The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (SAM) 10-K 22 Feb 17 2016 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 17, 2017	Jun. 25, 2016
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	SAM
Entity Registrant Name	BOSTON BEER CO INC
Entity Central Index Key	949,870
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 1,396,100,000
Common Class A
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		9,306,471
Common Class B
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		3,197,355

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 91,035	$ 94,193
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $0 and $244 as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively	36,694	38,984
Inventories	52,499	56,462
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,731	12,053
Income tax receivable	4,928	14,928
Deferred income taxes	7,351	6,983
Total current assets	201,238	223,603
Property, plant and equipment, net	408,411	409,926
Other assets	9,965	8,188
Goodwill	3,683	3,683
Total assets	623,297	645,400
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	40,585	42,718
Current portion of debt and capital lease obligations	60	58
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	60,874	68,384
Total current liabilities	101,519	111,160
Deferred income taxes	64,612	56,001
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	411	471
Other liabilities	10,173	16,547
Total liabilities	176,715	184,179
Commitments and Contingencies (See Note J)
Stockholders' Equity:
Additional paid-in capital	349,913	290,096
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(1,103)	(951)
Retained earnings	97,648	171,948
Total stockholders' equity	446,582	461,221
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	623,297	645,400
Common Class A
Stockholders' Equity:
Common Stock	92	94
Common Class B
Stockholders' Equity:
Common Stock	$ 32	$ 34

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Allowance for doubtful accounts on accounts receivable	$ 0	$ 244
Common Class A
Common Stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, shares authorized	22,700,000	22,700,000
Common Stock, shares issued	9,170,956	9,389,005
Common Stock, shares outstanding	9,170,956	9,389,005
Common Class B
Common Stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, shares authorized	4,200,000	4,200,000
Common Stock, shares issued	3,197,355	3,367,355
Common Stock, shares outstanding	3,197,355	3,367,355

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Revenue		$ 968,994	$ 1,024,040	$ 966,478
Less excise taxes		62,548	64,106	63,471
Net revenue		906,446	959,934	903,007
Cost of goods sold		446,776	458,317	437,996
Gross profit		459,670	501,617	465,011
Advertising, promotional and selling expenses		244,213	273,629	250,696
General and administrative expenses		78,033	71,556	65,971
Impairment (gain on sale) of assets, net		(235)	258	1,777
Total operating expenses		322,011	345,443	318,444
Operating income		137,659	156,174	146,567
Interest income		168	56	21
Other expense, net		(706)	(1,220)	(994)
Total other income (expense), net		(538)	(1,164)	(973)
Income before provision for income tax		137,121	155,010	145,594
Provision for income taxes		49,772	56,596	54,851
Net income		$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Net income per common share - basic		$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Net income per common share - diluted		$ 6.79	$ 7.25	$ 6.69
Weighted-average number of common shares - diluted		12,796	13,520	13,484
Net Income		$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Currency translation adjustment		(99)	(22)
Defined benefit plans liability adjustment		(53)	204	(716)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:		(152)	182	(716)
Comprehensive income		$ 87,197	$ 98,596	$ 90,027
Common Class A
Net income per common share - basic		$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Net income per common share - diluted		$ 6.79	$ 7.25	$ 6.69
Weighted-average number of common shares - basic		9,189	9,619	9,202
Weighted-average number of common shares - diluted		12,796	13,520	13,484
Common Class B
Net income per common share - basic		$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Weighted-average number of common shares - basic	[1]	3,344	3,504	3,766
[1]	Change in Class B Common Stock resulted from the conversion of 150,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on May 6, 2015, 100,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on October 26, 2015, 125,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 4, 2016 and 45,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 30, 2016, with the ending number of shares reflecting the weighted average for the period.

Consolidated Statements of Stoc

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common StockCommon Class A	Common StockCommon Class B	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income, net of tax	Retained Earnings
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 28, 2013		8,785,000	3,962,000
Balance at Dec. 28, 2013	$ 302,085	$ 88	$ 40	$ 173,025	$ (417)	$ 129,349
Net Income	90,743					90,743
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit (in shares)		351,000
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit	45,030	$ 3		45,027
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 6,857			6,857
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock (in shares)	(29,474)	(29,000)
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock	$ (7,859)					(7,859)
Conversion from Class B to Class A (in shares)		345,000	(345,000)
Conversion from Class B to Class A		$ 4	$ (4)
Defined benefit plans liability adjustment, net of tax	(716)				(716)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 27, 2014		9,452,000	3,617,000
Balance at Dec. 27, 2014	436,140	$ 95	$ 36	224,909	(1,133)	212,233
Net Income	98,414					98,414
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit (in shares)		303,000
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit	58,525	$ 3		58,522
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 6,665			6,665
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock (in shares)	(616,747)	(616,000)
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock	$ (138,705)	$ (6)				(138,699)
Conversion from Class B to Class A (in shares)		250,000	(250,000)
Conversion from Class B to Class A		$ 2	$ (2)
Defined benefit plans liability adjustment, net of tax	204				204
Currency translation adjustment	(22)				(22)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 26, 2015		9,389,000	3,367,000
Balance at Dec. 26, 2015	461,221	$ 94	$ 34	290,096	(951)	171,948
Net Income	$ 87,349					87,349
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit (in shares)	537,087	557,000
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, including tax benefit	$ 53,674	$ 5		53,669
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 6,148			6,148
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock (in shares)	(944,876)	(945,000)
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock	$ (161,658)	$ (9)				(161,649)
Conversion from Class B to Class A (in shares)		170,000	(170,000)
Conversion from Class B to Class A		$ 2	$ (2)
Defined benefit plans liability adjustment, net of tax	(53)				(53)
Currency translation adjustment	(99)				(99)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		9,171,000	3,197,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 446,582	$ 92	$ 32	$ 349,913	$ (1,103)	$ 97,648

Consolidated Statements of Sto6

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Stock options exercised and restricted shares activities, tax benefit	$ 12,524	$ 15,350	$ 17,353
Defined benefit plans liability adjustment, tax	$ 32	$ (142)	$ 455

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Cash flows provided by operating activities:
Net Income	$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	49,557	42,885	35,138
Impairment of assets	716	258	1,777
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment	616	515	434
Gain on sale of property, plant and equipment	(951)
Bad debt (recovery) expense	(244)	165	(16)
Stock-based compensation expense	6,148	6,665	6,857
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation arrangements	(12,524)	(15,350)	(17,353)
Deferred income taxes	8,243	6,986	15,350
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	2,534	(2,289)	5,157
Inventories	445	(5,155)	5,090
Prepaid expenses, income tax receivable and other assets	14,936	11,858	(9,447)
Accounts payable	(1,811)	5,985	884
Accrued expenses and taxes and other current liabilities	5,479	9,014	4,578
Other liabilities	(6,304)	8,732	2,019
Net cash provided by operating activities	154,189	168,683	141,211
Cash flows used in investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(49,913)	(74,187)	(151,784)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	3,855
Cash paid for intangible assets		(100)	(100)
Change in restricted cash	40	57	53
Net cash used in investing activities	(46,018)	(74,230)	(151,831)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities:
Repurchase of Class A Common Stock	(164,658)	(135,705)	(7,859)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	40,127	42,339	27,272
Cash paid on note payable and capital lease	(58)	(54)	(53)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation arrangements	12,524	15,350	17,353
Net proceeds from sale of investment shares	736	1,408	785
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(111,329)	(76,662)	37,498
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(3,158)	17,791	26,878
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	94,193	76,402	49,524
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	91,035	94,193	76,402
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Income taxes paid	30,978	45,078	42,324
Income taxes refunded	12,064	17,252
(Decrease) Increase in accounts payable for repurchase of Class A Common Stock	(3,000)	3,000
Increase (Decrease) in accounts payable for purchase of property, plant and equipment	$ 2,678	$ (1,843)	$ 268

Organization and Basis of Prese

Organization and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Organization and Basis of Presentation	A. Organization and Basis of Presentation The Boston Beer Company, Inc. and certain subsidiaries (the “Company”) are engaged in the business of selling alcohol beverages throughout the United States and in selected international markets, under the trade names “The Boston Beer Company,” “Twisted Tea Brewing Company,” “Angry Orchard Cider Company” and “Hard Seltzer Beverage Company.” The Company’s Samuel Adams ®

