Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

This is a place where big meets small. Without much to do in Utica, NY, the tour at Matt's is one of the highlights of the area. The brewery came very close to being shut down in the 80s when the idea of contract brewing craft beer for the likes of Sam Adams and Brooklyn (and others) became a reality. This saved the brewery which has been in the Matt family for generations.

Subsequently, the brewery expanded their product line to the Saranac label.

The tour is fun but it's not homey and small like most craft breweries. The lagering tanks alone are impressive and harken to the days of mass-produced thin lagers. There is a lot of pre-prohibition paraphernalia and vibe in the tasting room.

While I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to visit, if you have a free afternoon in Utica, this is one of the top activities in the area.

I have been to this place a couple of times and it is a very interesting tour of a pretty large brewery. It is definitely a much different scale than what I am used to, I mean they even have their own rail line for grain deliveries. It was cool how historic it was and the bar/tasting room looked awesome. It would have been nice to get more than 2 samples as part of the tour though, but the samples were good. It was also nice that they had their own line of soft drinks available for sample and they were really good too. The shop was nice too and had a great selection of shirts glassware and other products as well as all of their beer.

They have been around for a long time and have come a long way from brewing Billy Beer. One of the first contract brewers, they took the bull by the horns and stayed in business when the market was Anheuser Bush, Miller and Coors. Really can't say enough good about this place.

 

This building has serious historic charm. A very ornate brick/industrial monolith that just oozes brewing history. The entire block is made up of Ithicas significant brewing past. Matt/Ithaca Club and Saranac have deep roots going back to 1888. You seriously feel the history inside this beautiful brewery.

The upstairs 1888 tavern and tap room is seriously old school vibe complete with historic pictures. The selection on-tap is very good, from the newest ipa styles to the good ol American adjunct lagers that Saranac does soo well.

Do yourself a favor and give it a visit, soak in the brewing history and ambiance.

 

 

 

I finally made the trek to Saranac Brewery to visit one of the first craft brewers that piqued my interest back in the mid 90's when I started to dig craft beer. We started with lunch at the Nail Creek Pub and walked over to Saranac. Unfortunately, we were running behind schedule so we missed the 1PM tour. There is a spacious gift shop upon entering, but the real enjoyment was upstairs.

A large staircase brings you up to an open area with an abundance of beautiful dark wood with a bar in the center. The place was empty when we arrived with only a few other guests present. There were 12 taps on draft during my visit, those selections included Utica Club, Citra Pils, Cold Brew Coffee Lager, Legacy IPA, UBU Brown Ale, Imperial Rye Porter, Hoppy Hour Hero, Pale Ale, Brett Saison, Lake Placid Big Slide, Pumpkin Ale and Brewers Blood. I had the Saison and Imperial Porter, both were super fresh and tasty. Mini pretzels were served on the bar.

Service was attentive and responsive. What I truly enjoyed the most was the decor of the upstairs bar with it's cozy, ornate and historic vibe. An essential visit if you find yourself in the Mohawk Valley of New York.

A historic brewery, the 1888 tavern is very different from today's craft brewery tasting room. It has a lot of history and some hidden small batch beers only available in the brewery. The tour is worth the $5 which includes two beers.

FX Matt/Saranac brewery produces some of the best brew I have tasted in years. A icon of downtown Utica, the employees are mainly locals or at least from Central New York. Fast and friendly and ready to please the customer. They pour their heart and soul into their craft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plenty of innovation and seasonal brews that make Saranac a go to brewery in the industry. A jewel in the heart of Central New York.

 

 

Massive turn-of-the-century brick factory building, with lots of personality. Interesting taproom and gift shop. The day I was there, they were having a event and had a stage set up adjacent to the building with live music. Their beer was ok, nothing exceptional, but the historic feel of the place is worth a stop.