“As I’m sure you know, the BA introduced an Independent Craft Brewer’s Seal, which we proudly display on all of our packaging,” Meaghan Quinn, a spokesperson for Boston Beer, tells GBH. “Jim [Koch] has been an advocate of transparency in the industry and fully embraces the symbol of independence in brewing, which was created by the BA.”

Quinn would not address the specific issue of falling out of the Brewers Association’s craft brewer definition, saying that any reported numbers—estimates or otherwise—are “not comprehensive of everything.” She added that "anything reported about volume breakdown is speculative and estimated." Because Boston Beer is a publicly-traded company, it doesn’t share specific production figures by brands, instead only reporting its total beverage alcohol figures across all products, which Quinn did not dispute.

However, Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association, noted specifically the effort he goes through to create estimates, combining scan data from off-premise stores, point-of-sales information, and TTB production numbers. He also considers other industry analyst reports, such as those of Beer Marketer’s Insights. Boston Beer has not publicly questioned figures in the past.

"As one of the bigger numbers in the overall craft beer data set, I've spent more time on the Boston estimate than many in recent years,” Watson says.

As to whether Boston Beer is at risk of losing its craft brewer designation, Watson says it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to speculate on any individual company’s sales trajectory, “especially given how much change there is in the beer market right now.” He adds that adhering to the tenets of the definition will continue to be something the BA evaluates for every member brewery.

It’s a strange situation, as the success of craft beer would not have happened in the way it did without Jim Koch’s hearty sales pitch of Sam Adams and its flagship Boston Lager. But as the industry has tightened around the business, the publicly-traded parent company has been forced to continually diversify its set of products as a means to keep sales strong and shareholders happy. In a shifting market, the creation and success of new products has been a boon to help the company. Last year was the first that the Sam Adams family of brands didn’t lead Boston Beer in sales volume in IRI-tracked grocery, convenience, and other stores. The leader was, instead, Twisted Tea’s collection of brands, which sold about 2% more case equivalents.

Through the first six months of 2018, the Twisted Tea family far and away paced volume sales for the company in IRI MULC stores, accounting for almost 37% of sales. The collection of Sam Adams beers (25.95%) were barely ahead of Angry Orchard (25.59%) thanks to the rocket ascension of Rose Hard Cider, which has sold $20.2 million in IRI-tracked stores, more than twice as much in sales as Rebel IPA.

These sales only reflect off-premise stores, however, and don’t take into account the vast network of taps at bars, airports, and sports stadiums that pour Boston Beer products. Instead, the 2018 IRI numbers simply showcase the ongoing changes for the company.