Boston Beer Company

In 1984 Jim Koch discovered his great-grandfather's recipe for Louis Koch Lager in his family's Cincinnati-area attic.

A test batch back in his Boston-area home stripped the wallpaper off his kitchen cabinets. Try, try again, and Jim knew he was onto something with what we now know today as Boston Lager with that very simple recipe.

Soon after, he established the company we know today: The Boston Beer Company. Every bank in Boston turned down his request for a loan, so Jim raised a couple hundred thousand dollars from family and friends.