (he said "Aurora" during the episode... Fail), a pale ale brewed at the taproom. It came in at 5.6% ABV, which after starting the episode with an 11% Triple IPA felt like ordering a salad after eating a whole pizza.
It was clean, easy drinking, and exactly the kind of beer you could sip while people-watching from a patio and pretending you are a relaxed traveler instead of someone trying to cram an entire city into four days.
Four Days in Boston Was Not Enough
We were in Boston for about four days, or four nights, depending on how generous you want to be with vacation math.
Either way, it was not enough.
Between the rain, the walking, the sightseeing, the food, the beer, and Dedra still recovering from her ankle injury, we were trying to do as much as possible while also not fully destroying her ability to walk.
The rain slowed things down a little, but honestly, coming from Phoenix, we loved it.
In Arizona, rain is an event. People walk outside and stare at the sky like nature just rebooted. Sometimes it rains for three minutes, leaves dirt streaks on your car, and then immediately goes back to 105 degrees.
So Boston rain? We were in.
Next Stop: The Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain
After pre-gaming at the Sam Adams Taproom, because apparently that is how you prepare for a brewery tour, we headed over to the main Sam Adams brewery in Jamaica Plain.
This is the historic home of Boston Beer Company and the place most craft beer fans would consider a must-visit.
When you walk in, one side has a full bar and the other side has a merchandise shop that is not just a few shirts on a rack. It is a full-on store.
Hats, shirts, bottle openers, magnets, stickers, beer trinkets, and yes, a little plastic clip that attaches to a beer can and turns it into a stein.
Is that ridiculous?
Yes.
Did we buy two?
Also yes.
Because sometimes you see something and immediately know, “This is dumb, and it belongs in my house.”
Pre-Tour Beers and Gift Shop Wandering
Before the tour started, we had just enough time to grab beers and wander through the gift shop.
Adam had the Brookside IPA, an American IPA at 6.6% ABV. It was one of the exclusive beers available at that location, which made it feel even more special. At the Jamaica Plain brewery, a lot of the beers are experimental or one-time releases. You might try something there and never see it again.
That is both exciting and rude.
Dedra had Jamaica Way, a New England hazy IPA at just over 7% ABV. It was an easy sipper and a perfect beer for browsing merchandise, which is a very dangerous combination if you are the type of person who can be talked into buying beer accessories.
Spoiler: we are those people.
The Research and Development Tour Was Worth It
Sam Adams offers different tours, but we chose the Research and Development tour, and we are so glad we did.
We ended up being the only ones on that tour, which meant it felt like a private behind-the-scenes look at Sam Adams’ innovation side.
We started with a small pour of Boston Lager, because of course you start a Sam Adams tour with Boston Lager. That beer is a classic for a reason. For a lot of people, Boston Lager was one of the early gateway beers into craft beer. It was flavorful, reliable, and everywhere.
Adam even used to save Sam Adams bottles for homebrewing because they were not twist-offs and could be capped again.
That is the kind of beer nerd recycling we support.
Behind the Scenes: Where the Beer Experiments Happen
During the R&D tour, we got to see areas where the team experiments with new recipes, small batches, and beers that may or may not ever make it beyond the brewery.
There was a small brew system, one-barrel fermenters, and a whole process where employees could bring in homebrews, put them on tap, and let others taste and leave feedback.
That part was especially cool.
It showed that even at a brewery as big and iconic as Sam Adams, there is still a creative, homebrew-style spirit happening behind the scenes. People are still experimenting. Still tasting. Still writing notes. Still trying to make something better.
That is one of the best parts of craft beer.
It is science, art, and a bunch of people saying, “What if we tried this?” and then seeing whether it turns into something great or something that should never be spoken of again.
The Beers We Tried on the Tour
As we moved through the brewery, we got to try several small pours.
One was a Czech-style lager, which was crystal clear, smooth, classic, and incredibly easy drinking. It was one of those beers that reminds you how good a clean lager can be when it is done right.
We also tried a fruited Berliner Weisse made with natural fruit. It was light, tart, and refreshing, and exactly the kind of beer that makes you say, “I could drink this all day,” right before remembering you are on a tour and not in charge of the schedule.
Then came the beer that stole the show.
Barrel-Aged Boston Lager: The Beer That Got Away
Toward the end of the tour, we went into a wild barrel room filled with wooden casks and fermenters.
That alone was cool.
