A Sip of History
Coleman's is a bar located in Syracuse, NY at the top of Tipperary Hill. This area, known for its Irish flare (just check out the traffic light reversed to resemble the Irish Flag), hosts Green Beer Sunday every year to kick off St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The festivities include a parade where they deliver green beer in a tanker in front of the pub. While digging through some historical artifacts, we found the picture posted here. The photo is F.X. Matt II (Fred's father and Nick's brother) with Peter Coleman, owner of Coleman's Irish Pub, in our aging cellar next to the tank of green beer we exclusively brewed for them in 1989. Although the green beer they serve now is not ours, we actually made Coleman's green beer right here in the Brewery at that time. How cool is that? Today, you can enjoy Saranac Irish Red there on tap. We thought you would enjoy this story about a tradition known near and far. Slainte!
Join us for a Valentine's Day Shopping Night!
Buy beer gifts for your Sweetheart this Thursday, February 4th from 5-8PM at The Brewery Shop located at Court and Varick Streets, Utica, NY. We'll have some refreshments, music and your favorite Saranac Beers. What better way to shop than with a cold beer in hand! Looking for a unique idea?
Show your romantic side with custom beer! A Saranac always shows you care. Make your personalized 12 pack for $29.95 at the gift shop or order online and add $6.95 shipping and sales tax. Visit mybeer.saranac.com.
Not feeling that creative?
We still have special Valentine's Day labeled Saranac 6 packs for $9.95. These Valentine's 6 packs are not available online. They are available on location at the Brewery Shop. Add your 6 pack to a Saranac Red Bottle Cooler to dress up your gift for $24.95.
Good gifts come in buckets!
Resolution #1: Drink more craft beer in 2010
Since it's the time of year to make resolutions, how about making one that you won’t mind keeping: add more craft beer to your list!
With the varieties of craft beer available on the market today, there are choices for every palate. And here’s a great bonus: your decision to drink craft beer also supports local businesses, a cause near and dear to our hearts. Learn everything there is to know about craft beer by visiting www.brewersassociation.org.
It's Ladies Night: Free Massages, Ice Cream, Big Discounts and More
Ladies, give the guy in your life the night off—this is your special night to shop for holiday gifts at The Brewery Shop. It’s Ladies Night at the Brewery from 5-8 PM this Thursday, December 17th, with everything 20% Off. It gets even better: visit the Varick Street store and enjoy free chair massages, ice cream sundaes, dance music and of course all those great Saranac beverages while you shop! Bring your list and save 20% on all Saranac and Utica Club clothing, hats, glasses and steins at The Brewery Shop. Invite your friends and meet us for Ladies Night, this Thursday 5-8 PM, at The F.X. Matt Brewery, Varick St. in Utica.
That's the ticket!
Here's your chance to win a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the historic F.X. Matt Brewing Company! Our third annual Saranac Golden Ticket Promotion is now underway. There are 15 Golden Tickets hidden inside 15 random Saranac “12 Beers of Winter” packages, and if you find one, you win! The 15 lucky winners will be treated to a day at the Brewery with Nick and Fred Matt. Your day will include a look at the inner workings of one of the nation's oldest breweries (guided by the owners), accommodations at the historic Hotel Utica, a gourmet dinner featuring Saranac beers paired with each course, and more. You can enter online here (no purchase is necessary), though we’re sure you’ll want to enjoy the great taste of our seasonal beers in your search for one of the Golden Tickets. Get your 12 Beers of Winter today and good luck!
It's Time for the Season's...dare we say it?...Best Beer
It comes around once a year during the holidays, and some people can’t get enough. No, it's not Santa—it’s Season's Best, one of our oldest seasonal brews. A blend of domestic and Belgian malts combine for a light nut-like character in this popular Lager. It's a dark amber worthy of accompanying darker soups and pork ribs, or a few friends relaxing around the fireplace on a cold winter's night. Though this favorite has been around almost since Saranac was first brewed, its popularity continues to grow. We're sharing the love in 6 packs and in draught this year. Find it at your local grocer or in our gift shop; it’s the perfect holiday gift for your hard-to-please beer fan. Having trouble finding Season's Best? Try finding it using our Saranac locator on our website or email info@saranac.com. Happy holidays and enjoy!
Serving up something warmer: our thanks
At this special time of year, we take a moment from our brewing (we’re kind of obsessive about it) to thank all of you who are the heart and soul of Saranac. We brew it because we want to share it with you, our dedicated and discerning drinkers, who appreciate great beer. There’s nothing like having a fellow aficionado feel the same pleasure, excitement and discovery when tasting a new or traditional brew. So thanks very much, Saranac fans, suppliers and distributors, employees, family and friends, for all your support year round.
And don’t forget to appreciate a relaxing and unique breakfast with friends and family: meet us for Kegs & Eggs at the Brewery on Black Friday morning, November 27th from 8 AM - 12 Noon. For only $5, enjoy breakfast, live music, door prizes and Saranac beer!
We couldn't have said it better.
We think our beers are great—we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t. So it’s especially rewarding when others appreciate the same qualities in our beer that we do. We’ve seen a lot of positive Saranac talk online (thanks!), including this new video review by Chad of Chad’z Beer Reviews on the Brew and Cork website. Chad reviewed our phenomenally popular seasonal brew, Saranac Pumpkin Ale, on the craft brewers’ site.
Chad has reviewed dozens of brews in videos posted on YouTube and elsewhere, and has become something of an expert among online beer aficionados, so we appreciate his praise. It should be noted that he and the Brew and Cork site are completely independent of Saranac, and receive nothing in return for reviews. He does these tastings on his own, and reviews them with no outside influence, so you know it’s from the heart.
We say take his advice and open a Saranac Pumpkin Ale now. This full-bodied amber-colored ale carries the fantastic mood of an Adirondack Fall day to you. You can almost see the colors and smell the rich scents of autumn. Yeah, we feel it, too. Just don’t keep it to yourself—share it with friends this season before Pumpkin Ale leaves us for another year.
Sneak Peak: We’re currently shooting the latest Fred and Nick Matt Virtual Tasting video, to be posted next Thursday right here on Beer Bloggles, featuring our 12 Beers of Winter. So get your 12-pack and palate ready, stop back next week, and taste along with Nick and Fred.
12 Beers of Winter '09
You can't miss this year's 12 Beers of Winter™, with four new beers!
The winter's most popular mix pack, Saranac 12 Beers of Winter, is back! Where else can you get six award winning beers in one great holiday package? This year, we are bringing back an old favorite, Maple Porter, along with four new flavors, and an encore by Belgian Ale. Enjoy one at home, with your friends or give it as a gift! Whatever you decide, you won't be disappointed!
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- Saranac Winter Lager-NEW!
- Saranac Black Lager-NEW!
- Saranac Rye IPA-NEW!
- Saranac Big Moose Ale-NEW!
- Saranac Maple Porter
- Saranac Belgian Ale
Look for Saranac 12 Beers of Winter™ in stores October – January. We'll be doing a tasting with Nick and Fred Matt again for this pack real soon. Available in limited quantities and only while supplies last!