(Courtesy Boston Beer)

Boston Beer, home to Samuel Adams, the craft beer brand that helped spark America’s craft beer revolution, is leaning into higher alcohol beers this year and branching out into THC beverages (read: tha3 cannabis compound that delivers a different high).

At the heart of the  company’s latest move  is Samuel Adams Cherry Bomb, a 9% Imperial Wheat Ale that is quite a departure for the Boston-headquartered operation .

Launched in January 2026, this massive year-round offering packs juicy black cherry flavor and a crisp finish into a sleek 19.2-ounce can, an obvious play for drinkers who want something bigger than a classic Sam Adams Boston Lager, beer fans who want a much higher alcohol buzz.

Aside of its biennial Utopias releases, barrel-aged beers with an alcohol count that have varied from 24% in  2002 to at 30% ABV  in 2025, the Cherry Bomb rollout is the company’s latest attempt to lock into growth alternatives that have been benefitting many of their competitors.

The majority of Samuel Adams’ core and seasonal beers fall within a narrow ABV range, making them highly approachable for most drinkers.

• Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 5% ABV
• Samuel Adams American Light: 4.2% ABV
• Samuel Adams Summer Ale: 5.3% ABV
• Samuel Adams OctoberFest: 5.3% ABV
• Samuel Adams Winter Lager: 5.6% ABV

(Courtesy TeaPot / Boston Beer)

But Boston Beer’s 2026 directive to delivering buzz  doesn’t stop at alcohol.

In Canada, where cannabis beverages are legal and regulated, the Boston Beer Company  has been quietly building out an extensive portfolio of THC-infused drinks with an eye to eventual expansion into the US.

Under the TeaPot brand, the company’s Canadian subsidiary recently introduced a Blueberry Chamomile iced tea infused with 10 mg of solventless THC. It’s crafted with real chamomile and blueberry flavor, targeting drinkers looking to unwind in the evening with an entirely different kind of buzz.

TeaPot (we do like its name) sits alongside other cannabis innovations from the Boston Beer stable, including non-alcoholic THC cocktails and gummies under the Emerald Hour label — all part of a broader strategy to diversify beyond traditional beer and hard seltzer.

Bottom line: Boston Beer’s latest innovations show a company committed to staying relevant in an increasingly fragmented beverage market- a critical consideration for all beverage producers in 2026.

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