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	B. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year is a fifty-two fifty-two Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly-owned. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Segment Reporting The Company consists of two operating segments that each produce and sell alcohol beverages. The first is the Boston Beer Company operating segment comprised of the Company’s Samuel Adams ® ® ® ® Use of Estimates The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 included cash on-hand The Company has restricted cash associated with a term note agreement with Bank of America that was required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fund economic development at the Company’s Pennsylvania Brewery. The restricted cash subject to this agreement amounted to $400,000 and $456,000 at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively, and is included in other assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Company’s accounts receivable primarily consist of trade receivables. The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts that is based on historical trends, customer knowledge, any known disputes, and the aging of the accounts receivable balances combined with management’s estimate of future potential recoverability. Receivables are written off against the allowance after all attempts to collect a receivable have failed. The Company believes its allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 are adequate, but actual write-offs could exceed the recorded allowance. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash equivalents and trade receivables. The Company places its cash equivalents with high credit quality financial institutions. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were invested in investment-grade, highly-liquid U.S. government agency corporate money market accounts. The Company sells primarily to a network of independent wholesalers in the United States and to a network of foreign wholesalers, importers or other agencies (collectively referred to as “Distributors”). In 2016, 2015 and 2014, sales to foreign Distributors were approximately 4% of total sales. Receivables arising from these sales are not collateralized; however, credit risk is minimized as a result of the large and diverse nature of the Company’s customer base. There were no individual customer accounts receivable balances outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 that were in excess of 10% of the gross accounts receivable balance on those dates. No individual customers represented more than 10% of the Company’s revenues during fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014. Financial Instruments and Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s primary financial instruments consisted of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. The Company determines the fair value of its financial assets and liabilities in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Inventories and Provision for Excess or Expired Inventory Inventories consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods. Raw materials, which principally consist of hops, malt, apple juice, other brewing materials and packaging, are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out The provisions for excess or expired inventory are based on management’s estimates of forecasted usage of inventories on hand and under contract. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for certain products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess or expired inventory in the future. Provisions for excess inventory are included in cost of goods sold and have historically been adequate to provide for losses on its inventory. The computation of the excess inventory requires management to make certain assumptions regarding future sales growth, product mix, new products, cancellation costs, and supply, among others. The Company manages inventory levels and purchase commitments in an effort to maximize utilization of inventory on hand and under commitments. The Company’s accounting policy for inventory and purchase commitments is to recognize a loss by establishing a reserve to the extent inventory levels and commitments exceed management’s expected future usage. Provision for excess or expired inventory included in cost of goods sold was $4.5 million, $4.0 million, and $6.1 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant, and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major renewals and betterments that extend the life of the property are capitalized. Some of the Company’s equipment is used by other brewing companies to produce the Company’s products under brewing service arrangements (Note J). Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets as follows: Kegs 5 years Computer software and equipment 2 to 5 years Office equipment and furniture 3 to 7 years Machinery and plant equipment 3 to 20 years, or the term of the production agreement, whichever is shorter Leasehold improvements Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or estimated useful life of the asset Building and building improvements 12 to 20 years, or the remaining useful life of the building, whichever is shorter Refundable Deposits on Kegs and Pallets The Company distributes its draft beer in kegs and packaged beer primarily in glass bottles and cans and such kegs, bottles and cans are shipped on pallets to Distributors. Most kegs and pallets are owned by the Company. Kegs are reflected in the Company’s balance sheets at cost and are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the keg, while pallets are expensed upon purchase. Upon shipment of beer to Distributors, the Company collects a refundable deposit on the kegs and pallets, which is included in current liabilities in the Company’s balance sheets. Upon return of the kegs and pallets to the Company, the deposit is refunded to the Distributor. The Company has experienced some loss of kegs and pallets and anticipates that some loss will occur in future periods due to the significant volume of kegs and pallets handled by each Distributor and retailer, the homogeneous nature of kegs and pallets owned by most brewers and the relatively small deposit collected for each keg when compared with its market value. The Company believes that this is an industry-wide issue and that the Company’s loss experience is not atypical. The Company believes that the loss of kegs and pallets, after considering the forfeiture of related deposits, has not been material to the financial statements. The Company uses internal records, records maintained by Distributors, records maintained by other third party vendors and historical information to estimate the physical count of kegs and pallets held by Distributors. These estimates affect the amount recorded as property, plant and equipment and current liabilities as of the date of the financial statements. The actual liability for refundable deposits could differ from these estimates. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company decreased its liability for refundable deposits, gross property, plant and equipment and related accumulated depreciation by $1.1 million, $1.4 million and $1.4 million, respectively. For the year ended December 26, 2015, the Company decreased its liability for refundable deposits, gross property, plant and equipment and related accumulated depreciation by $0.9 million, $1.2 million and $1.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company’s balance sheet includes $14.3 million and $17.1 million, respectively, in refundable deposits on kegs and pallets and $12.0 million and $18.9 million, respectively, in kegs, net of accumulated depreciation. Goodwill The Company does not amortize goodwill, but evaluates the recoverability of goodwill by comparing the carrying value and the fair value of its reporting units annually at the end of the fiscal month of August, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill may be impaired. The Company has concluded that its goodwill was not impaired as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the goodwill of the Boston Beer Company reporting unit amounted to $1.4 million. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the goodwill of the A&S Brewing Collaborative reporting unit amounted to $2.3 million. Long-lived Assets Long-lived assets are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. For purposes of determining whether there are any impairment losses, as further discussed below, management has historically examined the carrying value of the Company’s identifiable long-lived assets, including their useful lives, when indicators of impairment are present. For all long-lived assets, if an impairment loss is identified based on the fair value of the asset, as compared to the carrying value of the asset, such a loss would be charged to expense in the period the impairment is identified. Furthermore, if the review of the carrying values of the long-lived assets indicates impairment of such assets, the Company may determine that shorter estimated useful lives are more appropriate. In that event, the Company will be required to record additional depreciation in future periods, which will reduce earnings. Factors generally considered important which could trigger an impairment review on the carrying value of long-lived assets include the following: (1) significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results; (2) significant changes in the manner of use of acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business; (3) underutilization of assets; and (4) discontinuance of products by the Company or its customers. The Company believes that the carrying value of its long-lived assets was realizable as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. Income Taxes The Company provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements or tax returns. This results in differences between the book and tax bases of the Company’s assets and liabilities and carryforwards, such as tax credits. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events, other than enactment of changes in the tax laws or rates, are generally considered. Valuation allowances are provided when recovery of deferred tax assets does not meet the more likely than not standards as defined in ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes The calculation of the Company’s tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations in several different state tax jurisdictions. The Company is periodically reviewed by tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These reviews include inquiries regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. The Company records estimated reserves for exposures associated with positions that it takes on its income tax returns that do not meet the more likely than not standards as defined in ACS Topic 740, Income Taxes Excise Taxes The Company is responsible for compliance with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department (the “TTB”) regulations which includes making timely and accurate excise tax payments. The Company is subject to periodic compliance audits by the TTB. Individual states also impose excise taxes on alcohol beverages in varying amounts. The Company calculates its excise tax expense based upon units shipped and on its understanding of the applicable excise tax laws. Revenue Recognition Net revenue includes product sales, less the distributor promotional discount allowance, certain Distributor incentives, as discussed below in Customer Programs and Incentives, the stale beer accrual and excise taxes. The Company recognizes revenue on product sales at the time when the product is shipped and the following conditions are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title has passed to the customer according to the shipping terms, the price is fixed and determinable, and collection of the sales proceeds is reasonably assured. If the conditions for revenue recognition are not met, the Company defers the revenue until all conditions are met. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company has deferred $5.4 million and $3.9 million, in revenue related to product shipped prior to these dates. These amounts are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. In certain circumstances and with the Company’s approval, the Company accepts and destroys stale beer that is returned by Distributors. The Company generally credits approximately fifty percent of the distributor’s cost of the beer that has passed its expiration date for freshness when it is returned to the Company or destroyed. The Company reduces revenue and establishes an accrual based upon both historical returns, which is applied to an estimated lag time for receipt of product, and knowledge of specific return transactions. Stale beer expense is reflected in the accompanying financial statements as a reduction of revenue; however, the actual stale beer expense incurred by the Company could differ from the estimated accrual. Cost of Goods Sold The following expenses are included in cost of goods sold: raw material costs, packaging costs, costs and income related to deposit activity, purchasing and receiving costs, manufacturing labor and overhead, brewing and processing costs, inspection costs relating to quality control, inbound freight charges, depreciation expense related to manufacturing equipment and warehousing costs, which include rent, labor and overhead costs. Shipping Costs Costs incurred for the shipping of products to customers are included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The Company incurred shipping costs of $49.2 million, $62.2 million, and $62.6 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Advertising and Sales Promotions The following expenses are included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: media advertising costs, sales and marketing expenses, salary and benefit expenses and meals, travel and entertainment expenses for the sales, brand and sales support workforce, promotional activity expenses, freight charges related to shipments of finished goods from manufacturing locations to distributor locations and point-of-sale The Company conducts certain advertising and promotional activities in its Distributors’ markets and the Distributors make contributions to the Company for such efforts. Reimbursements from Distributors for advertising and promotional activities are recorded as reductions to advertising, promotional and selling expenses. Customer Programs and Incentives Customer programs and incentives, which include customer promotional discount programs, customer incentives and other payments, are a common practice in the alcohol beverage industry. The Company makes these payments to customers and incurs these costs to promote sales of products and to maintain competitive pricing. Amounts paid in connection with customer programs and incentives are recorded as reductions to net revenue or as advertising, promotional and selling expenses in accordance with ASC Topic 605-50, Revenue Recognition — Customer Payments and Incentives, Customer promotional discount programs are entered into with Distributors for certain periods of time. Amounts paid to Distributors in connection with these programs in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014 were $33.2 million, $33.2 million, and $28.5 million, respectively. The reimbursements for discounts to Distributors are recorded as reductions to net revenue. Agreed-upon discount rates are applied to certain Distributors’ sales to retailers, based on volume metrics, in order to determine the total discounted amount. The computation of the discount allowance requires that management make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the timing and amounts of revenue and liabilities recorded. Actual promotional discounts owed and paid have historically been in line with allowances recorded by the Company, however, the amounts could differ from the estimated allowance. Customer incentives and other payments are made primarily to Distributors based upon performance of certain marketing and advertising activities. Depending on applicable state laws and regulations, these activities promoting the Company’s products may include, but are not limited to point-of-sale General and Administrative Expenses The following expenses are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: general and administrative salary and benefit expenses, insurance costs, professional service fees, rent and utility expenses, meals, travel and entertainment expenses for general and administrative employees, and other general and administrative overhead costs. Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for share-based awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation As permitted by ASC 718, the Company elected to use a lattice model, such as the binomial option-pricing model, to estimate the fair values of stock options, with the exception of the 2008 and 2016 stock option grants to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, which is considered to be a market-based award and was valued utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes fair value based on the most likely outcome. See Note L for further discussion of the application of the option-pricing models. Net Income Per Share Basic net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares and potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method or the two-class Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) 2014-09 2014-09 2014-09 No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date 2015-14 2014-09 2014-09 2014-09 In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory 2015-11 2015-11 2015-11 In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes 2015-17 2015-17 2015-17 2015-17. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) 2016-02 In March, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting 2016-09 2016-09, 2016-09, 2016-09 2016-09

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Inventories	C. Inventories Inventories consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods. Raw materials, which principally consist of hops, apple juice, other brewing materials and packaging, are stated at the lower of cost, determined on the first-in, first-out on-hand December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Raw Materials $ 41,630 $ 42,123 Work in process 8,131 8,876 Finished Goods 9,054 8,261 58,815 59,260 Less portion in other long term assets (6,316 ) (2,798 ) $ 52,499 $ 56,462

Prepaid Expenses and Other Curr

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	D. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Prepaid malt and barley $ 1,644 $ 3,184 Excise and other tax receivables 1,637 2,093 Insurance cash surrender value 1,254 — Supplier rebates 1,158 1,929 Prepaid insurance 1,144 1,047 Lease incentive receivable 113 1,584 Other 1,781 2,216 $ 8,731 $ 12,053

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Property, Plant and Equipment	E. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Machinery and plant equipment $ 420,486 $ 387,180 Kegs 70,024 71,391 Land 22,295 25,135 Building and building improvements 112,508 101,836 Office equipment and furniture 22,412 19,635 Leasehold improvements 14,147 12,037 661,872 617,214 Less accumulated depreciation (253,461 ) (207,288 ) $ 408,411 $ 409,926 The Company recorded depreciation and amortization expense related to these assets of $49.3 million, $43.4 million, and $34.8 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Impairment of Assets The Company evaluates its assets for impairment when events indicate that an asset or asset group may have suffered impairment. During 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company recorded impairment charges of $0.7 million, $0.3 million, and $1.8 million, respectively. Gain on Sale of Assets During 2016, the Company recognized a $1.0 million gain on the sale of land owned in Freetown, Massachusetts.

Goodwill

Goodwill	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill	F. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of the Company-owned breweries over the fair value of the net assets acquired upon the completion of the acquisitions. The following table summarizes the Company’s changes to the carrying amount of goodwill for the fifty-three weeks ended December 31, 2016 (in thousands): Balance at Balance at December 26, December 31, 2015 Additions 2016 Goodwill $ 3,683 $ — $ 3,683

Accrued Expenses and Other Curr

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	G. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Accrued deposits $ 15,814 $ 18,865 Employee wages, benefits and reimbursements 14,116 12,367 Advertising, promotional and selling expenses 8,562 11,249 Deferred revenue 5,381 3,949 Accrued stale beer 5,226 3,254 Accrued sales and use tax 2,437 2,656 Accrued excise taxes 2,255 3,976 Accrued freight 1,402 5,681 Other accrued liabilities 5,681 6,387 $ 60,874 $ 68,384

Revolving Line of Credit

Revolving Line of Credit	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Revolving Line of Credit	H. Revolving Line of Credit The Company has a credit facility in place that provides for a $150.0 million revolving line of credit which has a term not scheduled to expire until March 31, 2019. The Company may elect an interest rate for borrowings under the credit facility based on either (i) the Alternative Prime Rate (3.75% at December 31, 2016) or (ii) the applicable LIBOR rate (0.72% at December 31, 2016) plus 0.45%. The Company incurs an annual commitment fee of 0.15% on the unused portion of the facility and is obligated to meet certain financial covenants, which are measured using earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) based ratios. The Company’s EBITDA to interest expense ratio was 11,352 as of December 31, 2016, compared to a minimum allowable ratio of 2.00 and the Company’s total funded debt to EBITDA ratio was 0.00 as of December 31, 2016, compared to a maximum allowable ratio of 2.50. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. There were no borrowings outstanding under the credit facility as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. There are also certain restrictive covenants set forth in the credit agreement. Pursuant to the negative covenants, the Company has agreed that it will not: enter into any indebtedness or guarantees other than those specified by the lender, enter into any sale and leaseback transactions, merge, consolidate, or dispose of significant assets without the lender’s prior written consent, make or maintain any investments other than those permitted in the credit agreement, or enter into any transactions with affiliates outside of the ordinary course of business. In addition, the credit agreement requires the Company to obtain prior written consent from the lender on distributions on account of, or in repurchase, retirement or purchase of its capital stock or other equity interests with the exception of the following: (a) distributions of capital stock from subsidiaries to The Boston Beer Company, Inc. and Boston Beer Corporation (a subsidiary of The Boston Beer Company, Inc.), (b) repurchase from former employees of non-vested

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes	I. Income Taxes Significant components of the provision for income taxes are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 (in thousands) Current: Federal $ 35,390 $ 42,391 $ 30,595 State 6,108 7,403 8,262 Total current 41,498 49,794 38,857 Deferred: Federal 7,666 6,279 15,407 State 608 523 587 Total deferred 8,274 6,802 15,994 Total provision for income taxes $ 49,772 $ 56,596 $ 54,851 The Company’s reconciliations to statutory rates are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 Statutory rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % State income taxes, net of federal benefit 3.6 3.4 4.0 Deduction relating to U.S. production activities (2.6 ) (2.7 ) (2.1 ) Change in valuation allowance (0.3 ) — — Other 0.6 0.8 0.8 36.3 % 36.5 % 37.7 % Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows at: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Deferred tax assets: Accrued expenses $ 6,488 $ 7,435 Stock-based compensation expense 5,929 9,493 Inventory 1,117 2,398 Other 4,097 4,154 Total deferred tax assets 17,631 23,480 Valuation allowance (669 ) (1,036 ) Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance 16,962 22,444 Deferred tax liabilities: Property, plant and equipment (72,140 ) (69,226 ) Prepaid expenses (1,204 ) (1,475 ) Goodwill (879 ) (761 ) Total deferred tax liabilities (74,223 ) (71,462 ) Net deferred tax liabilities $ (57,261 ) $ (49,018 ) The Company’s practice is to classify interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. Interest and penalties included in the provision for income taxes amounted to $0.0 million, $0.1 million, and $0.0 million for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Accrued interest and penalties amounted to $0.3 million and $0.4 million at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows: 2016 2015 (in thousands) Balance at beginning of year $ 486 $ 368 Increases related to current year tax positions 80 44 Increases related to prior year tax positions 76 117 Decreases related to settlements (50 ) — Decreases related to lapse of statute of limitations (3 ) (43 ) Balance at end of year $ 589 $ 486 Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 are potential net benefits of $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively, that would favorably impact the effective tax rate if recognized. Unrecognized tax benefits are included in accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and adjusted in the period in which new information about a tax position becomes available or the final outcome differs from the amount recorded. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s 2013, 2014 and 2015 federal income tax returns remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The Company’s state income tax returns remain subject to examination for three or four years depending on the state’s statute of limitations. The Company is being audited by two states as of December 31, 2016. In addition, the Company is generally obligated to report changes in taxable income arising from federal income tax audits. It is reasonably possible that the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits may increase or decrease in 2017 if there is a completion of certain income tax audits; however, the Company cannot estimate the range of such possible changes. The Company does not expect that any potential changes would have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s deferred tax assets include a capital loss carryforward. The capital loss carryforward, totaling $1.7 million as of December 31, 2016, which if unused, will expire in year 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded a net valuation allowance release of $0.3 million due to a decrease in the deferred tax asset for capital loss carryforwards. The Company’s short term income tax receivable as of December 26, 2015 of $14.1 million in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is primarily due to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies	J. Commitments and Contingencies Contractual Obligations The Company had outstanding total non-cancelable Payments Due by Period Total 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Thereafter (in thousands) Hops, barley and wheat $ 71,128 $ 27,784 $ 14,552 $ 14,692 $ 4,483 $ 4,878 $ 4,739 Advertising 27,430 26,825 499 106 — — — Apples and other ingredients 27,225 27,225 — — — — — Glass bottles 16,551 16,551 — — — — — Operating leases 15,900 3,343 2,965 2,683 2,569 2,625 1,715 Equipment and machinery 10,700 10,700 — — — — — Other 4,505 2,624 1,335 546 — — — Total contractual obligations $ 173,439 $ 115,052 $ 19,351 $ 18,027 $ 7,052 $ 7,503 $ 6,454 The Company has entered into contracts for the supply of a portion of its hops requirements. These purchase contracts extend through crop year 2022 and specify both the quantities and prices, denominated in U.S. Dollar, Euros and New Zealand Dollars, to which the Company is committed. Hops purchase commitments outstanding at December 31, 2016 totaled $56.3 million, based on the exchange rates on that date. The Company does not use forward currency exchange contracts and intends to purchase future hops using the exchange rate at the time of purchase. Currently, the Company has entered into contracts for barley and wheat with two major suppliers. The contracts include crop years 2016 and 2017 and cover the Company’s barley, wheat, and malt requirements for 2017 and part of 2018. These purchase commitments outstanding at December 31, 2016 totaled $14.8 million. The Company sources some of its glass bottles needs pursuant to a Glass Bottle Supply Agreement with Anchor Glass Container Corporation (“Anchor”), under which Anchor is the supplier of certain glass bottles for the Company’s Cincinnati Brewery and its Pennsylvania Brewery. This agreement also establishes the terms on which Anchor may supply glass bottles to other breweries where the Company brews its beers. Under the agreement with Anchor, the Company has minimum and maximum purchase commitments that are based on Company-provided production estimates which, under normal business conditions, are expected to be fulfilled. Minimum purchase commitments under this agreement, assuming the supplier is unable to replace lost production capacity cancelled by the Company, as of December 31, 2016 totaled $16.6 million. The Company has various operating lease agreements in place for facilities and equipment as of December 31, 2016. Terms of these leases include, in some instances, scheduled rent increases, renewals, purchase options and maintenance costs, and vary by lease. These lease obligations expire at various dates through 2022. Aggregate rent expense was $3.8 million, $3.4 million, and $3.2 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Company brewed over 95% of its core brands volume at Company-owned breweries. In the normal course of its business, the Company has historically entered into various production arrangements with other brewing companies. Pursuant to these arrangements, the Company purchases the liquid produced by those brewing companies, including the raw materials that are used in the liquid, at the time such liquid goes into fermentation. The Company is required to repurchase all unused raw materials purchased by the brewing company specifically for the Company’s beers at the brewing company’s cost upon termination of the production arrangement. The Company is also obligated to meet annual volume requirements in conjunction with certain production arrangements, which are not material to the Company’s operations. The Company’s arrangements with other brewing companies require it to periodically purchase equipment in support of brewery operations. As of December 31, 2016, there were no significant equipment purchase requirements outstanding under existing contracts. Changes to the Company’s brewing strategy or existing production arrangements, new production relationships or the introduction of new products in the future may require the Company to purchase equipment to support the contract breweries’ operations. Litigation The Company is currently not a party to any pending or threatened litigation, the outcome of which would be expected to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or the results of its operations.

