(Courtesy Boston Beer)

The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening in the beer world while you were enjoying the long Thanksgiving break.

New Samuel Adams Stout

Unlike smaller craft breweries, it’s not that often, that Samuel Adams releases something new, they’re a big operation that relies on their core releases like their popular Boston Lager. But going into the Winter holidays, Boston Beer, which is home to the Samuel Adams brand announced that it has just released its first winter seasonal in 30 years.

Crafted for cozy nights, holiday feasts and everything in between, Samuel Adams Winter White Ale is a festive 5.7% ABV Wheat Ale brewed with orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove and clove for a balanced sweet and spiced flavor.

“The holidays are all about celebrating special moments with family and friends,” said Tory Bratt, senior brand manager of Samuel Adams. “We brewed Winter White Ale to truly embrace the warmth of those moments through spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and bring together a festive, easy – drinking beer that’s perfect for every seasonal moment.”

But lost in that announcement, was that Boston Beer was also releasing a seasonal stout as part of  its Sam Adams’ Winter Break Variety Pack.

Less a Winter holiday beer Samuel Adams newest release takes its inspiration from the famous expresso martini cocktail Samuel Adams Cold Brew Coffee Stout is a 6% ABV special release with a dark roasted malt character, smooth black coffee and cocoa tones, and a fleeting hint of vanilla.

Founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, the Boston Beer Company introduced its first beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, on Patriots’ Day in 1985. The recipe was a generations-old family one from Koch’s great-great-grandfather, a brewer in the 1860s and it remains much the same in 2025.

Words to Drink By

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Steve Jobs, American businessman, investor, and inventor

1.5 Million Users Potentially Exposed In Asahi Ransomware Attack

On November 27, Japanese brewing giant Asahi announced that a ransomware attack earlier this year may have exposed the personal information of roughly 1.5 million customers, along with thousands of employees, their family members and outside business contacts.

The compromised data appears to include basic personal details like names, gender, addresses and phone numbers—but not credit-card information. Asahi says there’s currently no evidence the data has been leaked online, and that the impact seems limited to systems based in Japan.

The breach, which occurred in late September, caused major disruption across the company. Production was temporarily shut down, product launches were delayed and order processing and shipping were thrown off—leading to nationwide shortages of Asahi’s beers and soft drinks. The brewer controls about 40% of Japan’s beer market, including its popular Super Dry brand.

According to the company, attackers accessed its data-center network using equipment located at one of its facilities in Japan. They then deployed ransomware that encrypted multiple servers and office computers—some of which were employee laptops on loan from the company.

Asahi says it has spent about two months addressing the attack and is slowly returning to normal operations. Shipments are being restored, with logistics expected to be fully back on track by February. However, some products will still experience delays. The brewer also had to postpone its annual financial results by 50 days due to disruptions in its accounting systems.

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