Sam Adams craft beer founder Jim Koch was the featured guest with The Captain & Celeste Blimp Morning Show at the Porthole restaurant in Portland on Wednesday morning and he shared his admiration for Maine's craft beer brewers.

Koch founded Sam Adams and the Boston Beer Co. 30 years and has been a regular guest on WBLM for 25 years. On Wednesday, he discussed his full line of craft beer products and reflected on how he went from brewing his beer in his kitchen nearly 30 years ago to becoming the richest and most successful craft beer brewer in the U.S.

The Captain and Celeste interview Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Co. and Sam Adams beer, at the Porthole in Portland on Wednesday morning. Credit: Robert Cook
The Captain and Celeste interview Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Co. and Sam Adams beer, at the Porthole in Portland on Wednesday morning. Credit: Robert Cook
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According to the Huffington Post, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index said Koch, 64, has a net worth of more than $1 billion in 2013. The Huffington Post reported that Boston Beer Co. brewed nearly 3 million barrels of craft beer in 2013 and reached, which is enough to quench the thirst of 1.2 percent of the total consumption of beer in the U.S. On Wednesday morning, Koch told WBLM that craft beer is still only reaching just over 1 percent of the total U.S. beer market, which means there is room for significant growth.

Such is the case in Maine also. According to the Maine Brewers Guild trade group, Maine craft breweries like Shipyard Brewing Co., Geary's, Allagash Brewing Co., Gritty McDuff's and Sebago Brewing Co. sold $92.6 million worth of beer in 2013 and employed almost 1,500 workers. The trade group also reported that Maine craft brewers could experience 200 percent growth in the next four years. On the WBLM morning show, Koch said two- to three new craft breweries are coming online in the U.S. every single day.

 

 

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