But then we tried a barrel-aged Boston Lager paired with cheese.
Let’s pause there.
Barrel-aged. Boston. Lager.
That is not something we expected, and it ended up being Adam’s favorite beer of the whole experience.
It was rich, smooth, unique, and absolutely something we would buy if they sold it.
But they do not.
It was a one-time experimental beer.
Which feels unfair.
You cannot pour someone a barrel-aged Boston Lager, let them fall in love with it, and then say, “No, you can’t buy this.”
That is emotional damage in a tasting glass.
The Cold Room and the Long Beer Lines
Another fun part of the tour was seeing the massive cold storage area where they keep the kegs.
It was freezing in there.
Think of the walk-in beer fridge at Total Wine, then make it several times bigger and add enough space for pallets and forklifts. For us Phoenix people, this was not just a beer room. It was basically a seasonal experience.
We also learned about the long beer lines running to the taproom, which are temperature-controlled and even use pumps to move the beer properly.
Everything about the operation felt dialed in.
Sam Adams may be a large brewery now, but seeing the systems, the innovation rooms, the small-batch experiments, and the attention to detail made the whole place feel alive.
Dinner at 21st Amendment
After the brewery tour, we needed food.
Our friends had recommended 21st Amendment, and it was close to our hotel, so we ended up going there twice during the trip.
The first night, we got there around 9 p.m., and it was about 48 degrees outside.
For most people, that is chilly.
For Phoenix people, that is survival weather.
We walked in and the place was packed. Dark, crowded, loud, and stuffy. Since we had the kids with us, sitting inside did not sound ideal, so we ended up outside at the picnic tables.
Yes, outside.
In 48-degree weather.
With light rain.
And honestly? It was kind of perfect.
Cold, refreshing, and not Phoenix.
We ordered a margarita pizza with pepperoni on half, and for how late it was and how busy they were, it was excellent. Crispy crust, good flavor, and exactly what we needed after a long day of walking, drinking, touring, and pretending Dedra’s ankle was not filing a formal complaint.
The Wings That Never Happened
The only regret from 21st Amendment was not ordering the wings.
Dedra is a wing-and-fry person, and missing out on wings is not something she takes lightly.
We went back another night for drinks, and Adam tried to order food while Dedra was in the bathroom. Unfortunately, the kitchen was closed.
No wings.
Again.
Some wounds heal. Some do not.
We Tried to Visit Cheers… and Got Skunked
Of course, while in Boston, we also tried to visit Cheers.
The internet said it was open.
The internet lied.
We walked over, got there, and it was closed. There were workers inside, which somehow made it worse because we could see signs of life. We even walked partway down the stairs and looked in the window like sad out-of-town tourists trying to will the bar open through eye contact.
It did not work.
So we took a picture outside and called it a win.
Sort of.
Searching for the Boston Accent
One of Adam’s unofficial goals on the trip was to hear someone say “Boston Lager” in a real Boston accent.
Not a fake movie accent.
Not an Arizona guy doing a terrible impression after two beers.
A real one.
We heard a few hints of it here and there. A construction guy. A lady in CVS. Maybe a few people near a train station.
But Boston is such a mix of locals, tourists, college students, and people from all over that it was harder to find than expected.
Which made us look even more like tourists because every time we heard even a slight accent, we reacted like birdwatchers spotting a rare species.
“Did you hear it? Did you hear it? That was it!”
Final Thoughts on Sam Adams and Boston Beer
Visiting Sam Adams in Boston was special.
This is one of those breweries that helped shape the American craft beer movement. Whether you drink Sam Adams all the time or have not had a Boston Lager in years, there is no denying the impact they have had on beer in this country.
The taproom was beautiful.
The Jamaica Plain brewery tour was fascinating.
The experimental beers were memorable.
And that barrel-aged Boston Lager is now living rent-free in Adam’s head.
Boston itself was also incredible. The architecture, the rain, the history, the food, the beer, the patios, the walkability, and yes, even the cold weather made the whole trip feel completely different from home.
This was only one piece of our Boston adventure, and we still have more food, drinks, and travel stories to talk about.
But for this episode, Sam Adams gave us exactly what we love about craft beer: great beer, great stories, a behind-the-scenes look at the process, and a reminder that beer is always better when it comes with an experience.
So cheers to Boston.
Cheers to Sam Adams.
Cheers to experimental beers we may never get to drink again.
Here is the wild barrel room I spoke about in the episode