EX-10.1



 Exhibit 10.1 

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, INC. 

AMENDED AND RESTATED 

1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS 
  

	 	1.	PURPOSE 

 The purpose of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. Amended and Restated 1996 Stock Option
Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the “Plan”) is to attract and retain the services of experienced and knowledgeable independent Directors who are not employees (“Non- Employee Directors”) of The Boston Beer Company, Inc.
(“Boston Beer”) for the benefit of Boston Beer and its shareholders and to provide additional incentive for Non-Employee Directors to continue to work in the best interests of Boston Beer and its shareholders through continuing ownership
of Boston Beer common stock. 
  

	 	2.	SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN 

 The total number of shares of Class A Common Stock, par value
$.01 per share (“Shares”), of Boston Beer for which options may be granted under the Plan shall not exceed 550,000 in the aggregate, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 9 hereof. 

 

	 	3.	ELIGIBILITY; GRANT OF OPTION 

 Each Non-Employee Director shall be granted an option under the
Plan to acquire the greatest number of whole shares of Class A Common Stock with a value of One Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($115,000.00) as computed using the binomial option-pricing model as of the date of grant upon his or her initial
election to the Board of Directors of Boston Beer (the “Board”), effective as of the date of such election or appointment. In addition, each Non-Employee Director shall be granted an option under the Plan to acquire the greatest number of
whole shares of Class A Common Stock with a value of One Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($115,000.00) as computed using the binomial option-pricing model as of the date of grant upon his or her election or reelection to the Board at an annual
meeting of shareholders or, in the event a new Non- Employee Director is elected or appointed to the Board after the date of the annual meeting of the shareholders of Boston Beer, the number of Shares underlying the option granted to the new
Non-Employee Directors shall be pro-rated based upon the number of regular meetings of the Board remaining prior to the next annual meeting of shareholders, effective as of the date of such election or appointment. The options shall be non-qualified
options not intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). 
  

	 	4.	OPTION AGREEMENT 

 Each option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an option agreement
(the “Agreement”) duly executed on behalf of Boston Beer and by the Non-Employee Director to whom such option is granted. Each Agreement shall (i) comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, (ii) provide
that the optionee agrees to continue to serve as a Director of Boston Beer during the term for which he or she was elected and (iii) contain such other provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, including with respect to
obligations of each Non-Employee Director not to compete with Boston Beer, as the Board may determine. 

  
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	 	5.	OPTION EXERCISE PRICE 

 Subject to the provisions of Section 9 hereof, the option exercise
price for options granted under the Plan shall be the fair market value of the Shares covered by the option on the date of grant of the option. For the purposes hereof and of Section 6(b), the fair market value of Shares shall be the closing
price of Class A Common Stock reported by the New York Stock Exchange or any other national securities exchange on which such shares may be primarily traded, on the last trading day before the date of grant, provided that if the Class A
Common Stock of Boston Beer is not listed on or actually trading on the New York Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange, fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Board. 

 

	 	6.	TIME AND MANNER OF EXERCISE OF OPTION 

 (a) Options granted under the Plan shall, subject to the
provisions of Section 7, be immediately exercisable in full; provided, however, that no option granted under the Plan may be exercised prior to approval of the Plan by the holders of Boston Beer’s issued and outstanding Class B Common
Stock, as required by Section 13. 
 (b) The option may be exercised in full at one time or in part from time to time by giving written
notice to Boston Beer, signed by the person or persons exercising the option, stating the number of Shares with respect to which the option is being exercised, accompanied by payment in full for such Shares, which payment may be in cash or in whole
or in part in Shares of the Class A Common Stock of Boston Beer already owned for a period of at least six months by the person or persons exercising the option, valued at fair market value, as determined under Section 5 hereof, on the
date of exercise; provided, however, that there shall be no such exercise at any one time as to fewer than two hundred fifty (250) Shares or all of the remaining Shares then purchasable by the person or persons exercising the option, if fewer
than two hundred fifty (250) Shares. Upon such exercise, delivery of a certificate for paid-up non- assessable Shares shall be made at the principal Massachusetts office of Boston Beer to the person or persons exercising the option at such
time, during ordinary business hours, not more than thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the notice by Boston Beer, as shall be designated in such notice, or at such time, place and manner as may be agreed upon by Boston Beer and the
person or persons exercising the option. 
  