Fair Value Measures

Fair Value Measures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Measures	K. Fair Value Measures The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company applies the following fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). • Level 1 — Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. • Level 2 — Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, a Level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. • Level 3 — Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date. All financial assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (at least annually) have been segregated into the most appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to determine the fair value at the measurement date. The assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized in the table below (in thousands): As of December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Cash equivalents $ 89,966 $ — $ — $ 89,966 As of December 26, 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Cash equivalents $ 88,108 $ — $ — $ 88,108 The Company’s cash equivalents listed above represent money market mutual fund securities and are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices. The money market funds were invested substantially in United States Treasury and government securities. The Company does not adjust the quoted market price for such financial instruments. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents held in money market funds. At December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company had money market funds with a “Triple A” rated money market fund. The Company considers the “Triple A” rated money market fund to be a large, highly-rated investment-grade institution. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance was $91.0 million and $94.2 million, respectively, including money market funds amounting to $90.0 million and $88.1 million, respectively. Cash, certificates of deposit, receivables and payables are carried at their cost, which approximates fair value, because of their short-term nature. Financial instruments not recorded at fair value in the consolidated financial statements are summarized in the table below (in thousands): As of December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Note payable $ — $ 400 $ — $ 400 As of December 26, 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Note payable $ — $ 458 $ — $ 458 The Company’s note payable listed above represents a term note agreement with Bank of America N.A and is classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because it is valued using observable inputs. The note has a maturity date of December 31, 2021 and the interest rate is fixed at an annual rate of 4.25%.

Common Stock and Share-Based Co

Common Stock and Share-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Common Stock and Share-Based Compensation	L. Common Stock and Share-Based Compensation Class A Common Stock The Class A Common Stock has no voting rights, except (1) as required by law, (2) for the election of Class A Directors, and (3) that the approval of the holders of the Class A Common Stock is required for (a) certain future authorizations or issuances of additional securities which have rights senior to Class A Common Stock, (b) certain alterations of rights or terms of the Class A or Class B Common Stock as set forth in the Articles of Organization of the Company, (c) other amendments of the Articles of Organization of the Company, (d) certain mergers or consolidations with, or acquisitions of, other entities, and (e) sales or dispositions of any significant portion of the Company’s assets. Class B Common Stock The Class B Common Stock has full voting rights, including the right to (1) elect a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and (2) approve all (a) amendments to the Company’s Articles of Organization, (b) mergers or consolidations with, or acquisitions of, other entities, (c) sales or dispositions of any significant portion of the Company’s assets, and (d) equity-based and other executive compensation and other significant corporate matters. The Company’s Class B Common Stock is not listed for trading. Each share of Class B Common Stock is freely convertible into one share of Class A Common Stock, upon request of any Class B holder, and participates equally in earnings. All distributions with respect to the Company’s capital stock are restricted by the Company’s credit agreement, with the exception of distributions of capital stock from subsidiaries to The Boston Beer Company, Inc. and Boston Beer Corporation, repurchase from former employees of non-vested Employee Stock Compensation Plan The Company’s Employee Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”) currently provides for the grant of discretionary options and restricted stock awards to employees, and provides for shares to be sold to employees of the Company at a discounted purchase price under its investment share program. The Equity Plan is administered by the Board of Directors of the Company, based on recommendations received from the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee consists of three independent directors. In determining the quantities and types of awards for grant, the Compensation Committee periodically reviews the objectives of the Company’s compensation system and takes into account the position and responsibilities of the employee being considered, the nature and value to the Company of his or her service and accomplishments, his or her present and potential contributions to the success of the Company, the value of the type of awards to the employee and such other factors as the Compensation Committee deems relevant. Stock options and related vesting requirements and terms are granted at the Board of Directors’ discretion, but generally vest ratably over five-year periods and, with respect to certain options granted to members of senior management, based on the Company’s performance. Generally, the maximum contractual term of stock options is ten years, although the Board of Directors may grant options that exceed the ten-year On January 1, 2017, the Company granted options to purchase an aggregate of 5,185 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock with a weighted average fair value of $81.95 per share, of which all shares relate to performance-based stock options. Restricted stock awards are also granted at the Board of Directors’ discretion. During fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company granted 21,653, 6,092, and 16,432 shares, respectively, of restricted stock awards to certain senior managers and key employees, all of which are service-based and vest ratably over service periods of three to five years. The Equity Plan also has an investment share program which permits employees who have been with the Company for at least one year to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock at a discount from current market value of 0% to 40%, based on the employee’s tenure with the Company. Investment shares vest ratably over service periods of five years. Participants may pay for these shares either up front or through payroll deductions over an eleven-month period during the year of purchase. During fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, employees elected to purchase an aggregate of 9,199, 8,301, and 8,516 investment shares, respectively. On January 1, 2017, the Company granted 12,358 shares of restricted stock awards to certain senior managers and key employees of which all shares vest ratably over service periods of five years. On January 1, 2017, employees elected to purchase 9,977 shares under the investment share program. The Company has reserved 6.7 million shares of Class A Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Equity Plan, of which 0.7 million shares were available for grant as of December 31, 2016. Shares reserved for issuance under cancelled employee stock options and forfeited restricted stock are returned to the reserve under the Equity Plan for future grants or purchases. The Company also purchases unvested investment shares from employees who have left the Company at the lesser of (i) the price paid for the shares when the employee acquired the shares or (ii) the fair market value of the shares as of the date next preceding the date on which the shares are called for redemption by the Company. These shares are also returned to the reserve under the Equity Plan for future grants or purchases. Non-Employee The Company has a stock option plan for non-employee “Non-Employee non-employee re-election non-employee non-employee The Company has reserved 0.6 million shares of Class A Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Non-Employee non-employee Non-Employee Option Activity Information related to stock options under the Equity Plan and the Non-Employee Shares Weighted- Weighted-Average Aggregate (in thousands) Outstanding at December 26, 2015 1,127,162 $ 63.99 Granted 800,490 197.56 Forfeited (40,352 ) 196.86 Expired (1,980 ) 241.79 Exercised (537,087 ) 74.71 Outstanding at December 31, 2016 1,348,233 $ 141.98 6.44 $ 61,632 Exercisable at December 31, 2016 196,522 $ 86.52 4.14 $ 17,210 Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2016 744,866 $ 97.34 4.39 $ 59,410 Of the total options outstanding at December 31, 2016, 72,573 shares were performance-based options granted to multiple key employees and 574,507 shares were service-based options granted to the Chief Executive Officer that are not expected to vest as a result of the planned retirement in 2018. Stock Option Grants to Chief Executive Officer On January 1, 2008, the Company granted the Chief Executive Officer an option to purchase 753,864 shares of its Class A Common Stock, which vests over a five-year period, commencing on January 1, 2014, at the rate of 20% per year. The exercise price is determined by multiplying $42.00 by the aggregate change in the DJ Wilshire 5000 Index from and after January 1, 2008 through the close of business on the trading date next preceding each date on which the option is exercised. The exercise price will not be less than $37.65 per share and the excess of the fair value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock cannot exceed $70 per share over the exercise price. At December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, 301,546 shares and 452,319 shares of the stock option remained outstanding, respectively. If the outstanding shares at December 31, 2016 were exercised on that date, the exercise price would have been $99.85 per share. If the outstanding shares at December 26, 2015 were exercised on that date, the exercise price would have been $135.40 per share. Reflected in the table above is the minimum exercise price of $37.65. The Company is accounting for this award as a market-based award which was valued utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes fair value based on the most likely outcome. Under the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, the Company calculated the weighted average fair value per share to be $8.41, and recorded stock-based compensation expense of $0.3, $0.5, and $0.7, million related to this option in the fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. On January 1, 2016, the Company granted the Chief Executive Officer an option to purchase 574,507 shares of its Class A Common Stock, which vests over a five-year period, commencing on January 1, 2019, at the rate of 20% per year. The exercise price is determined by multiplying $201.91 by the aggregate percentage change in the DJ Wilshire 5000 Index from and after January 1, 2016 through the close of business on the trading date next preceding each date on which the option is exercised, plus an additional 1.5 percentage points per annum, prorated for partial years. The exercise price will not be less than $201.91 per share and the excess of the fair value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock cannot exceed $150 per share over the exercise price. At December 31, 2016, the stock option remained unexercised as to 574,507 shares. If the stock option had been exercised on December 31, 2016, the exercise price would have been $226.72 per share. The Company is accounting for this award as a market-based award which was valued utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes fair value based on the most likely outcome. Under the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, the Company calculated the weighted average fair value per share to be $39.16. As a result of the Chief Executive Officer’s planned retirement in 2018, the Company estimated a 100% forfeiture rate related to this grant and in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 the Company reversed a total of $3.6 million in stock-based compensation expense that had been recorded during the first three quarters of fiscal 2016. Stock-Based Compensation The following table provides information regarding stock-based compensation expense included in operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: 2016 2015 2014 (in thousands) Amounts included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses $ 2,507 $ 2,943 $ 3,342 Amounts included in general and administrative expenses 3,641 3,722 3,515 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 6,148 $ 6,665 $ 6,857 Amounts related to performance-based stock awards included in total stock-based compensation expense $ 203 $ 831 $ 1,378 As permitted by ASC 718, the Company uses a lattice model, such as the binomial option-pricing model, to estimate the fair values of stock options. The Company believes that the Black-Scholes option-pricing model is less effective than the binomial option-pricing model in valuing long-term options, as it assumes that volatility and interest rates are constant over the life of the option. In addition, the Company believes that the binomial option-pricing model more accurately reflects the fair value of its stock awards, as it takes into account historical employee exercise patterns based on changes in the Company’s stock price and other relevant variables. The weighted-average fair value of stock options granted during 2016, 2015, and 2014 was $87.70, $128.54, and $106.81 per share, respectively, as calculated using a binomial option-pricing model. This excludes the January 1, 2016 stock options granted to the Chief Executive Officer with a weighted-average fair value of $39.16, as calculated using the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model. Weighted average assumptions used to estimate fair values of stock options on the date of grants are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 Expected volatility 34.0% 34.2% 34.3% Risk-free interest rate 2.16% 2.16% 2.83% Expected dividends 0% 0% 0% Exercise factor 2.68 times 3.0 times 3.4 times Discount for post-vesting restrictions 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Expected volatility is based on the Company’s historical realized volatility. The risk-free interest rate represents the implied yields available from the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon Fair value of restricted stock awards is based on the Company’s traded stock price on the date of the grants. Fair value of investment shares is calculated using the binomial option-pricing model. The Company uses the straight-line attribution method in recognizing stock-based compensation expense for awards that vest based on service conditions. For awards that vest subject to performance conditions, compensation expense is recognized ratably for each tranche of the award over the performance period if it is probable that performance conditions will be met. Under ASC 718, compensation expense is recognized less estimated forfeitures. Because most of the Company’s equity awards vest on January 1 st st The total fair value of options vested during 2016, 2015, and 2014 was $9.9 million, $4.1 million, and $3.8 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2016, 2015, and 2014 was $52.7 million, $37.7 million, and $45.8 million, respectively. Based on equity awards outstanding as of December 31, 2016, there is $23.0 million of unrecognized compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements that are expected to vest. Such costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.09 years. The following table summarizes the estimated future annual stock-based compensation expense related to share-based arrangements existing as of December 31, 2016 that are expected to vest (in thousands): 2017 $ 5,707 2018 5,253 2019 3,952 2020 2,606 2021 2,060 Thereafter 3,422 Total $ 23,000 Non-Vested The following table summarizes vesting activities of shares issued under the investment share program and restricted stock awards: Number of Weighted Non-vested 60,922 $ 150.03 Granted 30,852 161.84 Vested (19,740 ) 114.12 Forfeited (7,066 ) 152.40 Non-vested 64,968 $ 166.29 19,740 shares vested in 2016 with a weighted average fair value of $114.12. 25,732 shares vested in 2015 with a weighted average fair value of $79.44. 38,329 shares vested in 2014 with a weighted average fair value of $53.82. Stock Repurchase Program In 1998, the Board of Directors authorized management to implement a stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has repurchased a cumulative total of approximately 12.5 million shares of its Class A Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $607.8 million as follows: Number of Aggregate Purchase (in thousands) Repurchased at December 28, 2013 10,892,459 $ 299,528 2014 repurchases 29,474 7,859 Repurchased at December 27, 2014 10,921,933 307,387 2015 repurchases 616,747 138,705 Repurchased at December 26, 2015 11,538,680 446,092 2016 repurchases 944,876 161,658 Repurchased at December 31, 2016 12,483,556 $ 607,750

