Saranac - Beer is our Craft
We're very excited to share details about our latest creation: a brand new Saranac commercial. After much planning, filming, editing, and Saranac Pale Ale (our creative juice!) it’s ready to make its debut.
Early this summer, we started thinking about all the ingredients that go into making Saranac so special. In addition to the beer itself, we love the unique place we work every day: our Brewery. Unlike any in the brewing world, it’s a sacred place to us, with a long history and a character as distinctive as Saranac itself. We thought about how amazing it would be if the walls of this historic brewhouse could talk…and our theme was born. Our new commercials (this one and more to follow) tell you what we believe these walls would say—what they’ve seen and continue to witness today—about the people, the beer and everything that goes into our delicious hand crafted brews.
We think this commercial really captures the Brewery, the beer and our brewing philosophy—to make high quality beers that are distinctive but drinkable. We produced the spot using a phenomenal new cinema-style format, referred to as HDSLR. For all you non-techies, it starts with the video output from a Canon 5D Mark II camera—this is essentially an advanced professional version in the DSLR family of cameras that many of us use to take great still shots. Now professionals are using them as an alternative to actual film. With high-end prime lenses and a few extra add ons we can capture fine details and reveal some of the true beauty of the beer and Brewery. We also exclusively used resources and talent from our home state, New York. From the filming to the music, we're supporting local and regional businesses like ours!
Without further ado, enjoy our new commercial, titled "Beer is our Craft." We hope you love it (and get a little thirsty while you’re watching, like we did). As always we’d appreciate hearing your feedback. Cheers!
A Better Vibe!
Looking for a better vibe this summer? We found it for our latest sponsorship: this year’s Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We got the perfect feeling from this one, and partnered with the Vibes to create an exclusive brew to be served at this year’s event. We asked Saranac fans and members of the “Vibe Tribe” and to help us name the beer, and the suggestions and votes came flowing in. The overwhelming winner was Saranac Liquid Vibes. The new official beer of Gathering of the Vibes will be a refreshing lager, perfect for this laid back summer event. Saranac Liquid Vibes will be sharing space in the beer tent with Saranac IPA and Saranac Summer Ale. We hope you can join us!
Gathering of the Vibes began in 1996 as a celebration of the life of Jerry Garcia, who had passed away the previous summer. Now in its 16th year, Vibes has grown into a four-day festival that has featured such world-class talent as Crosby, Stills and Nash; all living members of the Grateful Dead; the Allman Brothers Band; James Brown; the Black Crowes; Buddy Guy; Jimmy Cliff; Primus; George Clinton and P-Funk; Bruce Hornsby; Les Claypool; and many, many more, while continuing to showcase extraordinarily talented young up-and-coming bands. With its great line-up of headline bands, new bands and local favorites, the Vibes attracts 25,000-30,000 people per day.
We’re looking forward to this popular fest and serving up lots of Saranac Liquid Vibes. We hope you can join us!
Hey Saranac, lookin' good!
Saranac is rocking a whole new look in stores this month. You’ll be transported to the open skies and breathtaking scenes of the Adirondacks when you pick up your next Saranac. We're introducing beautiful new label and package artwork for our award-winning Family of Beers. The labels feature ingredients of each handcrafted beer surrounding a scene from Saranac’s Adirondack watercolors. Throughout the background, Adirondack inspired sketches complete the look. New artwork is also featured on our new high-sided 6-pack carrier, with larger, more vivid images, a strong complement to the Saranac experience.
Our artist, John Stewart, put a lot of thought into the new designs. “My main focus in designing this packaging was to highlight the quality, depth and detail that the beer itself deserves,” said John. “The Brewery is located at the foothills of a beautiful region in New York State, the Adirondacks. This packaging almost transports you to the outdoors to enjoy a deliciously refreshing and authentic quality beer. People from this region of New York get a sentimental feel from the Adirondacks, which is what I wanted to capture for our beer drinkers near and far.”
You'll see the new look integrated into Saranac Pale Ale, our award-winning flagship beer, along with our entire line of acclaimed core brews. Also, after reading all of our Club Saranac Member feedback (over a couple of ice cold brews), we decided to change our Trail Mix to feature four beers: Saranac Pale Ale, Saranac Adirondack Lager, Saranac Black Forest and Saranac IPA. Saranac Trail Mix will continue to be available in 6-packs and 12-packs. In addition, our four seasonal 12-packs, What Ales You?, 12 Beers of Summer, 12 Beers A Falling, and 12 Beers of Winter, have been given extra attention to highlight each appropriate season. Watch for the new look on packaging for these unique Saranac beers made especially for their respective seasons.
We hope you enjoy the new designs. Cheers!
Yes, we can
This summer, Saranac is going portable. Now available in cans, Saranac Pale Ale and Saranac Summer Ale are perfect companions for your favorite outdoor activities. On the golf course, on a boat, or on a beach -- enjoy our flagship Pale Ale and our refreshing summer seasonal, Summer Ale. There's nothing more refreshing than the sound of that can cracking open and enjoying your first sip of an ice cold Saranac. Available this summer while supplies last.
Saranac Pale Ale
Saranac Pale Ale is an English style pale ale that is rich and fruity yet finishes crisp. With copper amber color and medium body, it is very drinkable. More on Pale Ale...
Saranac Summer Ale
To celebrate summer in the Adirondacks, we've brewed a beer with generous amounts of wheat malt for a light, refreshing taste. Look for subtle hints of lemon. More on Summer Ale...
