Boston Beer Company celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024 with the release of Our American Dream Cookbook: Favorite Recipes & the Inspiring Journeys of 80 Culinary Trailblazers from Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream. Brewer and director of partnerships Jennifer Glanville Love has compiled mouthwatering recipes alongside stirring stories from participants in the company's Brewing the American Dream project, a philanthropic program begun in 2008 that has loaned more than $110 million to more than 4,300 small business owners, as well as provided business coaching and mentorship to 15,000 entrepreneurs. This high-quality production should indeed serve as not only a cue to stimulating cooking, eating, and drinking, but an encouragement for readers to follow dreams of their own.

The cookbook opens with a foreword from Boston Beer Company founder and brewer Jim Koch, and several pages of history of the company, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Brewing the American Dream, which was very much designed around the kinds of help Koch could have used when he was launching his microbrewery in 1984. Of special note is Samuel Adams's willingness to fund, educate, and support craft brewers who are at least its nominally direct competitors. Koch highlights the idea that a good brewer, chef, or businessperson must master the quick pivot. "With a little innovation and creativity, recipes can be adjusted and often improved. It's true for beer, it's true for businesses, and it's true for life. Experiment a little and always take time to smell the hops."

Each recipe in Our American Dream Cookbook includes a brief note about the program participant to whom it is credited. They include creators of packaged snacks, spice blends, and sauces, craft brewers, restaurateurs, and bakers. Company profiles appear in greater detail every few pages. For instance, Amie Kesler of Carolyn's Krisps in Chicago has set out to not only offer tasty snacks but also opportunities for those facing employment barriers. Despite several military deployments getting in Timothy James Parker's way, he successfully launched Chula Vista Brewery with vital help from Brewing the American Dream. And Synovia Jones brings a competitive bodybuilding and fitness instruction background to Nobe's P.B. Foods, with "a mission to provide locally sourced, sustainable food options that are reliably delicious, nutritious, and accessible to all." Even the briefest of stories enriches the recipe it accompanies, as with Atsushi Nakagawa's Umami Turkey Burger with Mushrooms & Onions: Atsushi "originally came to the United States with dreams of becoming a rock star."

Organized by course, the cookbook offers an array of "Start-up Shareables," lunches, entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks (including cocktails). The start-ups include classics like Beer Cheese with Boston Lager, mouthwatering Empanadas with Steak & Mushrooms, Pizza Eggrolls, and a Seeded Tahini Loaf that's perfect for gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and keto diets. 

In the "Legendary Lunches" section, readers will find an enticing selection of salads and burgers, including a turkey burger and Vegan Sloppy Joes, alongside Lobster Rolls with Lemon Salt and a Farmhouse Reuben made with pastrami gently warmed in Samuel Adams beer. 

"Enterprising Entrees" cover a wide range, from traditional Fish & Chips and Beer Can Chicken to Ginger Steamed Fish with Porter and Njahi Beans Matoke. The global influence is evident with dishes like Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Migas with Chorizo, and Pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce, offering plenty of options for both meat lovers and those who prefer plant-based meals.

The "Savvy Sides" section is just as tempting, featuring Southern Mac & Cheese, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Spicy Calypso Rice, and a variety of bread options, including Liberian Rice Bread, Nana's Beer Bread, and Everything Angel Biscuits. 

In "Dynamic Desserts & Drinks," some of the most irresistible offerings await: Black Lager Floats with Mascarpone Ice Cream, Gingerbread Bundt Cake, and the stunning Lemon Raspberry Celebration Cake with Vanilla Buttercream, presented by the very first participant in Brewing the American Dream. While the final section focuses on desserts, drink recipes are scattered throughout, offering a mix of nonalcoholic beverages (Grape Escape, Venezuelan Hot Chocolate) and beer-infused cocktails (Summer Ale Sunset, Cold Snap Bee's Knees).

Recipes are detailed, with ingredient notes, clear instructions, and practical tips, such as how long a dish can be stored. The back of the book includes guidance on "how to appraise beer," a list of featured Brewing the American Dream Trailblazers, and a traditional recipe index. Michael Piazza's stunning photographs accompany many of the recipes, making the dishes even more enticing, and beautifully capturing the people behind the creations. 

The cookbook not only celebrates great food and drink but also the dreams realized and the diverse individuals who pursued them. Our American Dream Cookbook is as inspiring as it is delicious. --Julia Kastner

Jennifer Glanville Love (photo: Michael Piazza)

Jennifer Glanville Love is a Samuel Adams brewer and the director of partnerships at the Boston Beer Company. She is passionate about brewing traditional and lost beer styles as well as barrel aging unique and extreme beers, such as Samuel Adams Utopias and Kosmic Mother Funk. Love oversees Samuel Adams's philanthropy program, Brewing the American Dream, its affiliates, and participating businesses. She is dedicated to growing the network of Brewing the American Dream entrepreneurs and supporting them as they impact the communities where they live and work. Our American Dream Cookbook (Salty Days Media Company; October 1, 2024) showcases the beautifully presented, mouthwatering recipes and products of program entrepreneurs.

