Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer. It is brewed by the Boston Beer Company () and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts. The brand name of Samuel Adams (often abbreviated to Sam Adams, even in advertisements), was chosen in honor of Samuel Adams, an American patriot. Samuel Adams was famous for his role in the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party. According to tradition, he was also a maltster. However, James Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company, reports having seen a receipt for hops signed by Samuel Adams. This seems to indicate the patriot Adams may have done some brewing. Based on sales in 2011, the Boston Beer Company is tied with Yuengling for the largest American-owned beer-maker.