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!
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!
Saranac Thursdays 2011 Band Schedule Announced!
The wait is finally over and the countdown to May 26th is on...only 22 days to go! We're excited to announce this year's line-up with 8 new bands, plus we've extended the season by two weeks to lead right into Utica Music Fest. Thank you to everyone who submitted your music. It was a tough decision with lots of awesome bands to choose from.
| May 26th-Crazy Fools June 2nd-Dashboard Nixon June 9th-Time Trooper June 16th-Matt Chase & Thunder Canyon June 23rd-Showtime June 30th-Jimkata July 7th-Syndicate July 14th-Sassafrass Jenkins July 21st-Gridley Paige |
July 28th-Enter the Haggis August 4th-Three Inch Fury August 11th-Dusty Puppies August 18th-Strung Sideways/Rusty Doves August 25th-Sirsy September 1st-Lynch September 8th-Fulton Chain Gang September 15th-Utica Music Fest Kickoff |
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!
Showing Our Pride
As a New York State Brewery, we’re proud to participate in the Pride of New York Harvest Fest at the Empire Expo Center in Syracuse, NY this Saturday and Sunday, November 6th and 7th. This year we’ll also be participating in the Albany Pride of New York Harvest Fest at the Empire State Plaza the following weekend on Saturday and Sunday, November 13th and 14th. The event is two full weekends of sampling and purchasing fine quality beer, wine and food from New York producers and growers. The New York Wine and Grape Foundation will present cooking demonstrations and educational seminars. This year, Fred Matt will be hosting a seminar at both events, and we'll be sampling some seasonal beers and year round favorites. For more information, check out the Pride of New York Harvest Fest website and our Events page. We’ll see you there!
Come "Raise the Dead"
Popular Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra is back for another year.
With an awesome light display and Grateful Dead-inspired tunes, DSO is always one of our favorite shows. What Grateful Dead set will they recreate this year? Or will it be an original? Buy some tickets and join us to find out. We'll have your favorite Saranac Beers on tap, and Saranac Soft Drinks will also be available. Hope to see you tomorrow night. Cheers!
F.X. Matt Wins Record Medals!
Held in Melbourne each year, the Australian International Beer Awards, Australia’s most prestigious beer event, has become firmly established on the international brewing calendar as a renowned and recognized barometer of diversity in beer brewing across the world. The F.X. Matt Brewing Company is certainly no stranger to the AIBA, winning 9 awards from 2007 to 2009. This year, the Brewery is proud to have received seven medals, breaking a personal record for number of medals won at a competition!
Here's what we won: Saranac Pale Ale-Silver Medal, Saranac Black Forest-Silver Medal, Lake Placid Ubu Ale-Silver Medal, Saranac Adirondack Lager-Bronze Medal, Saranac Irish Stout-Bronze Medal, Lake Placid IPA-Bronze Medal, Utica Club-Bronze Medal.
“It is an extreme honor to be awarded medals at the Australian International Beer Awards, the largest annual beer awards in the world,” said Fred Matt. “Saranac is great beer and the fact that our beers continue to be chosen by judges and colleagues as some of the best beers, both domestically and internationally is a testimony to just how good our beers really are. Simply put, we are making some of the best beers in the world!"
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!