Employee Retirement Plans and P

Employee Retirement Plans and Post-Retirement Medical Benefits	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Employee Retirement Plans and Post-Retirement Medical Benefits	M. Employee Retirement Plans and Post-Retirement Medical Benefits The Company has one retirement plan covering substantially all non-union Non-Union The Boston Beer Company 401(k) Plan (the “Boston Beer 401(k) Plan”), which was established by the Company in 1993, is a Company-sponsored defined contribution plan that covers a majority of the Company’s non-union non-union Union Plans The Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery 401(k) Plan for Represented Employees (the “SACB 401(k) Plan”) is a Company-sponsored defined contribution plan. It was established in 1997 and is available to all union employees upon commencement of employment or, if later, attaining age 21. Participants may make voluntary contributions up to 60% of their annual compensation to the SACB 401(k) Plan, subject to IRS limitations. Company contributions for fiscal 2016 and 2015 were insignificant. The basic annual administrative fee for the SACB 401(k) Plan is paid by the Plan’s investment fund revenue. In addition, per the Service Provider Payment Agreement, a credit up to a maximum of two basis points multiplied by the total amount of assets under the Plan per year, excluding participant loans, is available for paying eligible Plan expenses. The Company is responsible for the payment of any additional fees related to the management of the SACB 401(k) Plan. Such fees are not material to the Company. The Samuel Adams Brewery Company, Ltd. Local Union No. 1199 Pension Plan (the “Local 1199 Pension Plan”) is a Company-sponsored defined benefit pension plan. It was established in 1991 and is open to all union employees who are covered by the Company’s collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local Union No. 1199 (“Local Union #1199”), or persons on leave from the Company who are employed by Local Union #1199, and in either case who have completed 12 consecutive months of employment with at least 750 hours worked. The defined benefit is determined based on years of service since July 1991. The Company made contributions of $219,000 and $188,000 in 2016 and 2015 respectively. At December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the unfunded projected pension benefits were $1.9 million and $1.6 million, respectively. The Company provides a supplement to eligible retirees from Local #1, Local #20, and Local Union #1199 to assist them with the cost of Medicare gap coverage after their retirement on account of age or permanent disability. To qualify for this benefit (collectively, the “Retiree Medical Plan”), an employee must have worked for at least 20 years for the Company or its predecessor at the Company’s Cincinnati Brewery, must have been enrolled in the Company’s group medical insurance plan for at least 5 years before retirement and, in the case of retirees from Local #20, for at least 7 of the last 10 years of their employment, and must be eligible for Medicare benefits under the Social Security Act. The accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation was determined using a discount rate of 4.25% at December 31, 2016 and 4.5% at December 26, 2015 and a 2.5% health care cost increase based on the Cincinnati Consumer Price Index for the years 2016, 2015, and 2014. The effect of a 1% point increase and the effect of a 1% point decrease in the assumed health care cost trend rates on the aggregate of the service and interest cost components of net periodic post-retirement health care benefit costs and on the accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation for health care benefits would not be significant. In addition, the comprehensive medical plan offered to currently employed members of Local #20 remains available to them should they retire after reaching age 57, and before reaching age 65, with at least 20 years of service with the Company or its predecessor at the Company’s Cincinnati Brewery. These eligible retirees may choose to continue to be covered under the Company’s comprehensive group medical plan until they reach the age when they are eligible for Medicare health benefits under the Social Security Act or coverage under a comparable State health benefit plan. Eligible retirees pay 100% of the cost of the coverage. The funded status of the Local 1199 Pension Plan and the Retiree Medical Plan are as follows: Local 1199 Pension Plan Retiree Medical Plan December 31, December 26, December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (in thousands) Fair value of plan assets at end of fiscal year $ 2,733 $ 2,471 $ — $ — Benefit obligation at end of fiscal year 4,611 4,105 708 671 Unfunded Status $ (1,878 ) $ (1,634 ) $ (708 ) $ (671 ) The Local 1199 Pension Plan invests in a family of funds designed to minimize excessive short-term risk and focus on consistent, competitive long-term performance, consistent with the funds’ investment objectives. The fund-specific objectives vary and include maximizing long-term returns both before and after taxes, maximizing total return from capital appreciation plus income, and investing in funds that invest in common stock of companies that cover a broad range of industries. The Local 1199 Plan’s investments are considered category 1 assets in the fair value hierarchy and the fair values were determined by reference to period-end The basis of the long-term rate of return assumption of 6.5% reflects the Local 1199 Plan’s current targeted asset mix of approximately 35% debt securities and 65% equity securities with assumed average annual returns of approximately 3% to 6% for debt securities and 8% to 12% for equity securities. It is assumed that the Local 1199 Pension Plan’s investment portfolio will be adjusted periodically to maintain the targeted ratios of debt securities and equity securities. Additional consideration is given to the Local 1199 Plan’s historical returns as well as future long-range projections of investment returns for each asset category. The assumed discount rate in estimating the pension obligation was 4.25% and 4.50% at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively. The Local 1199 Plan’s weighted-average asset allocations at the measurement dates by asset category are as follows: Asset Category December 31, December 26, Equity securities 66 % 67 % Debt securities 34 % 33 % Total 100 % 100 %

Net Income per Share

Net Income per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Net Income per Share	N. Net Income per Share Net Income per Common Share — Basic The following table sets forth the computation of basic net income per share using the two-class December 31, December 26, December 27, (in thousands, except per share data) Net Income $ 87,349 $ 98,414 $ 90,743 Allocation of net income for basic: Class A Common Stock $ 63,717 $ 71,798 $ 64,027 Class B Common Stock 23,190 26,154 26,207 Unvested participating shares 442 462 509 $ 87,349 $ 98,414 $ 90,743 Weighted average number of shares for basic: Class A Common Stock 9,189 9,619 9,202 Class B Common Stock* 3,344 3,504 3,766 Unvested participating shares 64 62 73 12,597 13,185 13,041 Net income per share for basic: Class A Common Stock $ 6.93 $ 7.46 $ 6.96 Class B Common Stock $ 6.93 $ 7.46 $ 6.96 * Change in Class B Common Stock resulted from the conversion of 150,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on May 6, 2015, 100,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on October 26, 2015, 125,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 4, 2016 and 45,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 30, 2016, with the ending number of shares reflecting the weighted average for the period. Net Income per Common Share — Diluted The Company calculates diluted net income per share for common stock using the more dilutive of (1) the treasury stock method, or (2) the two-class The following tables set forth the computation of diluted net income per share, assuming the conversion of all Class B Common Stock into Class A Common Stock and using the two-class Fifty-three weeks ended December 31, 2016 Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 63,717 9,189 $ 6.93 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 263 Class B Common Stock 23,190 3,344 Net effect of unvested participating shares 9 Net income per common share — diluted $ 86,916 12,796 $ 6.79 Fifty-two Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 71,798 9,619 $ 7.46 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 397 Class B Common Stock 26,154 3,504 Net effect of unvested participating shares 14 Net income per common share — diluted $ 97,966 13,520 $ 7.25 Fifty-two Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 64,027 9,202 $ 6.96 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 516 Class B Common Stock 26,207 3,766 Net effect of unvested participating shares 19 — Net income per common share — diluted $ 90,253 13,484 $ 6.69 Basic net income per common share for each share of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock is $6.93, $7.46, and $6.96 for the fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, as each share of Class A and Class B participates equally in earnings. Shares of Class B are convertible at any time into shares of Class A on a one-for-one Weighted average stock options to purchase 712,000, 16,000, and 11,000 shares of Class A Common Stock were outstanding during fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, but not included in computing diluted income per share because their effects were anti-dilutive. Additionally, performance-based stock options to purchase 35,000, 15,000, and 30,000 shares of Class A Common Stock were outstanding during fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, but not included in computing dilutive income per share because the performance criteria of these stock options were not met as of December 31, 2016, December 26, 2015, and December 27, 2014, respectively.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income	O. Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income represents amounts of unrecognized actuarial gains or losses related to the Company sponsored defined benefit pension plan and post-retirement medical plan, net of tax effect and currency translation adjustments. Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss represent actuarial losses or gains, net of tax effect, recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs and currency translation adjustments. The following table details the changes in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income for 2016, 2015, and 2014 (in thousands): Accumulated Other Balance at December 28, 2013 $ (417 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of $466 (734 ) Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of ($11) 18 Balance at December 27, 2014 $ (1,133 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of ($99) 130 Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of ($43) 74 Currency translation adjustment (22 ) Balance at December 26, 2015 $ (951 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of ($69) 122 Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of $101 (175 ) Currency translation adjustment (99 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (1,103 )

Valuation and Qualifying Accoun

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	P. Valuation and Qualifying Accounts The Company maintains reserves against accounts receivable for doubtful accounts and inventory for obsolete and slow-moving inventory. The Company also maintains reserves against accounts receivable for distributor promotional allowances. In addition, the Company maintains a reserve for estimated returns of stale beer, which is included in accrued expenses. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 244 $ (244 ) $ — $ — 2015 $ 144 $ 165 $ (65 ) $ 244 2014 $ 160 $ (16 ) $ — $ 144 Discount Accrual Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 2,813 $ 33,157 $ (32,892 ) $ 3,078 2015 $ 3,006 $ 33,204 $ (33,397 ) $ 2,813 2014 $ 2,602 $ 28,448 $ (28,044 ) $ 3,006 Inventory Obsolescence Reserve Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 1,525 $ 4,707 $ (3,970 ) $ 2,262 2015 $ 1,328 $ 4,045 $ (3,848 ) $ 1,525 2014 $ 1,616 $ 6,130 $ (6,418 ) $ 1,328 Stale Beer Reserve Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 3,254 $ 10,466 $ (8,494 ) $ 5,226 2015 $ 2,422 $ 7,780 $ (6,948 ) $ 3,254 2014 $ 1,754 $ 5,648 $ (4,980 ) $ 2,422

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Subsequent Events	Q. Subsequent Events As disclosed in Note L, on January 1, 2017 the Company granted stock options and restricted stock awards and employees elected to purchase shares under the investment share purchase program. As disclosed in Form 8-K The Company evaluated subsequent events occurring after the balance sheet date, December 31, 2016, and concluded that there was no event of which management was aware that occurred after the balance sheet date that would require any adjustment to or disclosure in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Quarterly Results (Unaudited)

Quarterly Results (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Results (Unaudited)	R. Quarterly Results (Unaudited) The Company’s fiscal quarters are consistently determined year to year and generally consist of 13 weeks, except in those fiscal years in which there are fifty-three weeks where the last fiscal quarters then consist of 14 weeks. In management’s opinion, the following unaudited information includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the quarters presented. The operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of results for any future quarters. For Quarters Ended December 31, September 24, June 25, March 26, December 26, September 26, June 27, March 28, (14 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (In thousands, except per share data) Net revenue $ 219,370 $ 253,433 $ 244,816 $ 188,827 $ 215,133 $ 293,094 $ 252,204 $ 199,503 Gross profit 107,656 133,607 126,876 91,531 108,767 157,010 136,225 99,615 Operating income 34,325 50,309 41,788 11,237 26,338 60,879 46,819 22,138 Net income $ 22,166 $ 31,530 $ 26,621 $ 7,032 $ 16,115 $ 38,624 $ 29,932 $ 13,743 Net income per share — basic $ 1.77 $ 2.53 $ 2.11 $ 0.55 $ 1.25 $ 2.93 $ 2.24 $ 1.04 Net income per share — diluted $ 1.75 $ 2.48 $ 2.06 $ 0.53 $ 1.21 $ 2.85 $ 2.18 $ 1.00 (1) During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer in 2018.