How was this cookbook project conceived? What surprised you about the process?

The dream of this cookbook has been years in the making. Brewing the American Dream was founded in 2008 and what has been evident since the beginning is that truly brilliant food and beverage could not exist without hardworking small business owners, each of whom has their own unique story to tell. Through our program's coaching, mentoring, funding and more, we are privileged to support passionate entrepreneurs across the U.S. and witness firsthand the magic that comes from a true dedication to one's craft. Behind our country's tastiest jams, cookies, spices, beers and beyond, are people besting the odds in pursuit of their dreams, and we wanted to help bring those flavors and journeys to the spotlight.

What surprised me most about this process was how challenging it was to narrow down our recipe selections. We've always known that our vast network of entrepreneurs were making best-in-class culinary creations, as we're often lucky to taste them ourselves! The 80 incredible trailblazers and accompanying recipes you'll meet in this book just scratch the surface of the delectable things small business owners across the landscape are producing right now.

Have you worked on anything like this before?

Having been a brewer for over 20 years and through my oversight of Brewing the American Dream, I am intimately immersed in the food and beverage industry, but this was my very first cookbook experience, and one that could not have been achieved without the partnership of the entrepreneurs that participated, along with the wonderful folks at Salty Days Media.

The cookbook involved many partners: chefs and brewers, photography, recipe testers.... What was fun and maybe challenging about that teamwork?

Especially on a project like this, where our goal was to do justice to the creations and personal narratives of small business owners, it was unbelievable to witness the dedication and collaboration of everyone who worked on the cookbook. We had the best of the best ensuring that every dish was well styled, every shot of our entrepreneurs and Samuel Adams team captured their infectious energy, and every word properly conveyed the powerful authenticity of the person or recipe it described.

What are a couple of your favorite recipes within the book?

There's not a single recipe in this book that I don't love, but a few that are really exemplary of the small business inspiration at work include:

Vegan Onion Soup with Beer from Timothy James Parker of Chula Vista Brewery in San Diego, Calif. Despite facing a series of deployments shortly after his brewery's launch, Timothy seized the opportunity to participate and ultimately triumph in the Brewing the American Dream Experienceship competition in 2018. Upon returning home from a deployment, he was flown out to Boston, where he received invaluable guidance from the team at Samuel Adams--an experience that served as a catalyst for his and his partner's burgeoning venture. To this day, Timothy remains a close member of our network, participating in coaching and judging opportunities.

"OFD" (Oaty, Fudgy, Delicious) Cookies from Heather Yunger at Top Shelf Cookies in Boston, Mass.: Heather and I met at a hockey game where she used to serve her famed Black & Gold cookies. Fast forward several years and she'd decided to take the leap in starting Top Shelf. I'd approached her with the idea of creating a custom Samuel Adams Boston Lager cookie and she embraced the challenge. Despite setbacks, including an unsuccessful pitch at the Brewing the American Dream competition in 2016, Heather persisted. She applied again in 2019, and this time emerged as a finalist, eventually securing the grant. This funding proved instrumental in navigating the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. By strategically investing the capital in her online channels, Heather strengthened Top Shelf Cookies' resilience and moved closer to her dream of opening the company's first storefront, in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester, where she grew up.

Arepas De Choclo from Isis Arrieta-Dennis of The Arepa Place in Cincinnati, Ohio: Chef Isis Arrieta-Dennis, owner of The Arepa Place, won Brewing the American Dream's local pitch room competition in 2018. Through the program's support she opened her first brick-and-mortar store, serving incredible dishes like this beloved staple of Colombia and Venezuela, and recently just opened her second location.

How do you hope people will use this book?

My deepest hope is that this book never stays on the shelf for too long. I hope that through the perfect marriage of unparalleled flavor and inspirational business stories, culinary enthusiasts are compelled to cook their way through each of these recipes and adopt them as go-to staples for life's most meaningful moments. I hope that in these entrepreneurs the reader recognizes the familiar feeling of aspiration that may perhaps energize them to pursue a dream of their own, whether that be in the kitchen or beyond.

How have you seen the beer industry change and grow during your career?

Craft beer in particular is an ever-evolving industry and that's exactly how we like it! Jim Koch ignited the craft beer revolution over 40 years ago, traveling a path parallel to the one the entrepreneurs of Brewing the American Dream find themselves on now. In his pursuit of a better beer, Samuel Adams became what it is today, and it's our most profound desire to continue uplifting the next generation of craftspeople who will keep the movement alive--not just for beer, but for craft food and beverage as a whole. This book offers a deep dive into that commitment and sets the stage for the exciting future we see ahead.

What excites you most about releasing this book into the world? 

What excites me most is that households in every part of the country will now have a little piece of the magic we get to experience each day through our work with Brewing the American Dream. Having a real understanding of the fortitude and passion that went into a dish makes the culinary experience all the more moving. There is really nothing like seeing a dream realized and when it comes with a tasty sip or bite, what could be more special? These 80 entrepreneurs are so deserving of the recognition and support that we hope this book sets off for them. --Julia Kastner