Stewart’s is a regional gas station-convenience store hybrid akin to Wawa or Sheetz, headquartered in Saratoga Springs, NY, with 350-plus locations across the Adirondacks and surrounding counties. Vinepair actually posted a pretty accurate history of the beer: https://vinepair.com/articles/mountain-brew-stewarts-shop-lager-history/ I recall drinking the Genesee brewed version and it was a drinkable budget AAL. The City Brewing version was quite possibly the worst beer I’ve ever had. From the Albany Times Union: Mountain Brew will now be produced in the Adirondacks by Paradox Brewing. The beer’s new 6% ABV recipe will be available in a 19.2 ounce can and will be sold as a two-pack for $4, as opposed to the original six-pack of 12-ounce cans sold for $2.99. They expect it to be on the shelves by mid February. I’m sure I’ll give it a try and report back what I think about it, I’ve seen Paradox beer on the shelves before, but I don’t know that I’ve had one
I picked up a 4-pack of Paradox's Pilsner when I was up in NY last summer. It was pretty good. A 2-pack of stovepipe cans seems odd though.
I remember Stewart's was the only place in NY in the 1970s where one could buy plastic 12 packs of Narragansett and Falstaff beers (both still brewed in Cranston RI at the time). Great beer? No, but the plastic cases still work fine in one's cellar (below right) and the price was OK, though I don't recall the deposit, if any (they predated NY State's mandatory deposit law) on the otherwise standard "throw-away" bottles they contained.
I remember seeing those, not sure if I was of legal age to purchase. I do remember pilfering a few of each from a friend’s father’s garage fridge back in the day. Couldn’t say if it was good or bad. I am optimistically looking forward to the new Mountain Brew