Summary of Significant Accoun26

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Fiscal Year	Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year is a fifty-two fifty-two
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly-owned. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Segment Reporting	Segment Reporting The Company consists of two operating segments that each produce and sell alcohol beverages. The first is the Boston Beer Company operating segment comprised of the Company’s Samuel Adams ® ® ® ®
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 included cash on-hand The Company has restricted cash associated with a term note agreement with Bank of America that was required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fund economic development at the Company’s Pennsylvania Brewery. The restricted cash subject to this agreement amounted to $400,000 and $456,000 at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively, and is included in other assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Company’s accounts receivable primarily consist of trade receivables. The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts that is based on historical trends, customer knowledge, any known disputes, and the aging of the accounts receivable balances combined with management’s estimate of future potential recoverability. Receivables are written off against the allowance after all attempts to collect a receivable have failed. The Company believes its allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 are adequate, but actual write-offs could exceed the recorded allowance.
Concentrations of Credit Risk	Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash equivalents and trade receivables. The Company places its cash equivalents with high credit quality financial institutions. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were invested in investment-grade, highly-liquid U.S. government agency corporate money market accounts. The Company sells primarily to a network of independent wholesalers in the United States and to a network of foreign wholesalers, importers or other agencies (collectively referred to as “Distributors”). In 2016, 2015 and 2014, sales to foreign Distributors were approximately 4% of total sales. Receivables arising from these sales are not collateralized; however, credit risk is minimized as a result of the large and diverse nature of the Company’s customer base. There were no individual customer accounts receivable balances outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015 that were in excess of 10% of the gross accounts receivable balance on those dates. No individual customers represented more than 10% of the Company’s revenues during fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014.
Financial Instruments and Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Financial Instruments and Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s primary financial instruments consisted of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. The Company determines the fair value of its financial assets and liabilities in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures
Inventories and Provision for Excess or Expired Inventory	Inventories and Provision for Excess or Expired Inventory Inventories consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods. Raw materials, which principally consist of hops, malt, apple juice, other brewing materials and packaging, are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out The provisions for excess or expired inventory are based on management’s estimates of forecasted usage of inventories on hand and under contract. A significant change in the timing or level of demand for certain products as compared to forecasted amounts may result in recording additional provisions for excess or expired inventory in the future. Provisions for excess inventory are included in cost of goods sold and have historically been adequate to provide for losses on its inventory. The computation of the excess inventory requires management to make certain assumptions regarding future sales growth, product mix, new products, cancellation costs, and supply, among others. The Company manages inventory levels and purchase commitments in an effort to maximize utilization of inventory on hand and under commitments. The Company’s accounting policy for inventory and purchase commitments is to recognize a loss by establishing a reserve to the extent inventory levels and commitments exceed management’s expected future usage. Provision for excess or expired inventory included in cost of goods sold was $4.5 million, $4.0 million, and $6.1 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant, and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major renewals and betterments that extend the life of the property are capitalized. Some of the Company’s equipment is used by other brewing companies to produce the Company’s products under brewing service arrangements (Note J). Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets as follows: Kegs 5 years Computer software and equipment 2 to 5 years Office equipment and furniture 3 to 7 years Machinery and plant equipment 3 to 20 years, or the term of the production agreement, whichever is shorter Leasehold improvements Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or estimated useful life of the asset Building and building improvements 12 to 20 years, or the remaining useful life of the building, whichever is shorter
Refundable Deposits on Kegs and Pallets	Refundable Deposits on Kegs and Pallets The Company distributes its draft beer in kegs and packaged beer primarily in glass bottles and cans and such kegs, bottles and cans are shipped on pallets to Distributors. Most kegs and pallets are owned by the Company. Kegs are reflected in the Company’s balance sheets at cost and are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the keg, while pallets are expensed upon purchase. Upon shipment of beer to Distributors, the Company collects a refundable deposit on the kegs and pallets, which is included in current liabilities in the Company’s balance sheets. Upon return of the kegs and pallets to the Company, the deposit is refunded to the Distributor. The Company has experienced some loss of kegs and pallets and anticipates that some loss will occur in future periods due to the significant volume of kegs and pallets handled by each Distributor and retailer, the homogeneous nature of kegs and pallets owned by most brewers and the relatively small deposit collected for each keg when compared with its market value. The Company believes that this is an industry-wide issue and that the Company’s loss experience is not atypical. The Company believes that the loss of kegs and pallets, after considering the forfeiture of related deposits, has not been material to the financial statements. The Company uses internal records, records maintained by Distributors, records maintained by other third party vendors and historical information to estimate the physical count of kegs and pallets held by Distributors. These estimates affect the amount recorded as property, plant and equipment and current liabilities as of the date of the financial statements. The actual liability for refundable deposits could differ from these estimates. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company decreased its liability for refundable deposits, gross property, plant and equipment and related accumulated depreciation by $1.1 million, $1.4 million and $1.4 million, respectively. For the year ended December 26, 2015, the Company decreased its liability for refundable deposits, gross property, plant and equipment and related accumulated depreciation by $0.9 million, $1.2 million and $1.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company’s balance sheet includes $14.3 million and $17.1 million, respectively, in refundable deposits on kegs and pallets and $12.0 million and $18.9 million, respectively, in kegs, net of accumulated depreciation.
Goodwill	Goodwill The Company does not amortize goodwill, but evaluates the recoverability of goodwill by comparing the carrying value and the fair value of its reporting units annually at the end of the fiscal month of August, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill may be impaired. The Company has concluded that its goodwill was not impaired as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the goodwill of the Boston Beer Company reporting unit amounted to $1.4 million. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the goodwill of the A&S Brewing Collaborative reporting unit amounted to $2.3 million.
Long-lived Assets	Long-lived Assets Long-lived assets are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. For purposes of determining whether there are any impairment losses, as further discussed below, management has historically examined the carrying value of the Company’s identifiable long-lived assets, including their useful lives, when indicators of impairment are present. For all long-lived assets, if an impairment loss is identified based on the fair value of the asset, as compared to the carrying value of the asset, such a loss would be charged to expense in the period the impairment is identified. Furthermore, if the review of the carrying values of the long-lived assets indicates impairment of such assets, the Company may determine that shorter estimated useful lives are more appropriate. In that event, the Company will be required to record additional depreciation in future periods, which will reduce earnings. Factors generally considered important which could trigger an impairment review on the carrying value of long-lived assets include the following: (1) significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results; (2) significant changes in the manner of use of acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business; (3) underutilization of assets; and (4) discontinuance of products by the Company or its customers. The Company believes that the carrying value of its long-lived assets was realizable as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements or tax returns. This results in differences between the book and tax bases of the Company’s assets and liabilities and carryforwards, such as tax credits. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events, other than enactment of changes in the tax laws or rates, are generally considered. Valuation allowances are provided when recovery of deferred tax assets does not meet the more likely than not standards as defined in ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes The calculation of the Company’s tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations in several different state tax jurisdictions. The Company is periodically reviewed by tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These reviews include inquiries regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. The Company records estimated reserves for exposures associated with positions that it takes on its income tax returns that do not meet the more likely than not standards as defined in ACS Topic 740, Income Taxes
Excise Taxes	Excise Taxes The Company is responsible for compliance with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department (the “TTB”) regulations which includes making timely and accurate excise tax payments. The Company is subject to periodic compliance audits by the TTB. Individual states also impose excise taxes on alcohol beverages in varying amounts. The Company calculates its excise tax expense based upon units shipped and on its understanding of the applicable excise tax laws.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Net revenue includes product sales, less the distributor promotional discount allowance, certain Distributor incentives, as discussed below in Customer Programs and Incentives, the stale beer accrual and excise taxes. The Company recognizes revenue on product sales at the time when the product is shipped and the following conditions are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title has passed to the customer according to the shipping terms, the price is fixed and determinable, and collection of the sales proceeds is reasonably assured. If the conditions for revenue recognition are not met, the Company defers the revenue until all conditions are met. As of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, the Company has deferred $5.4 million and $3.9 million, in revenue related to product shipped prior to these dates. These amounts are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. In certain circumstances and with the Company’s approval, the Company accepts and destroys stale beer that is returned by Distributors. The Company generally credits approximately fifty percent of the distributor’s cost of the beer that has passed its expiration date for freshness when it is returned to the Company or destroyed. The Company reduces revenue and establishes an accrual based upon both historical returns, which is applied to an estimated lag time for receipt of product, and knowledge of specific return transactions. Stale beer expense is reflected in the accompanying financial statements as a reduction of revenue; however, the actual stale beer expense incurred by the Company could differ from the estimated accrual.
Cost of Goods Sold	Cost of Goods Sold The following expenses are included in cost of goods sold: raw material costs, packaging costs, costs and income related to deposit activity, purchasing and receiving costs, manufacturing labor and overhead, brewing and processing costs, inspection costs relating to quality control, inbound freight charges, depreciation expense related to manufacturing equipment and warehousing costs, which include rent, labor and overhead costs.
Shipping Costs	Shipping Costs Costs incurred for the shipping of products to customers are included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The Company incurred shipping costs of $49.2 million, $62.2 million, and $62.6 million in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.
Advertising and Sales Promotions	Advertising and Sales Promotions The following expenses are included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: media advertising costs, sales and marketing expenses, salary and benefit expenses and meals, travel and entertainment expenses for the sales, brand and sales support workforce, promotional activity expenses, freight charges related to shipments of finished goods from manufacturing locations to distributor locations and point-of-sale The Company conducts certain advertising and promotional activities in its Distributors’ markets and the Distributors make contributions to the Company for such efforts. Reimbursements from Distributors for advertising and promotional activities are recorded as reductions to advertising, promotional and selling expenses.
Customer Programs and Incentives	Customer Programs and Incentives Customer programs and incentives, which include customer promotional discount programs, customer incentives and other payments, are a common practice in the alcohol beverage industry. The Company makes these payments to customers and incurs these costs to promote sales of products and to maintain competitive pricing. Amounts paid in connection with customer programs and incentives are recorded as reductions to net revenue or as advertising, promotional and selling expenses in accordance with ASC Topic 605-50, Revenue Recognition — Customer Payments and Incentives, Customer promotional discount programs are entered into with Distributors for certain periods of time. Amounts paid to Distributors in connection with these programs in fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014 were $33.2 million, $33.2 million, and $28.5 million, respectively. The reimbursements for discounts to Distributors are recorded as reductions to net revenue. Agreed-upon discount rates are applied to certain Distributors’ sales to retailers, based on volume metrics, in order to determine the total discounted amount. The computation of the discount allowance requires that management make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the timing and amounts of revenue and liabilities recorded. Actual promotional discounts owed and paid have historically been in line with allowances recorded by the Company, however, the amounts could differ from the estimated allowance. Customer incentives and other payments are made primarily to Distributors based upon performance of certain marketing and advertising activities. Depending on applicable state laws and regulations, these activities promoting the Company’s products may include, but are not limited to point-of-sale
General and Administrative Expenses	General and Administrative Expenses The following expenses are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: general and administrative salary and benefit expenses, insurance costs, professional service fees, rent and utility expenses, meals, travel and entertainment expenses for general and administrative employees, and other general and administrative overhead costs.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for share-based awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation As permitted by ASC 718, the Company elected to use a lattice model, such as the binomial option-pricing model, to estimate the fair values of stock options, with the exception of the 2008 and 2016 stock option grants to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, which is considered to be a market-based award and was valued utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes fair value based on the most likely outcome. See Note L for further discussion of the application of the option-pricing models.
Net Income Per Share	Net Income Per Share Basic net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares and potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method or the two-class
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) 2014-09 2014-09 2014-09 No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date 2015-14 2014-09 2014-09 2014-09 In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory 2015-11 2015-11 2015-11 In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes 2015-17 2015-17 2015-17 2015-17. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) 2016-02 In March, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting 2016-09 2016-09, 2016-09, 2016-09 2016-09

Summary of Significant Accoun27

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Estimated Useful Lives	Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets as follows: Kegs 5 years Computer software and equipment 2 to 5 years Office equipment and furniture 3 to 7 years Machinery and plant equipment 3 to 20 years, or the term of the production agreement, whichever is shorter Leasehold improvements Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or estimated useful life of the asset Building and building improvements 12 to 20 years, or the remaining useful life of the building, whichever is shorter

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Components of Inventories	Inventories consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Raw Materials $ 41,630 $ 42,123 Work in process 8,131 8,876 Finished Goods 9,054 8,261 58,815 59,260 Less portion in other long term assets (6,316 ) (2,798 ) $ 52,499 $ 56,462

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu29

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Prepaid malt and barley $ 1,644 $ 3,184 Excise and other tax receivables 1,637 2,093 Insurance cash surrender value 1,254 — Supplier rebates 1,158 1,929 Prepaid insurance 1,144 1,047 Lease incentive receivable 113 1,584 Other 1,781 2,216 $ 8,731 $ 12,053

Property, Plant and Equipment (

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Machinery and plant equipment $ 420,486 $ 387,180 Kegs 70,024 71,391 Land 22,295 25,135 Building and building improvements 112,508 101,836 Office equipment and furniture 22,412 19,635 Leasehold improvements 14,147 12,037 661,872 617,214 Less accumulated depreciation (253,461 ) (207,288 ) $ 408,411 $ 409,926

Goodwill (Tables)

Goodwill (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Changes to Carrying Amount of Goodwill	The following table summarizes the Company’s changes to the carrying amount of goodwill for the fifty-three weeks ended December 31, 2016 (in thousands): Balance at Balance at December 26, December 31, 2015 Additions 2016 Goodwill $ 3,683 $ — $ 3,683

Accrued Expenses and Other Cu32

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Accrued deposits $ 15,814 $ 18,865 Employee wages, benefits and reimbursements 14,116 12,367 Advertising, promotional and selling expenses 8,562 11,249 Deferred revenue 5,381 3,949 Accrued stale beer 5,226 3,254 Accrued sales and use tax 2,437 2,656 Accrued excise taxes 2,255 3,976 Accrued freight 1,402 5,681 Other accrued liabilities 5,681 6,387 $ 60,874 $ 68,384

