Jim Koch

Charles James Koch was born on May 27, 1949, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German-American parents. His father was a fifth-generation brewer, and Koch grew up immersed in the traditions of the industry. He earned Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and Juris Doctor degrees from Harvard University.

Before entering the beer business, Koch worked as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and served as an Outward Bound instructor. He left his management consulting career in 1984 to co-found the Boston Beer Company, named after the city where he brewed his first batch. The company's signature Samuel Adams Boston Lager was created using a recipe his great-great-grandfather had used in the 1870s.

Boston Beer went public in 1995, and Koch still holds a nineteen percent stake in the company. Under his leadership, Samuel Adams helped launch the modern American craft beer revolution and grew from a small startup into one of the country's largest craft brewers. In 2016, Koch published his book, Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two, chronicling the founding of Boston Beer.

In 2024, Koch returned to the role of president and CEO of Boston Beer Company, twenty-four years after he last held the position. He remains chairman of the board while running the day-to-day operations of the company he founded.