I heard Sam Adams beer is not called Sam Adams in England, but is called Boston Beer (due to people in Engalnd’s feelings about the real Sam Adams). Is this true now or has it ever been true?
I checked the Sam Adams wesite but there was no information.
I’ve seen Sam Adams for sale in England (in a store specializing in obscure imported beers – it’s not widely available). It was called Sam Adams.
Honestly, I think the name “Boston Beer” would lose them more sales than the name “Sam Adams” would, since most people in the UK probably don’t have a clue who Sam Adams was, but do have a strong prejudice against American beers in general.
Boston Lager is one of the types of beer that is made by Sam Adams, perhaps this led to some confusion?
From the importer’s website it appears to be called “Samuel Adams Boston Lager,” just as it is in the good old U.S. of A.: http://www.shepherd-neame.co.uk/beers/index.php?samuel_adams It looks to me like the Boston Lager is the only style available from Boston Brewing over there. That’s a shame, because of the dozen or so styles they make, the Boston Lager is only middling (but still much superior to Bud, Miller, and the other horse piss that foreigners associate with American beers).
It’s true. I’ve had the stuff in an English pub. The logo on the stick showed the same picture of Sam, over the words “Boston Lager”, not “Samuel Adams”.
To second what bibliophage said, the Boston Lager variety is especially bland for Sam Adams beers. All the others I’ve tried are much better. Let’s see if I can recall: Boston Ale, Summer Ale, Octoberfest, Weiss Bier, Cherry Wheat, Pale Ale.
Isn’t that the way it appears in the States?
The October Fest I have clearly says Sam Adams over the words October Fest, I don’t know if the Boston Lager says the same.
To agree with others, Boston Lager isn’t nearly as good as the others, esp. October Fest, esp. when on tap. The Winter Brew is really good, too. But all this has nothing to do with the OP.
I’m not English but AFAIK 99.9999999% of English people don’t care about Boston, Adams, Washington etc with regards to your War of Independence. It’s history that’s all.
Now Gerry Adams Beer? That would take a good sales man 
Sam Adams is not widely available in the UK.
The name “Sam Adams” would mean nothing whatsover to most British people, either in connection with beer or in connection with American history.
Slightly off topic, but I’ve heard that the real Sam Adams has no historical connection to the beer being currently brewed. He’s just been appropriated.
And I’d also like to concur that the Boston Lager is the more mundane of the Sam Adams beers. Sam Adams Light is possibly the best light beer out there.
Just to settle the label controversy:
The picture on Sam Adams bottles is not Sam Adams. Its Paul Revere. Jim Koch, interviewed in the Boston Globe a while back, said they initially considered using Sam’s picture but that Sam was rather narrow-chested and just didn’t look hearty enough. Paul Revere was selected - he looks like someone who enjoys a good beer.
“Whose picture is on bottles of Sam Adams Beer?” makes a great trivia question, misleadingly reminiscent of “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?”