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Significant Components of Provisions for Income Taxes	Significant components of the provision for income taxes are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 (in thousands) Current: Federal $ 35,390 $ 42,391 $ 30,595 State 6,108 7,403 8,262 Total current 41,498 49,794 38,857 Deferred: Federal 7,666 6,279 15,407 State 608 523 587 Total deferred 8,274 6,802 15,994 Total provision for income taxes $ 49,772 $ 56,596 $ 54,851
Reconciliations to Statutory Rates	The Company’s reconciliations to statutory rates are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 Statutory rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % State income taxes, net of federal benefit 3.6 3.4 4.0 Deduction relating to U.S. production activities (2.6 ) (2.7 ) (2.1 ) Change in valuation allowance (0.3 ) — — Other 0.6 0.8 0.8 36.3 % 36.5 % 37.7 %
Significant Components of Company's Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows at: December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Deferred tax assets: Accrued expenses $ 6,488 $ 7,435 Stock-based compensation expense 5,929 9,493 Inventory 1,117 2,398 Other 4,097 4,154 Total deferred tax assets 17,631 23,480 Valuation allowance (669 ) (1,036 ) Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance 16,962 22,444 Deferred tax liabilities: Property, plant and equipment (72,140 ) (69,226 ) Prepaid expenses (1,204 ) (1,475 ) Goodwill (879 ) (761 ) Total deferred tax liabilities (74,223 ) (71,462 ) Net deferred tax liabilities $ (57,261 ) $ (49,018 )
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows: 2016 2015 (in thousands) Balance at beginning of year $ 486 $ 368 Increases related to current year tax positions 80 44 Increases related to prior year tax positions 76 117 Decreases related to settlements (50 ) — Decreases related to lapse of statute of limitations (3 ) (43 ) Balance at end of year $ 589 $ 486

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Contractual Obligations	As of December 31, 2016, projected cash outflows under contractual obligations for the remaining years under the contracts are as follows: Payments Due by Period Total 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Thereafter (in thousands) Hops, barley and wheat $ 71,128 $ 27,784 $ 14,552 $ 14,692 $ 4,483 $ 4,878 $ 4,739 Advertising 27,430 26,825 499 106 — — — Apples and other ingredients 27,225 27,225 — — — — — Glass bottles 16,551 16,551 — — — — — Operating leases 15,900 3,343 2,965 2,683 2,569 2,625 1,715 Equipment and machinery 10,700 10,700 — — — — — Other 4,505 2,624 1,335 546 — — — Total contractual obligations $ 173,439 $ 115,052 $ 19,351 $ 18,027 $ 7,052 $ 7,503 $ 6,454

Fair Value Measures (Tables)

Fair Value Measures (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Measurement of Assets and Liabilities on Recurring Basis	The assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized in the table below (in thousands): As of December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Cash equivalents $ 89,966 $ — $ — $ 89,966 As of December 26, 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets: Cash equivalents $ 88,108 $ — $ — $ 88,108
Financial Instruments Not Recorded at Fair Value	Financial instruments not recorded at fair value in the consolidated financial statements are summarized in the table below (in thousands): As of December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Note payable $ — $ 400 $ — $ 400 As of December 26, 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Note payable $ — $ 458 $ — $ 458

Common Stock and Share-Based 36

Common Stock and Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Stock Options under Equity Plan and Non-Employee Director Plan	Information related to stock options under the Equity Plan and the Non-Employee Shares Weighted- Weighted-Average Aggregate (in thousands) Outstanding at December 26, 2015 1,127,162 $ 63.99 Granted 800,490 197.56 Forfeited (40,352 ) 196.86 Expired (1,980 ) 241.79 Exercised (537,087 ) 74.71 Outstanding at December 31, 2016 1,348,233 $ 141.98 6.44 $ 61,632 Exercisable at December 31, 2016 196,522 $ 86.52 4.14 $ 17,210 Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2016 744,866 $ 97.34 4.39 $ 59,410
Stock-Based Compensation Expense Included in Operating Expenses	The following table provides information regarding stock-based compensation expense included in operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income: 2016 2015 2014 (in thousands) Amounts included in advertising, promotional and selling expenses $ 2,507 $ 2,943 $ 3,342 Amounts included in general and administrative expenses 3,641 3,722 3,515 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 6,148 $ 6,665 $ 6,857 Amounts related to performance-based stock awards included in total stock-based compensation expense $ 203 $ 831 $ 1,378
Weighted Average Assumptions used to Estimate Fair Value of Stock Options	Weighted average assumptions used to estimate fair values of stock options on the date of grants are as follows: 2016 2015 2014 Expected volatility 34.0% 34.2% 34.3% Risk-free interest rate 2.16% 2.16% 2.83% Expected dividends 0% 0% 0% Exercise factor 2.68 times 3.0 times 3.4 times Discount for post-vesting restrictions 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Summary of Estimated Future Annual Stock-Based Compensation Expense	The following table summarizes the estimated future annual stock-based compensation expense related to share-based arrangements existing as of December 31, 2016 that are expected to vest (in thousands): 2017 $ 5,707 2018 5,253 2019 3,952 2020 2,606 2021 2,060 Thereafter 3,422 Total $ 23,000
Summary of Vesting Activities of Shares Issued Under Investment Share Program and Restricted Stock Awards	The following table summarizes vesting activities of shares issued under the investment share program and restricted stock awards: Number of Weighted Non-vested 60,922 $ 150.03 Granted 30,852 161.84 Vested (19,740 ) 114.12 Forfeited (7,066 ) 152.40 Non-vested 64,968 $ 166.29
Stock Repurchases	As of December 31, 2016, the Company has repurchased a cumulative total of approximately 12.5 million shares of its Class A Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $607.8 million as follows: Number of Aggregate Purchase (in thousands) Repurchased at December 28, 2013 10,892,459 $ 299,528 2014 repurchases 29,474 7,859 Repurchased at December 27, 2014 10,921,933 307,387 2015 repurchases 616,747 138,705 Repurchased at December 26, 2015 11,538,680 446,092 2016 repurchases 944,876 161,658 Repurchased at December 31, 2016 12,483,556 $ 607,750

Employee Retirement Plans and37

Employee Retirement Plans and Post-Retirement Medical Benefits (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Funded Status of Local 1199 Pension Plan and Retiree Medical Plan	The funded status of the Local 1199 Pension Plan and the Retiree Medical Plan are as follows: Local 1199 Pension Plan Retiree Medical Plan December 31, December 26, December 31, December 26, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (in thousands) Fair value of plan assets at end of fiscal year $ 2,733 $ 2,471 $ — $ — Benefit obligation at end of fiscal year 4,611 4,105 708 671 Unfunded Status $ (1,878 ) $ (1,634 ) $ (708 ) $ (671 )
Local 1199 Plan's Weighted-Average Asset Allocations	The Local 1199 Plan’s weighted-average asset allocations at the measurement dates by asset category are as follows: Asset Category December 31, December 26, Equity securities 66 % 67 % Debt securities 34 % 33 % Total 100 % 100 %

Net Income per Share (Tables)

Net Income per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Computation of Earnings Per Share, Basic	The following table sets forth the computation of basic net income per share using the two-class December 31, December 26, December 27, (in thousands, except per share data) Net Income $ 87,349 $ 98,414 $ 90,743 Allocation of net income for basic: Class A Common Stock $ 63,717 $ 71,798 $ 64,027 Class B Common Stock 23,190 26,154 26,207 Unvested participating shares 442 462 509 $ 87,349 $ 98,414 $ 90,743 Weighted average number of shares for basic: Class A Common Stock 9,189 9,619 9,202 Class B Common Stock* 3,344 3,504 3,766 Unvested participating shares 64 62 73 12,597 13,185 13,041 Net income per share for basic: Class A Common Stock $ 6.93 $ 7.46 $ 6.96 Class B Common Stock $ 6.93 $ 7.46 $ 6.96 * Change in Class B Common Stock resulted from the conversion of 150,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on May 6, 2015, 100,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on October 26, 2015, 125,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 4, 2016 and 45,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 30, 2016, with the ending number of shares reflecting the weighted average for the period.
Computation of Earnings Per Share, Diluted	The following tables set forth the computation of diluted net income per share, assuming the conversion of all Class B Common Stock into Class A Common Stock and using the two-class Fifty-three weeks ended December 31, 2016 Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 63,717 9,189 $ 6.93 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 263 Class B Common Stock 23,190 3,344 Net effect of unvested participating shares 9 Net income per common share — diluted $ 86,916 12,796 $ 6.79 Fifty-two Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 71,798 9,619 $ 7.46 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 397 Class B Common Stock 26,154 3,504 Net effect of unvested participating shares 14 Net income per common share — diluted $ 97,966 13,520 $ 7.25 Fifty-two Earnings to Common Shares EPS (in thousands, except per share data) As reported — basic $ 64,027 9,202 $ 6.96 Add: effect of dilutive potential common shares Share-based awards — 516 Class B Common Stock 26,207 3,766 Net effect of unvested participating shares 19 — Net income per common share — diluted $ 90,253 13,484 $ 6.69

Accumulated Other Comprehensi39

Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income	The following table details the changes in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income for 2016, 2015, and 2014 (in thousands): Accumulated Other Balance at December 28, 2013 $ (417 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of $466 (734 ) Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of ($11) 18 Balance at December 27, 2014 $ (1,133 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of ($99) 130 Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of ($43) 74 Currency translation adjustment (22 ) Balance at December 26, 2015 $ (951 ) Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes of ($69) 122 Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax of $101 (175 ) Currency translation adjustment (99 ) Balance at December 31, 2016 $ (1,103 )

Valuation and Qualifying Acco40

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	The Company maintains reserves against accounts receivable for doubtful accounts and inventory for obsolete and slow-moving inventory. The Company also maintains reserves against accounts receivable for distributor promotional allowances. In addition, the Company maintains a reserve for estimated returns of stale beer, which is included in accrued expenses. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 244 $ (244 ) $ — $ — 2015 $ 144 $ 165 $ (65 ) $ 244 2014 $ 160 $ (16 ) $ — $ 144 Discount Accrual Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 2,813 $ 33,157 $ (32,892 ) $ 3,078 2015 $ 3,006 $ 33,204 $ (33,397 ) $ 2,813 2014 $ 2,602 $ 28,448 $ (28,044 ) $ 3,006 Inventory Obsolescence Reserve Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 1,525 $ 4,707 $ (3,970 ) $ 2,262 2015 $ 1,328 $ 4,045 $ (3,848 ) $ 1,525 2014 $ 1,616 $ 6,130 $ (6,418 ) $ 1,328 Stale Beer Reserve Balance at Net Provision Amounts Balance at (In thousands) 2016 $ 3,254 $ 10,466 $ (8,494 ) $ 5,226 2015 $ 2,422 $ 7,780 $ (6,948 ) $ 3,254 2014 $ 1,754 $ 5,648 $ (4,980 ) $ 2,422

Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (

Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Results	In management’s opinion, the following unaudited information includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the quarters presented. The operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of results for any future quarters. For Quarters Ended December 31, September 24, June 25, March 26, December 26, September 26, June 27, March 28, (14 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (13 weeks) (In thousands, except per share data) Net revenue $ 219,370 $ 253,433 $ 244,816 $ 188,827 $ 215,133 $ 293,094 $ 252,204 $ 199,503 Gross profit 107,656 133,607 126,876 91,531 108,767 157,010 136,225 99,615 Operating income 34,325 50,309 41,788 11,237 26,338 60,879 46,819 22,138 Net income $ 22,166 $ 31,530 $ 26,621 $ 7,032 $ 16,115 $ 38,624 $ 29,932 $ 13,743 Net income per share — basic $ 1.77 $ 2.53 $ 2.11 $ 0.55 $ 1.25 $ 2.93 $ 2.24 $ 1.04 Net income per share — diluted $ 1.75 $ 2.48 $ 2.06 $ 0.53 $ 1.21 $ 2.85 $ 2.18 $ 1.00 (1) During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer in 2018.

