Boston Beer Reports First Quarter Financial Results
BOSTON, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM), today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 28, 2026. Key results were:
First Quarter 2026 Summary:
Capital Structure
“We were encouraged by early signs of improvement in the total beer category in the first quarter,” said Chairman, Founder and CEO Jim Koch. “While our depletions improved and it remains early in the year, our portfolio has not yet fully matched the improvement in category trends. The operating environment is dynamic, and we are executing with focus against our summer plans, including meaningful advertising support. Our strong balance sheet and highly cash generative business position us to invest in our brands and return cash to shareholders, with the previously announced potential legal payment well within our capacity.”
“Today we are modestly narrowing our guidance range to reflect our latest volume outlook and a more challenging cost environment,” said CFO Diego Reynoso. “We continue to deliver strong gross margin performance and expect our savings agenda to help mitigate tariff and commodity headwinds as we move through the year.”
Details of the results were as follows:
First Quarter 2026 (13 weeks ended March 28, 2026) Summary of Results
Depletions for the first quarter decreased 4% compared to the first quarter of the prior year due to decreases in Twisted Tea, Truly, Samuel Adams and Hard Mountain Dew brands that were partially offset by increases in Sun Cruiser, Angry Orchard and Dogfish Head brands.
Consistent with the Company’s plans, shipments declined at a higher rate than depletions. Shipment volume for the quarter was approximately 1.6 million barrels, a 6.9% decrease compared to the first quarter of the prior year, primarily due to difficult comparisons as distributors built inventories for Sun Cruiser and Truly Unruly innovation in the first quarter of 2025 as well as modestly lower overall distributor inventory levels enabled by improvements in the responsiveness of the Company’s supply chain to meet demand.
The Company believes distributor inventory as of March 28, 2026 was at an appropriate level for each of its brands and averaged approximately four and a half weeks on hand compared to five weeks at the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Revenue for the quarter decreased 4.4% due to decreases in volume partially offset by pricing and favorable mix.
Gross margin of 49.3% increased from the 48.3% margin realized in the first quarter of 2025, or an increase of 100 basis points year over year. Gross margin primarily benefited from price increases, favorable product mix, procurement savings, and improved brewery efficiencies partially offset by inflationary, commodity and tariff costs.
The first quarter gross margin of 49.3% includes $1.6 million of shortfall fees and non-cash expense of third-party production pre-payments in total, which negatively impacted gross margin by approximately 37 basis points on an absolute basis.
Advertising, promotional and selling expenses for the first quarter of 2026 increased $2.5 million or 1.8% from the first quarter of 2025, resulting from higher freight costs of $2.5 million due to higher rates partially offset by lower volumes. The Company’s brand investments were flat compared to the first quarter of 2025.
General and administrative expenses increased by $4.4 million or 9.1% from the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to higher legal and consulting costs. Excluding legal costs related to the non-recurring litigation expense discussed below, general and administrative expenses increased by $0.4 million from the first quarter of 2025 primarily due to increased consulting costs.
In the first quarter, the Company recorded a previously announced non-recurring pre-tax litigation expense of $175.5 million and related pre-judgement interest expense of $36.5 million resulting from a verdict entered on April 6, 2026 awarding damages to a supplier. The pre-judgement interest has not yet been determined and potential outcomes range between zero and $36.5 million. In addition to the damages and interest, the Company has recorded legal fees of $4.0 million in general and administrative expenses for a total of $216.0 million pre-tax or $15.52 per diluted share. The Company denies that it breached the terms of the parties’ contract and intends to pursue all available post-trial motions and appellate remedies. The Company cannot estimate when or if damages or interest will ultimately be paid or when this matter will ultimately be resolved.
The Company’s effective tax rate for the first quarter was a benefit of 23.1%. Excluding the impact of the non-recurring litigation expense, the effective tax rate was a provision of 36.8% compared to a provision of 31.9% in the prior year. This increase in rate is due primarily to the increased negative impact of non-deductible stock compensation.
The Company expects that its March 28, 2026 cash balance of $164.1 million, together with its projected future operating cash flows and the unused balance on its $150.0 million line of credit, will be sufficient to fund future cash requirements, including the potential litigation-related payments.
During the 13-week period ended March 28, 2026 and the period from March 30, 2026 through April 24, 2026, the Company repurchased shares of its Class A Common Stock in the amounts of $23.8 million and $7.4 million, respectively, for a total of $31.2 million year to date. As of April 24, 2026, the Company had approximately $197 million remaining on the $1.6 billion share buyback expenditure limit set by the Board of Directors.
Depletions Estimate
Year-to-date depletions through the 17-week period ended April 24, 2026 are estimated by the Company to have decreased approximately 4% from the comparable period in 2025.
Full-Year 2026 Projections
The Company has updated its financial guidance for the full year 2026. The litigation related expenses of $15.52 per share detailed above is now included in GAAP earnings per share guidance.
The Company’s actual 2026 results could vary significantly from the current projection and are highly sensitive to changes in volume projections, supply chain performance, inflationary and commodity impacts and tariff policy. Tariff cost projections below are consistent with tariffs currently being charged by the Company’s suppliers and that the Company currently expects to continue for the remainder of 2026.
Underlying the Company's current 2026 projections are the following full-year estimates and targets:
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
Non-GAAP EPS and Non-GAAP Tax Rate are not defined terms under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Non-GAAP EPS, or Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, excludes from projected GAAP EPS the impact of the non-recurring litigation expense of $216.0 million, or $15.52 per diluted share, recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 relating to a supplier dispute. Non-GAAP Tax Rate excludes from the projected GAAP Tax Rate the tax impact of the non-recurring litigation expense. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for diluted earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to calculations of similarly titled measures by other companies. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to make operating and strategic decisions and to evaluate the Company’s underlying business performance. Management believes these forward-looking non-GAAP measures provide meaningful and useful information to investors and analysts regarding the Company’s outlook for its ongoing financial and business performance or trends and facilitates period to period comparisons of its forecasted financial performance.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this press release that state the Company’s or management’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, the Company’s report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2025 and subsequent reports filed by the Company with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Copies of these documents are available from the SEC and may be found on the Company’s website, www.bostonbeer.com. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
About the Company
The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer and has since grown to become one of the largest and most respected craft brewers in the United States. We consistently offer the highest-quality products to our drinkers, and we apply what we’ve learned from making great-tasting craft beer to making great-tasting and innovative “beyond beer” products. Boston Beer Company has pioneered not only craft beer but also hard cider, hard seltzer and hard tea. Our core brands include household names like Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Sun Cruiser, Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, and Samuel Adams. We have taprooms and hospitality locations in Delaware, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. For more information, please visit our website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to our respective brand websites.
Thursday, April 30, 2026