	 	7.	TERM OF OPTIONS 

 (a) Each option shall expire ten (10) years from the date of the granting
thereof, but shall be subject to earlier termination as herein provided. 
 (b) In the event of the death of an optionee, the option granted
to such optionee may be exercised by the estate of such optionee or by any person or persons who acquired the right to exercise such option by bequest or inheritance or otherwise by reason of the death of such optionee. Such option may be exercised
at any time within one (1) year after the date of death of such optionee, at which time the option shall terminate, or prior to the date on which the option otherwise expires by its terms, whichever is earlier. 

(c) In the event that an optionee ceases to be a Director of Boston Beer the option granted to such optionee may be exercised by him or her,
any time within three (3) years 

  
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 after the date such optionee ceases to be a Director of Boston Beer, at which time the option shall terminate,
but in any event prior to the date on which the option expires by its terms, whichever is earlier, unless termination as a Director (i) was by Boston Beer for cause, in which case the option shall terminate immediately at the time the optionee
ceases to be a Director of Boston Beer, (ii) was because the optionee has become disabled (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code), or (iii) was by reason of the death of the optionee. In the case of death, see
Section 7(b) above. In the case of disability, the option may be exercised at any time within one (1) year after the date of termination of the optionee’s directorship with Boston Beer, at which time the option shall terminate, but in
any event prior to the date on which the option otherwise expires by its terms, whichever is earlier. 
  

	 	8.	OPTIONS NOT TRANSFERABLE 

 The right of any optionee to exercise an option granted to him or her
under the Plan shall not be assignable or transferable by such optionee otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act, or the rules thereunder. Any option granted under the Plan shall be exercisable during the lifetime of such optionee only by him or her. Any option granted under the Plan shall be null and void and without effect upon the
bankruptcy of the optionee, or upon any attempted assignment or transfer, except as herein provided, including without limitation any purported assignment, whether voluntary or by operation of law, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition,
attachment, trustee process or similar process, whether legal or equitable, upon such option. 
  

	 	9.	ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION 

 In the event that the outstanding shares of the
Class A Common Stock of Boston Beer are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of Boston Beer or of another corporation by reason of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization,
reclassification, stock split-up, combination of shares or dividends payable in capital stock, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the number and kind of shares as to which outstanding options, or portions thereof then unexercised, shall be
exercisable, to the end that the proportionate interest of the optionee shall be maintained as before the occurrence of such event, and such adjustment in outstanding options shall be made without change in the total price applicable to the
unexercised portion of such options and with a corresponding adjustment in the option price per share. 
  

	 	10.	RESTRICTIONS ON ISSUE OF SHARES 

 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6 hereof,
Boston Beer may delay the issuance of Shares covered by the exercise of any option granted under the Plan and the delivery of a certificate for such Shares until one of the following conditions shall be satisfied: 

(i) the Shares with respect to which an option has been exercised are at the time of the issue of such Shares effectively registered under
applicable Federal and state securities acts now in force or hereafter amended; or 

  
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 (ii) counsel for Boston Beer shall have given an opinion, which opinion shall not be unreasonably
conditioned or withheld, that such Shares are exempt from registration under applicable Federal and state securities acts now in force or hereafter amended. 

It is intended that all exercises of options granted under the Plan shall be effective. Accordingly, Boston Beer shall use its best efforts to
bring about compliance with the above conditions within a reasonable time, except that Boston Beer shall be under no obligation to cause a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to any registration statement to be prepared at its
expense solely for the purpose of covering the issue of Shares in respect of which any option may be exercised, except as otherwise agreed to by Boston Beer in writing. 
  