Organization and Basis of Pre42

Organization and Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
A&S brands | Product Concentration Risk | Sales Revenue, Net | Maximum
Organization And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	5.00%	7.00%	2.00%

Summary of Significant Accoun43

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)Customer	Dec. 26, 2015USD ($)Customer	Dec. 27, 2014USD ($)Customer
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted cash	$ 400,000	$ 456,000
Number of individual customer accounted for more than ten percent of account receivable balance | Customer	0	0
Number of individual customers represented more than ten percent of revenues | Customer	0	0	0
Sales to foreign distributors as a percentage of total sales	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Provision for excess or expired inventory	$ 4,500,000	$ 4,000,000	$ 6,100,000
Decrease in refundable deposits for lost kegs and pallets	(1,100,000)	(900,000)
Decrease in gross property, plant and equipment	(1,400,000)	(1,200,000)
Decrease in property, plant and equipment related accumulated depreciation	(1,400,000)	(1,200,000)
Refundable deposits on kegs and pallets	14,300,000	17,100,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	408,411,000	409,926,000
Goodwill	3,683,000	3,683,000
Deferred Revenue, Current	5,381,000	3,949,000
Shipping costs	49,200,000	62,200,000	62,600,000
Advertising and sales promotional expenditures	105,300,000	120,100,000	100,500,000
Amounts paid to customers	244,213,000	273,629,000	250,696,000
Deferred income taxes	7,351,000	6,983,000
Contractual obligations	173,439,000
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation arrangements	12,524,000	15,350,000	17,353,000
Operating Leases
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	15,900,000	17,500,000
Boston Beer Company Reporting Unit
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill	1,400,000	1,400,000
A&S Brewing Collaborative Reporting Unit
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill	2,300,000	2,300,000
Kegs
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,000,000	18,900,000
Distributors
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Advertising and sales promotional expenditures	21,200,000	22,100,000	23,900,000
Amounts paid to distributors	33,200,000	33,200,000	28,500,000
Reduction in revenue related to advertising, promotional and selling expenses	16,100,000	16,600,000	18,700,000
Customers programs and incentives
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amounts paid to customers	$ 54,400,000	$ 55,300,000	$ 52,400,000

Estimated Useful Lives (Detail)

Estimated Useful Lives (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Kegs
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Computer Software and Equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	2 years
Computer Software and Equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Office Equipment and Furniture | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Office Equipment and Furniture | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Equipment and machinery
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 to 20 years, or the term of the production agreement, whichever is shorter
Equipment and machinery | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Equipment and machinery | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	20 years
Leasehold Improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	Lesser of the remaining term of the lease or estimated useful life of the asset
Building and Building Improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	12 to 20 years, or the remaining useful life of the building, whichever is shorter
Building and Building Improvements | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	12 years
Building and Building Improvements | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	20 years

Components of Inventories (Deta

Components of Inventories (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Inventory [Line Items]
Raw Materials	$ 41,630	$ 42,123
Work in process	8,131	8,876
Finished Goods	9,054	8,261
Inventory, Gross	58,815	59,260
Less portion in other long term assets	(6,316)	(2,798)
Inventories	52,499	56,462
Inventory, Gross	$ 58,815	$ 59,260

Summary of Prepaid Expenses and

Summary of Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Prepaid malt and barley	$ 1,644	$ 3,184
Excise and other tax receivables	1,637	2,093
Insurance cash surrender value	1,254
Supplier rebates	1,158	1,929
Prepaid insurance	1,144	1,047
Lease incentive receivable	113	1,584
Other	1,781	2,216
Prepaid Expense And Other Current Assets	$ 8,731	$ 12,053

Summary of Property, Plant and

Summary of Property, Plant and Equipment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Machinery and plant equipment	$ 420,486	$ 387,180
Kegs	70,024	71,391
Land	22,295	25,135
Building and building improvements	112,508	101,836
Office equipment and furniture	22,412	19,635
Leasehold improvements	14,147	12,037
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross, Total	661,872	617,214
Less accumulated depreciation	(253,461)	(207,288)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 408,411	$ 409,926

Property, Plant and Equipment -

Property, Plant and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization expense	$ 49,300	$ 43,400	$ 34,800
Impairment of assets	716	$ 258	$ 1,777
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment	$ 1,000

Changes to Carrying Amount of G

Changes to Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Detail) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Goodwill [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	$ 3,683
Additions	0
Ending Balance	$ 3,683

Summary of Accrued Expenses and

Summary of Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Other Liabilities [Line Items]
Accrued deposits	$ 15,814	$ 18,865
Employee wages, benefits and reimbursements	14,116	12,367
Advertising, promotional and selling expenses	8,562	11,249
Deferred revenue	5,381	3,949
Accrued stale beer	5,226	3,254
Accrued sales and use tax	2,437	2,656
Accrued excise taxes	2,255	3,976
Accrued freight	1,402	5,681
Other accrued liabilities	5,681	6,387
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$ 60,874	$ 68,384

Revolving Line of Credit - Addi

Revolving Line of Credit - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee	0.15%
Credit facility, borrowing outstanding	$ 0	$ 0
EBITDA to interest expense ratio	1135200.00%
EBITDA to interest expense, minimum allowable ratio	200.00%
Total funded debt to EBITDA ratio	0.00%
Total funded debt to EBITDA, maximum allowable ratio	250.00%
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, current borrowing capacity	$ 150,000,000
Basis spread on variable rate	0.45%
Line of credit, expiration date	Mar. 31, 2019
Debt, covenant compliance	The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015.
Revolving Credit Facility | Alternative Prime Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt interest rate at end of period	3.75%
Revolving Credit Facility | LIBOR rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt interest rate at end of period	0.72%

Significant Components of Provi

Significant Components of Provision for Income Taxes (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Current:
Federal	$ 35,390	$ 42,391	$ 30,595
State	6,108	7,403	8,262
Total current	41,498	49,794	38,857
Deferred:
Federal	7,666	6,279	15,407
State	608	523	587
Total deferred	8,274	6,802	15,994
Total provision for income taxes	$ 49,772	$ 56,596	$ 54,851

Reconciliations to Statutory Ra

Reconciliations to Statutory Rates (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Reconciliation of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]
Statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	3.60%	3.40%	4.00%
Deduction relating to U.S. production activities	(2.60%)	(2.70%)	(2.10%)
Change in valuation allowance	(0.30%)
Other	0.60%	0.80%	0.80%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent, Total	36.30%	36.50%	37.70%

Significant Components of Compa

Significant Components of Company's Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued expenses	$ 6,488	$ 7,435
Stock-based compensation expense	5,929	9,493
Inventory	1,117	2,398
Other	4,097	4,154
Total deferred tax assets	17,631	23,480
Valuation allowance	(669)	(1,036)
Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance	16,962	22,444
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(72,140)	(69,226)
Prepaid expenses	(1,204)	(1,475)
Goodwill	(879)	(761)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(74,223)	(71,462)
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ (57,261)	$ (49,018)

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 26, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)State	Dec. 26, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 27, 2014USD ($)
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Interest and penalties included in provision for incomes taxes		$ 0	$ 100	$ 0
Accrued interest and penalties		300	400
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate if recognized		500	400
Deferred tax assets capital loss carryforward		$ 1,700
Deferred tax assets capital loss carryforward expiration year		2,019
Valuation allowance release due to decrease in deferred tax asset, capital loss carryforward		$ 300
Income tax receivable		4,928	14,928
Income tax refund resulted from the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015	$ 12,000	$ 12,064	17,252
State and Local Jurisdiction
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax return examination		The Company's state income tax returns remain subject to examination for three or four years depending on the state's statute of limitations.
Number of states being audited | State		2
State and Local Jurisdiction | Minimum
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax return examination period		3 years
State and Local Jurisdiction | Maximum
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax return examination period		4 years
Federal Income Tax
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax receivable			$ 14,100

Reconciliation of Unrecognized

Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 486	$ 368
Increases related to current year tax positions	80	44
Increases related to prior year tax positions	76	117
Decreases related to settlements	(50)
Decreases related to lapse of statute of limitations	(3)	(43)
Balance at end of year	$ 589	$ 486

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)Vendor	Dec. 26, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 27, 2014USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	$ 173,439
Rent expense	$ 3,800	$ 3,400	$ 3,200
Lease expiration dates	2,022
Operating Leases
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	$ 15,900	$ 17,500
Equipment and machinery
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	$ 10,700
Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Company's current brewing and packaging percentage	95.00%
Barley and Wheat
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Purchase commitments	$ 14,800
Number of suppliers | Vendor	2
Hops
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Purchase commitments	$ 56,300
Hops, Barley and Wheat
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	71,128
Apples and other ingredients
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	27,225
Glass Bottles
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	16,551
Purchase commitments	16,600
Advertising Contracts
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	27,430
Other Commitments
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Contractual obligations	$ 4,505

Contractual Obligations (Detail

Contractual Obligations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	$ 173,439
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	115,052
Contractual obligations payment due, 2018	19,351
Contractual obligations payment due, 2019	18,027
Contractual obligations payment due, 2020	7,052
Contractual obligations payment due, 2021	7,503
Thereafter	6,454
Equipment and machinery
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	10,700
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	10,700
Operating Leases
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	15,900	$ 17,500
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	3,343
Contractual obligations payment due, 2018	2,965
Contractual obligations payment due, 2019	2,683
Contractual obligations payment due, 2020	2,569
Contractual obligations payment due, 2021	2,625
Thereafter	1,715
Hops, Barley and Wheat
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	71,128
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	27,784
Contractual obligations payment due, 2018	14,552
Contractual obligations payment due, 2019	14,692
Contractual obligations payment due, 2020	4,483
Contractual obligations payment due, 2021	4,878
Thereafter	4,739
Advertising Contracts
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	27,430
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	26,825
Contractual obligations payment due, 2018	499
Contractual obligations payment due, 2019	106
Apples and other ingredients
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	27,225
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	27,225
Glass Bottles
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	16,551
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	16,551
Other Commitments
Schedule Of Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual obligations payment due, total	4,505
Contractual obligations payment due, 2017	2,624
Contractual obligations payment due, 2018	1,335
Contractual obligations payment due, 2019	$ 546

Fair Value Measurement of Asset

Fair Value Measurement of Assets and Liabilities on Recurring Basis (Detail) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$ 89,966	$ 88,108
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$ 89,966	$ 88,108

Fair Value Measures - Additiona

Fair Value Measures - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014	Dec. 28, 2013
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents balance	$ 91,035	$ 94,193	$ 76,402	$ 49,524
Money market fund	$ 90,000	$ 88,100
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Maturity date of note	Dec. 31, 2021
Fixed interest rate	4.25%

Financial Instruments Not Recor

Financial Instruments Not Recorded at Fair Value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Note payable	$ 400	$ 458
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Note payable	$ 400	$ 458

Common Stock and Stock-Based Co

Common Stock and Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Jan. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2016	Jan. 01, 2008	Sep. 24, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014	Dec. 28, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period - weighted average fair value					$ 87.70	$ 128.54	$ 106.81
Other than options granted in period					30,852
Stock option outstanding					1,348,233	1,127,162
Exercise Price Per Share					$ 197.56
Stock-based compensation expense					$ 6,148	$ 6,665	$ 6,857
Estimated forfeiture rate for equity awards that do not vest on January 1st					5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
Expected dividends					0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Total fair value of options vested in period					$ 9,900	$ 4,100	$ 3,800
Aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised in period					52,700	$ 37,700	$ 45,800
Unrecognized compensation costs					$ 23,000
Unrecognized compensation costs, weighted average period					3 years 1 month 2 days
Option vested, number of shares					19,740	25,732	38,329
Option vested, weighted average fair value					$ 114.12	$ 79.44	$ 53.82
Repurchased shares of Class A Common Stock					12,483,556	11,538,680	10,921,933	10,892,459
Repurchased value of Class A Common Stock					$ 607,750	$ 446,092	$ 307,387	$ 299,528
Performance-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense					$ 203	$ 831	$ 1,378
Non Employee Director Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period					14,040	5,640	6,696
Common Class A | Non Employee Director Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares reserved for issuance					600,000
Shares available for grant					100,000
Maximum | Non Employee Director Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options, contractual term					10 years
Employee Stock Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period					5 years
Options granted in period					786,450	18,723	7,090
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Service-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period					173,135	3,981
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Performance-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period					38,808	14,742
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Investment Share Program
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period					5 years
Payroll deduction period					11 years
Shares employees elected to purchase					9,199	8,301	8,516
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Chief Executive Officer | Service-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period					574,507
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Common Class A
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares reserved for issuance					6,700,000
Shares available for grant					700,000
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Subsequent Event
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period - weighted average fair value	$ 81.95
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Subsequent Event | Common Class A
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period	5,185
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options, contractual term					10 years
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Maximum | Investment Share Program
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Discount from current market value					40.00%
Employee Stock Compensation Plan | Minimum | Investment Share Program
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Requirement tenure of employee for investment share program					1 year
Discount from current market value					0.00%
Restricted Stock Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Other than options granted in period					21,653	6,092	16,432
Restricted Stock Awards | Subsequent Event
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	5 years
Other than options granted in period	12,358
Shares employees elected to purchase	9,977
Restricted Stock Awards | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period					5 years
Restricted Stock Awards | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period					3 years
January 1, 2008 | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			5 years
Options granted in period			753,864
Stock option outstanding					301,546	452,319
Vesting percentage per year			20.00%
Stock price			$ 42
Exercise Price Per Share					$ 99.85	$ 135.40
Weighted average fair value per share			8.41
Stock-based compensation expense					$ 300	$ 500	$ 700
January 1, 2008 | Maximum | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise Price Per Share			70
January 1, 2008 | Minimum | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise Price Per Share			$ 37.65
Performance-Based Awards | Key Employees
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock option outstanding					72,573
Service-Based Awards | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock option outstanding					574,507
January 1, 2016 | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period		5 years
Options granted in period		574,507
Options granted in period - weighted average fair value		$ 39.16
Stock option outstanding					574,507
Vesting percentage per year		20.00%
Stock price		$ 201.91
Exercise Price Per Share					$ 226.72
Option exercised, additional percentage		1.50%
Estimated forfeiture rate for equity awards that do not vest on January 1st					100.00%
Stock-based compensation expense reversed				$ 3,600
January 1, 2016 | Maximum | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options granted in period, weighted average fair value of stock over exercise price		$ 150
January 1, 2016 | Minimum | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise Price Per Share		$ 201.91

Summary of Stock Options under

Summary of Stock Options under Employee Equity Incentive Plan and Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Shares
Outstanding at beginning of period | shares	1,127,162
Granted | shares	800,490
Forfeited | shares	(40,352)
Expired | shares	(1,980)
Exercised | shares	(537,087)
Outstanding at end of period | shares	1,348,233
Exercisable at end of period | shares	196,522
Vested and expected to vest at end of period | shares	744,866
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at beginning of period | $ / shares	$ 63.99
Granted | $ / shares	197.56
Forfeited | $ / shares	196.86
Expired | $ / shares	241.79
Exercised | $ / shares	74.71
Outstanding at end of period | $ / shares	141.98
Exercisable at end of period | $ / shares	86.52
Vested and expected to vest at end of period | $ / shares	$ 97.34
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at end of period	6 years 5 months 9 days
Exercisable at end of period	4 years 1 month 21 days
Vested and expected to vest at end of period	4 years 4 months 21 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at end of period | $	$ 61,632
Exercisable at end of period | $	17,210
Vested and expected to vest at end of period | $	$ 59,410

