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for Big Brands and Small Businesses

“The award-winning book”

by Small Biz Survival Publisher Becky McCray and Barry Moltz

What’s fascinating about Sam Adams and their small town approach

By Small Town Rules

My friend Rob Zazueta shares a weekly newsletter that he describes as Fascinating. You never know what topics he’ll tackle. When I read this story about Sam Adams, it was such a perfect fit for Small Town Rules, I just had to share it. –Becky 

Beer Me
To know me is to know I love beer. But not just the drinking of it – I’ve also brewed more than a few gallons in my day. Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams, started out by brewing beer in his garage, then turned it into a national, multi-million dollar company. Though Sam Adams can seemingly be found just about everywhere, they still only control about 1% of the American beer market (or, as Koch says, “We are basically the tallest pygmy.”). They’re not my favorite brewer, but I frequently lift pints of their lagers and ales as thanks for their strong support for the community that made them a success. In addition to their annual Longshot release, which produces two recipes submitted from home brewers outside their company and one from a non-professional brewer working for the company, they have long supported small businesses and – especially – small upstart breweries with advice and funding. They have also been huge backers for a number of brew clubs around the nation, sponsoring contests and awarding fantastic prizes for the best recipes.
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Becky signed Rob Zazueta's Kindle

Here’s Rob Zazueta, having Becky sign his Kindle in honor of Small Town Rules.

When I asked for permission to share this, Rob included in his reply: 
The kicker about Koch’s small town values is that, in his case, the small town is other brewers and other small businesses, so it aligns nicely with your entire philosophy – the small town is not defined so much by proximity as it is by community.
You can sign up for Rob’s Fascinating emails here.
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April 11, 2013 Filed Under: SmallTownRules Tagged With: Small Town Rules

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