US craft brewer Boston Beer Co has agreed a deal with the UK’s Shepherd Neame that will see the Samuel Adams brand brewed outside its home market for the first time.

Shepherd Neame said earlier this week that it will brew Samuel Adams Boston Lager under licence in the UK, for sale on draught from April. It already imports packaged Samuel Adams into the UK, but will replace 35.5cl US-style bottles with British 33cl and 50cl formats.

“The primary aim is to improve the freshness of the Sam Adams we’re offering to British beer drinkers,” said Boston Beer’s founder, Jim Koch.

Graeme Craig, Shepherd Neame’s sales and marketing director, added: “We’re seeing growing interest in the US craft beer scene and we both felt this was a better way of doing things rather than an elongated supply chain.”

Craig also said that Shepherd Neame has ended contract-brewing for Carlsberg-owned Holsten Export after both parties mutually agreed not to renew the deal.