	 	11.	RIGHTS OF HOLDER ON PURCHASE FOR INVESTMENT; SUBSEQUENT REGISTRATION 

 Unless the Shares to be
issued upon exercise of an option granted under the Plan have been effectively registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), as now in force or hereafter amended, Boston Beer shall be under no obligation to issue any Shares
covered by any option unless the person who exercises such option, in whole or in part, shall give a written representation and undertaking to Boston Beer which is satisfactory in form and scope to counsel to Boston Beer and upon which, in the
opinion of such counsel, Boston Beer may reasonably rely, that he or she is acquiring the Shares issued to him pursuant to such exercise of the option for his or her own account as an investment and not with a view to, or for sale in connection
with, the distribution of any such Shares, and that he or she will make no transfer of the same except in compliance with any rules and regulations in force at the time of such transfer under the 1933 Act, or any other applicable law, and that if
Shares are issued without such registration a legend to this effect may be endorsed upon the securities so issued. In the event that Boston Beer shall, nevertheless, deem it necessary or desirable to register under the 1933 Act or other applicable
statutes any Shares with respect to which an option shall have been exercised, or to qualify any such Shares for exemption from the 1933 Act or other applicable statutes, then Boston Beer shall take such action at its own expense and may require
from each optionee such information in writing for use in any registration statement, prospectus, preliminary prospectus or offering circular as is reasonably necessary for such purpose and may require reasonable indemnity to Boston Beer and its
Officers and Directors from such holder against all losses, claims, damages and liabilities arising from such use of the information so furnished and caused by any untrue statement of any material fact therein or caused by the omission to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made. 
  

	 	12.	LOANS PROHIBITED 

 Boston Beer shall not, directly or indirectly, lend money to an optionee or
to any person or persons entitled to exercise an option by reason of the death of an optionee for the purpose of assisting any of them in the acquisition of Shares covered by an option granted under the Plan. 

  
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	 	13.	APPROVAL OF SHAREHOLDERS 

 The Plan shall be subject to approval by the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of the Class B Common Stock of Boston Beer present or represented and entitled to vote at a duly held shareholders’ meeting, or by written consent of all of the holders of such Class B
Common Stock, and shall take effect immediately as of its date of adoption upon such approval. 
  

	 	14.	EXPENSES OF THE PLAN 

 All costs and expenses of the adoption and administration of the Plan
shall be borne by Boston Beer, and none of such expenses shall be charged to any optionee. 
  

	 	15.	TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT OF PLAN 

 Unless sooner terminated as herein provided, the Plan shall
terminate on May 21, 2026. The Board may at any time terminate the Plan or make such modification or amendment thereof as it deems advisable; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 9 hereof, no modification or amendment to
the provisions of the Plan may be made more than once every six (6) months other than to comport with changes in the Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules thereunder, if the effect of such amendment or modification would be
to change (i) the requirements for eligibility under the Plan, (ii) the timing of the grants of options to be granted under the Plan or the exercise price thereof, or (iii) the number of Shares subject to options to be granted under
the Plan either in the aggregate or to one Director. Any amendment to the provisions of the Plan which (i) materially increases the number of Shares which may be subject to options granted under the Plan, (ii) materially increases the
benefits accruing to Non-Employee Directors under the Plan, or (iii) materially modifies the requirement for eligibility to participate in the Plan, shall be subject to approval by the holders of Boston Beer’s Class B Common Stock obtained
in the manner stated in Section 13 hereof. Termination or any modification or amendment of the Plan shall not, without the consent of an optionee, affect his or her rights under an option previously granted to him or her. 

 

	 	16.	LIMITATION OF RIGHTS IN THE OPTION SHARES 

 An optionee shall not be deemed for any purpose to
be a shareholder of Boston Beer with respect to any of the options except to the extent that the option shall have been exercised with respect thereto and, in addition, a certificate shall have been issued theretofore and delivered to the optionee.

  

	 	17.	NOTICES 

 Any communication or notice required or permitted to be given under the Plan shall be
in writing, and mailed by registered or certified mail or delivered by hand, if to Boston Beer , to its principal place of business, Attention: President, and, if to an optionee, to the address as appearing on the records of Boston Beer. 

  
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	 	18.	COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 16b-3 

 It is the intention of Boston Beer that the Plan comply in all
respects with Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) and that Participants remain disinterested persons for purposes of administering other employee benefit plans of Boston
Beer and having transactions under such other plans be exempt from Section 16(b) of the 1934 Act. Therefore, if any Plan provision is found not to be in compliance with Rule 16b-3 or if any Plan provisions would disqualify Participants from
remaining disinterested persons, that provisions shall be deemed null and void, and in all events the Plan shall be construed in favor of its meeting the requirements of Rule 16b-3. 

Approved by the Board of Directors and by the holders of the Class B Common Stock of the Company on March 9, 2016. 

  
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