Celebrity Names: Derrick White, Julian Edelman, Garrett Crochet, Zdeno Chara
Brand Name: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)
Represented By: Not publicly disclosed
Deal Type: Multi-athlete brand partnership & co-created product launch
Announced: March 9, 2026
Impact: Aims to reinforce Sam Adams as “the beer for Boston sports fans,” drive regional sales, and strengthen emotional ties with New England consumers through athlete‑driven storytelling
- Samuel Adams launched the “Our City. Our Beer.” Variety Pack featuring athlete-inspired brews (Derrick) White Ale, Crochet’s Pale Ale, Julian Edel-Brau Lager, and Big Z Pilsner.
- The limited-edition 12-pack is only available in New England, with each beer also rotating on draft at local bars during its corresponding sport’s season.
- The campaign features Celtics guard Derrick White, Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet, former Patriots WR Julian Edelman, and former Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, covering all four major Boston sports.
- All four athletes will appear at a public launch party on April 4, 2026, at Banners Kitchen & Tap in Boston, where they’ll serve fans their beers from behind the bar.
Samuel Adams is going all-in on Boston pride. The iconic Boston-born brewery just dropped the “Our City. Our Beer.” Variety Pack, a limited-edition 12-pack crafted alongside four of the city’s most beloved sports figures: Derrick White (Celtics), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox), Julian Edelman (former Patriots), and Zdeno Chara (former Bruins).
Each beer is inspired by the athlete it represents. White’s is a citrusy wheat ale, Crochet’s is an American pale ale, Edelman’s “Julian Edel-Brau” is a caramel malty lager, and Chara’s “Big Z Pilsner” rounds out the pack.
The four styles are among the top five most popular craft beer styles for New England drinkers, so it’s clearly a lineup built for the fans. Along with the beers, a matching apparel collection is available now, with Derrick White’s own apparel line set to launch in April.
For White, this isn’t his first rodeo with Sam Adams. Following the Celtics’ 2024 championship, his face began appearing on billboards, insurance spots, and local TV ads, and Sam Adams chose him because they felt he represented the evolution of the city.
White himself called the partnership a natural fit: “Me and Sam Adams have had a really good relationship these past few years… ‘Our City, Our Beer’ kind of brings Boston together.”
As for Edelman, the Super Bowl MVP and Boston fan favorite has long been the blueprint for the city’s love of hard-working, gritty athletes. Boston has always prided itself on loving the “glue guys,” players like Edelman who do the little things that win championships.
This campaign is a reminder that athletes are increasingly becoming powerful brand collaborators, not just endorsers. Just like Stephen Curry teamed up with Rakuten and Canvvs for a data-driven campaign, Sam Adams is using athlete identity to tell a deeply local brand story.
Similarly, Jayson Tatum’s partnership with Amica Insurance shows how Boston’s sports stars are becoming the faces of meaningful, community-rooted brand deals.
Takeaways
Sam Adams didn’t just slap four athlete names on a product, they built a campaign around Boston’s sports identity. Each athlete represents a different team and a different season, meaning the pack has year-round relevance and built-in emotional pull. It’s smart, community-first marketing that local fans will genuinely connect with.
What’s also notable is the choice of athletes. None of them are the biggest names in their sport nationally, but in Boston? They’re legends. This is a brand that knows its audience and is speaking directly to them.
Could this “athlete co-creation” model, where stars help design products, not just endorse them, become the new standard for sports sponsorships? Is Boston becoming a blueprint for how cities can use local athlete culture to power hyper-targeted brand campaigns?