Stock-Based Compensation Expens

Stock-Based Compensation Expense Included in Operating Expenses (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 6,148	$ 6,665	$ 6,857
Share Based Compensation
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	6,148	6,665	6,857
Performance-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	203	831	1,378
Advertising, promotional and selling expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	2,507	2,943	3,342
General and administrative expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 3,641	$ 3,722	$ 3,515

Weighted Average Assumptions us

Weighted Average Assumptions used to Estimate Fair Value of Stock Options (Detail) - Times	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected volatility	34.00%	34.20%	34.30%
Risk-free interest rate	2.16%	2.16%	2.83%
Expected dividends	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Exercise factor	2.68	3	3.40
Discount for post-vesting restrictions	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Summary of Estimated Future Ann

Summary of Estimated Future Annual Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
2,017	$ 5,707
2,018	5,253
2,019	3,952
2,020	2,606
2,021	2,060
Thereafter	3,422
Total	$ 23,000

Summary of Vesting Activities f

Summary of Vesting Activities for Investment Share Program and Restricted Stock Awards (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016$ / sharesshares
Number of shares
Non-vested at beginning of period | shares	60,922
Granted | shares	30,852
Vested | shares	(19,740)
Forfeited | shares	(7,066)
Non-vested at end of period | shares	64,968
Weighted Average Fair Value
Non-vested at beginning of period | $ / shares	$ 150.03
Granted | $ / shares	161.84
Vested | $ / shares	114.12
Forfeited | $ / shares	152.40
Non-vested at end of period | $ / shares	$ 166.29

Stock Repurchases (Detail)

Stock Repurchases (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Number of shares
Repurchased at beginning of period	11,538,680	10,921,933	10,892,459
Repurchases	944,876	616,747	29,474
Repurchased at end of period	12,483,556	11,538,680	10,921,933
Aggregate Purchase Price
Repurchased at beginning balance	$ 446,092	$ 307,387	$ 299,528
Repurchases	161,658	138,705	7,859
Repurchased at end of period	$ 607,750	$ 446,092	$ 307,387

Employee Retirement Plans and69

Employee Retirement Plans and Post-Retirement Benefit Plan - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)hCompensationPlan	Dec. 26, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 27, 2014
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Unfunded projected pension benefits	$ 1,900,000	$ 1,600,000
Long-term rate of return assumption	6.50%
Debt Securities
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Securities target allocation	35.00%
Debt Securities | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Assumed average annual returns on assets	3.00%
Debt Securities | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Assumed average annual returns on assets	6.00%
Equity Securities
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Securities target allocation	65.00%
Equity Securities | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Assumed average annual returns on assets	8.00%
Equity Securities | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Assumed average annual returns on assets	12.00%
Pension Benefit Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Benefit obligation, discount rate	4.25%	4.50%
Non-Union Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of retirement plans | CompensationPlan	1
Non-Union Plans | Boston Beer Company, Four Zero One K Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Eligibility timing	Eligible to participate in the Plan immediately upon employment.
Voluntary contributions of annual compensation	60.00%
Employer matching contribution percentage	6.00%
Pension contributions	$ 3,500,000	$ 3,000,000
Non-Union Plans | Boston Beer Company, Four Zero One K Plan | Company's match for the first $1,000 of the eligible participants contribute
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Employer match percentage	100.00%
Contribution amount by the Company	$ 1,000
Non-Union Plans | Boston Beer Company, Four Zero One K Plan | Company's match thereafter
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Employer match percentage	50.00%
Union Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of retirement plans | CompensationPlan	2
Union Plans | Company Sponsored Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Eligibility timing	Open to all union employees who are covered by the Company's collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local Union No. 1199 ("Local Union #1199"), or persons on leave from the Company who are employed by Local Union #1199, and in either case who have completed 12 consecutive months of employment with at least 750 hours worked.
Pension contributions	$ 219,000	$ 188,000
Eligibility period	12 months
Time required for eligibility | h	750
Union Plans | Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery Four Zero One K Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Eligibility timing	All union employees upon commencement of employment or, if later, attaining age 21
Voluntary contributions of annual compensation	60.00%
Union Plans | Retiree Medical Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Eligibility period	20 years
Time required for eligibility	5 years
Benefit obligation, discount rate	4.25%	4.50%
Benefit obligation, rate of compensation increase	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%
Percentage paid for coverage	100.00%
Union Plans | Retiree Medical Plan | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Voluntarily retirement age	57 years
Union Plans | Retiree Medical Plan | Local #20 member
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Time required for eligibility	7 years
Retiree Medical Plan, last years of employment	10 years
Voluntarily retirement age	65 years
Union Plans | Retiree Medical Plan | Local #20 member | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Eligibility period	20 years

Funded Status of Local 1199 Pen

Funded Status of Local 1199 Pension Plan and Retiree Medical Plan (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Pension Benefit Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets at end of fiscal year	$ 2,733	$ 2,471
Benefit obligation at end of fiscal year	4,611	4,105
Unfunded Status	(1,878)	(1,634)
Retiree Medical Plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Benefit obligation at end of fiscal year	708	671
Unfunded Status	$ (708)	$ (671)

Local 1199 Plan's Weighted-Aver

Local 1199 Plan's Weighted-Average Asset Allocations (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015
Asset Category
Defined Benefit Plan Weighted Average Asset Allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Equity Securities
Asset Category
Defined Benefit Plan Weighted Average Asset Allocations	66.00%	67.00%
Debt Securities
Asset Category
Defined Benefit Plan Weighted Average Asset Allocations	34.00%	33.00%

Computation of Earnings Per Sha

Computation of Earnings Per Share, Basic (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	[1]	Sep. 24, 2016	Jun. 25, 2016	Mar. 26, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Sep. 26, 2015	Jun. 27, 2015	Mar. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Net Income		$ 22,166		$ 31,530	$ 26,621	$ 7,032	$ 16,115	$ 38,624	$ 29,932	$ 13,743	$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Allocation of net income for basic:
Allocation of net income for basic common stock											87,349	98,414	90,743
Allocation of net income for basic unvested participating shares											$ 442	$ 462	$ 509
Weighted average number of shares for basic:
Weighted average number of shares for basic unvested participating shares											64	62	73
Shares used in net income per common share - basic											12,597	13,185	13,041
Net income per share for basic:
Net income per common share - basic		$ 1.77		$ 2.53	$ 2.11	$ 0.55	$ 1.25	$ 2.93	$ 2.24	$ 1.04	$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Common Class A
Allocation of net income for basic:
Allocation of net income for basic common stock											$ 63,717	$ 71,798	$ 64,027
Weighted average number of shares for basic:
Weighted-average number of common shares - basic											9,189	9,619	9,202
Net income per share for basic:
Net income per common share - basic											$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Common Class B
Allocation of net income for basic:
Allocation of net income for basic common stock											$ 23,190	$ 26,154	$ 26,207
Weighted average number of shares for basic:
Weighted-average number of common shares - basic	[2]										3,344	3,504	3,766
Net income per share for basic:
Net income per common share - basic											$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
[1]	During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company's Chief Executive Officer in 2018.
[2]	Change in Class B Common Stock resulted from the conversion of 150,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on May 6, 2015, 100,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on October 26, 2015, 125,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 4, 2016 and 45,000 shares to Class A Common Stock on November 30, 2016, with the ending number of shares reflecting the weighted average for the period.

Computation of Earnings Per S73

Computation of Earnings Per Share, Basic (Parenthetical) (Detail) - shares	Nov. 30, 2016	Nov. 04, 2016	Oct. 26, 2015	May 06, 2015
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Conversion of Class B Common Stock into Class A Common Stock	45,000	125,000	100,000	150,000

Computation of Diluted Net Inco

Computation of Diluted Net Income Per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	[1]	Sep. 24, 2016	Jun. 25, 2016	Mar. 26, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Sep. 26, 2015	Jun. 27, 2015	Mar. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Allocation of net income for basic common stock										$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Weighted-average number of common shares-diluted										12,796	13,520	13,484
Net income per common share-basic	$ 1.77		$ 2.53	$ 2.11	$ 0.55	$ 1.25	$ 2.93	$ 2.24	$ 1.04	$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Net income per common share-diluted	$ 1.75		$ 2.48	$ 2.06	$ 0.53	$ 1.21	$ 2.85	$ 2.18	$ 1	$ 6.79	$ 7.25	$ 6.69
Common Class A
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Allocation of net income for basic common stock										$ 63,717	$ 71,798	$ 64,027
Allocation of net income to Class B Common Stock										23,190	26,154	26,207
Net effect of unvested participating shares										9	14	19
Net Income for diluted common stock										$ 86,916	$ 97,966	$ 90,253
Weighted-average number of common shares-basic										9,189	9,619	9,202
Add: effect of dilutive potential common share-based awards										263	397	516
Weighted average number of shares of Class B Common Stock										3,344	3,504	3,766
Weighted-average number of common shares-diluted										12,796	13,520	13,484
Net income per common share-basic										$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Net income per common share-diluted										$ 6.79	$ 7.25	$ 6.69
[1]	During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company's Chief Executive Officer in 2018.

Net Income per Share - Addition

Net Income per Share - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016shares$ / shares		Sep. 24, 2016$ / shares	Jun. 25, 2016$ / shares	Mar. 26, 2016$ / shares	Dec. 26, 2015$ / shares	Sep. 26, 2015$ / shares	Jun. 27, 2015$ / shares	Mar. 28, 2015$ / shares	Dec. 31, 2016shares$ / shares	Dec. 26, 2015$ / sharesshares	Dec. 27, 2014$ / sharesshares
Earnings Per Share Note [Line Items]
Net income per common share - basic | $ / shares	$ 1.77	[1]	$ 2.53	$ 2.11	$ 0.55	$ 1.25	$ 2.93	$ 2.24	$ 1.04	$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Conversion ratio for Class B to Class A shares	1									1
Common Class A
Earnings Per Share Note [Line Items]
Net income per common share - basic | $ / shares										$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share										712,000	16,000	11,000
Common Class A | Performance-Based Awards
Earnings Per Share Note [Line Items]
Number of shares not included because the performance criteria was not expected to be met										35,000	15,000	30,000
[1]	During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company's Chief Executive Officer in 2018.

Changes in Accumulated Other Co

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	$ 461,221	$ 436,140	$ 302,085
Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, net of taxes	122	130	(734)
Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, net of tax	(175)	74	18
Currency translation adjustment	(99)	(22)
Balance	446,582	461,221	436,140
AOCI Attributable to Parent
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	(951)	(1,133)	(417)
Currency translation adjustment	(99)	(22)
Balance	$ (1,103)	$ (951)	$ (1,133)

Changes in Accumulated Other 77

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Deferred pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, taxes	$ (69)	$ (99)	$ 466
Amortization of Deferred benefit costs, tax	$ 101	$ (43)	$ (11)

Summary of Valuation and Qualif

Summary of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 244	$ 144	$ 160
Net Provision (Recovery)	(244)	165	(16)
Amounts Charged Against Reserves		(65)
Balance at End of Period		244	144
Discount Accrual
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period	2,813	3,006	2,602
Net Provision (Recovery)	33,157	33,204	28,448
Amounts Charged Against Reserves	(32,892)	(33,397)	(28,044)
Balance at End of Period	3,078	2,813	3,006
Inventory Obsolescence Reserve
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period	1,525	1,328	1,616
Net Provision (Recovery)	4,707	4,045	6,130
Amounts Charged Against Reserves	(3,970)	(3,848)	(6,418)
Balance at End of Period	2,262	1,525	1,328
Stale Beer Reserve
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period	3,254	2,422	1,754
Net Provision (Recovery)	10,466	7,780	5,648
Amounts Charged Against Reserves	(8,494)	(6,948)	(4,980)
Balance at End of Period	$ 5,226	$ 3,254	$ 2,422

Quarterly Results (Detail)

Quarterly Results (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	[1]	Sep. 24, 2016	Jun. 25, 2016	Mar. 26, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Sep. 26, 2015	Jun. 27, 2015	Mar. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 26, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Net revenue	$ 219,370		$ 253,433	$ 244,816	$ 188,827	$ 215,133	$ 293,094	$ 252,204	$ 199,503	$ 968,994	$ 1,024,040	$ 966,478
Gross profit	107,656		133,607	126,876	91,531	108,767	157,010	136,225	99,615	459,670	501,617	465,011
Operating income	34,325		50,309	41,788	11,237	26,338	60,879	46,819	22,138	137,659	156,174	146,567
Net Income	$ 22,166		$ 31,530	$ 26,621	$ 7,032	$ 16,115	$ 38,624	$ 29,932	$ 13,743	$ 87,349	$ 98,414	$ 90,743
Net income per share - basic	$ 1.77		$ 2.53	$ 2.11	$ 0.55	$ 1.25	$ 2.93	$ 2.24	$ 1.04	$ 6.93	$ 7.46	$ 6.96
Net income per share - diluted	$ 1.75		$ 2.48	$ 2.06	$ 0.53	$ 1.21	$ 2.85	$ 2.18	$ 1	$ 6.79	$ 7.25	$ 6.69
[1]	During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $3.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense related to the planned retirement of the Company's Chief Executive Officer in 2018.

Quarterly Results (Parenthetica

Quarterly Results (Parenthetical) (Detail) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Planned retirement of Chief Executive Officer
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Decrease in share-based compensation expense	$ 3.6