This fifth largest beer company was founded in 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts by James Koch. Koch was the sixth generation in his family to take up brewing. He brewed his first batch of the beer in his kitchen, using the original family recipe for Louis Koch Lager. Thus was born Samuel Adams Boston Lager. While he was working as a consultant at BCG, Koch had developed a business plan for a locally focused beer company. He invested $100,000 of his own money and raised additional funds from investors, family members, and friends. In March 1985, Koch introduced the beer over Patriot's Day weekend. Six weeks later, Samuel Adams was voted "Best Beer in America" at the Great American Beer Festival. The company has achieved massive growth ever since, with its flagship brand continuing among the top selling brands in the U.S. market. Apart from the U.S., the company also exports alcoholic beverages to Europe, Mexico, Canada, Central and South America, New Zealand, and the Caribbean. Lacking a dictionary around the main office, they call themselves craft brewers.