Sam Adams Beer Was First Served On Tap At This Now-Shuttered Boston Pub

Samuel Adams has been brewing up some of the country's best, most popular beers since it opened in 1984. What's fascinating — and pretty rare for a brewery of its size — is that its very first sale can be tracked to one specific bar. One special bar had the foresight to give this brand-new, destined-for-success brewery a try. Once you learn about that bar, there are plenty of ways it proves a perfect partner for Sam Adams beer. The spot in question was Doyle's Cafe.

Doyle's Cafe was a natural first home for Sam Adams. It was in the brewery's own Boston home, serving up the aptly named Boston Lager. It was also a pub with a long, rich history, something a brewery named for a Bostonian founding father of the United States of America could certainly relate to. In fact, founded in 1882, Doyle's fostered the very kind of tavern environment that was crucial for the American Revolution's mission: a community gathering place that hosted everything from local meetings to birthday and anniversary celebrations. It's just the kind of place Sam Adams himself might have raised an ale.

In 1984, Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch headed out to personally try and sell local venues on his beer. Apparently, he'd already been turned down by some bigger, fancier businesses. But Doyle's Cafe owners Bill, Ed, and Gerry Burke decided to give the young entrepreneur a shot and debuted Sam Adams Boston Lager on tap — to immediately successful results.

Doyle's Cafe patrons took well to Sam Adams Boston Lager, a full-flavored yet refreshing and easy-drinking beer that would have instantly stood out against the widely available options in 1984, like Budweiser. Word spread, and by 1988, Sam Adams was the best-selling craft beer in the United States — Jim Koch had essentially become one of American craft beer's founding fathers, true to the spirit of the American founding father for which his brewery was named. More beers and beverages joined the brand's portfolio over the years, and Sam Adams' parent company, Boston Beer Company, eventually acquired other popular breweries like Dogfish Head and Angry Orchard.

However, the bar that put this brewery on the map unfortunately didn't fare as well. After a nearly 140-year run, a true accomplishment, it sadly closed its doors in 2019. As much as the tavern had been a beloved institution in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the area had simply gotten too expensive for an independent, family-run business like Doyle's to keep its doors open. Regulars attempted to organize campaigns to save the bar but unfortunately could not in the end. To send the pub off in style, the Boston Police Gaelic Column — which had started at Doyle's Cafe and played there regularly — performed, and it's safe to assume plenty of toasts were proposed over hometown lager from Sam Adams.