Samuel Adams' new $200 beer that's as strong as liquor and illegal in 15 states is the ultimate gift for beer lovers
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- Samuel Adams Utopias has an alcohol by volume of 28%, which is more than five times that of most beers.
- The specialty brew is only released every two years.
- The 2017 Utopias price is set at $199 per bottle, with only 13,000 bottles released.
- This is the ultimate gift for the beer lover if you can find a bottle for sale. There are some bottles of Utopias on eBay right now, but probably not for long — and most are going for much more than $199.
Through a series of coincidences, the details of which I'll not venture into, I recently received a bottle of Utopias, the world-renowned beer released every two years by Samuel Adams (AKA the Boston Beer Company, if we're being specific). Utopias is notable for several reasons, the first of which in the eyes of most people is its cost. This bottle of beer sells for $199 before tax. What makes a single beer worth $199? Well, we'll get to that as we discuss the other highlights of the brew.
The next Utopias fact that sends the eyebrows skyward is the potency of this beer. The 2017 Utopias boasts an alcohol by volume of 28%. Most beers hover between 4%-7%, while most liquors are 40% ABV, for your reference. So it's really quite strong stuff, in other words. So much so, in fact, that it is illegal to sell Utopias in more than a dozen states (15, if you're a stickler), as it can't legally be classified as a beer in many places. Which is unfortunate but fair, frankly: This stuff basically transcends fermentation.
Here's the next fact about Sam Adams Utopias that will earn oohs and aahs at that upcoming dinner party: The beer is older than many people who can legally drink it. Well, partly, anyway: Utopias is made by blending together multiple batches of beer, some of which have been aged for 24 years. Other batches included in the mix are aged in barrels used for the Scandinavian liquor Aquavit, some are seasoned on Moscat wine barrels, and so forth. The beer is coaxed to such a high ABV using multiple yeast strains, as well, including one secretive strain the brewery calls its "ninja" yeast, a type able to remain alive and active even as the alcohol content of the brew climbs higher and higher.
Three types of hops and a multiple malts are used in creating Utopias, and when all is said and done, after the myriad blends and barrels, the yeast and the years, the result is a non carbonated liquor-like beer that deserves to be sipped slowly in conjunction with a fine cigar and a great conversation. The stuff tastes more like a cognac or strong port than any beer you will have had, and after all is said and done, yes, it really is worth $200.
One last thing to note: The bottle itself is a work of art. It's a ceramic vessel styled after the brewery's copper brew kettles and will become a cherished keepsake long after the brew is gone.
Now, if you can't find a bottle of the 2017 Sam Adams Utopias (remember, they only released 13,000) or if you don't want to spend $199 on a beer, then perhaps some other, slightly more affordable Sam Adams-themed gifts might be a hit instead? (There are some bottles of 2017 Utopias that you can bid for on eBay right now.)
They make a number of handsome beer glasses in shapes designed to suit specific beers, from the pilsner to the lager to the stout to the IPA, for example.
Or there's always a $8 Sam Adams branded bottle opener if you just want to give a little token of a gift and keep that bottle of Utopias for yourself...