Saranac Craft Beer Week Tour
To celebrate American Craft Beer Week Saranac is going on the road! We'll be making three stops on the Saranac Craft Beer Week Tour: Albany, Syracuse and Utica. Visit Fred Matt and our Saranac Brew Crew at any of the tastings below for a chance to win an Ultimate Brewery Tour (we'll be giving out one in each city!)
Albany-Wednesday May 18, 2011
Complementary Saranac Beer Tasting
Washington Tavern
250 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12210
4-6PM
Complementary Saranac Beer Tasting
Wolfs 111
111 Wolf Road, Albany NY 12205
7-9PM
Syracuse-Thursday May 19, 2011
Complementary Saranac Beer Tasting
Wegmans
4722 Onondaga Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13219
5-7PM
Complementary Saranac Beer Tasting
The Retreat
302 Vine Street, Liverpool, NY 13088
6-8PM
Complementary Saranac Beer Tasting
Al's Wine & Whiskey
321 S. Clinton Street, Armory Square, Syracuse, NY 13202
9-11PM
Utica-Friday May 20, 2011
The Session: A Food & Beer Pairing Experience
F.X. Matt Brewing Company Tour Center, Corner of Court and Varick Streets, Utica, NY 13501
$40 includes 6 beer and food pairing stations, live music, brewery tours and complementary Saranac Beers and Soft Drinks
Click for more Session information and to purchase tickets.
Two beers perfect for summer: A highlight of our refreshing seasonals
Every year at the Brewery, we take great pride in selecting beers we think complement each season perfectly. Summer is one of the most relaxing seasons of the year, so we need some thirst-quenching and refreshing libations. Here is a look into two of our beers made especially for summer. Though they both have the word "Summer" in their titles, they’re two very different and delicious beers.
Summer Ale
With more than 2,800 bodies of water in the Adirondacks, it's not hard to find a sunny place to relax, rest your feet and look out over the water. To celebrate those moments, we’ve brewed this filtered wheat-style beer with a special kind of wheat, resulting in a nice tanginess that perfectly with it's citrus background. Made with a special blend of spices including citrus peel, lemon, ginger, hibiscus flower, lemongrass and rose hips, Saranac Summer Ale is very refreshing!
Summer Brew
What are two of the best ways to quench your thirst on a hot summer day? Lemonade and beer, of course. For nearly 100 years, Europeans have mixed lemonade and beer as a refreshing beverage during the summer months. We continue this tradition with Saranac Summer Brew—a perfectly balanced blend of lemonade and lager. Very different from any of the other beers we make at Saranac, Summer Brew has just the right sweet and tart lemonade taste to complement our smooth lager. Kick back, relax and cool down with a Saranac Summer Brew!
Drink your luck in!
We're excited to celebrate everything Irish this month with two of our most beloved seasonals, Saranac Irish Red Ale and Saranac Irish Stout. Originally created for the Great American Irish Festival held in Frankfort, NY every summer, Saranac Irish Red Ale is a unique and drinkable red ale with a deep garnet color. After we heard cries for more Irish beers, we added a second dose of luck to our seasonals with Saranac Irish Stout. Around the Brewery we like to call it our "coffee" because of its lavish roasted flavor. Read more facts on these beers by visiting our Current Seasonals page.
Also, check out this awesome review from Brewologist, aka Steve Goble. Cheers to you, Steve!
Nick Matt on Fox and Friends
Joined by Fox and Friends Co-Anchor Steve Doocy, Nick Matt, Dan Kopman, Co-Founder of Schafley Beer and Leslie Henderson, CEO and Head Brewmaster of Lazy Magnolia Brewery discussed how this legislation would help craft brewers to create more jobs, improve their facilities, and grow their businesses.
For more information and to learn how you can get involved, visit the Brewer’s Association’s resources on the Excise Tax Bill:
Cheers to you Fox, for helping us bring awareness to this important issue! We were honored to have Nick on the show.
Ready to get down...with moe. and Saranac?
Get ready for a weekend with plenty of your favorite music and beer. Drink With Us this weekend at the 11th annual moe.down at Gelston Castle Estate in Mohawk, NY. We'll be serving up three great Saranac favorites: one of our most-requested seasonals, Saranac Octoberfest, and two of our favorite brews from our core line-up, Saranac Adirondack Lager and Saranac Pale Ale. We're happy to support our friends Vinny, Rob, Chuck, Jim and Al as the official beer sponsor of this wildly popular festival.
Join the guys for three whole days of nationally known and up-and-coming bands from all different genres. Don't forget to bring some school supplies to donate to a school district in the Mohawk Area. The following supplies are being requested: bookbags, crayons, #2 pencils, colored pocket folders, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, notebook filler paper and scissors. Drop-off bins will be located in the Kids' Tent.
Don't have tickets yet? Visit the official moe.down site for more info. We hope to see you there!
Root beer here! Get your root beer!
This week kicks off the 2010 New York State Fair held in Syracuse, NY. Every summer thousands of people visit the fairgrounds each day to enjoy awesome food, entertainment, rides and more. This year, we decided to join the fun and offer $1 soft drinks at our Saranac booth located in the Horticultural Building! Also located in this building are $1 baked potatoes. Grab one and wash it down with a $1 Saranac Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Orange Cream or Shirley Temple. Our Brewery Shop will be selling lots of Utica Club and Saranac merchandise and sampling beer from 3-4PM and 6-7PM every day! Find more Saranac and support your local Brewery while visiting other vendors at the fair. We hope you'll stop by and Drink With Us. If you haven't tried our root beer yet, here's what the Soda Jerks had to say about it (Thanks, Soda Jerks for the kind words and the very entertaining review. Cheers!)