Greetings, Great Beer Now fans! I recently embarked on a sports- centric brewery tour to the village of Cooperstown, New York, home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Great Beer Now Base Hits and Brews Beer Tour 2018 is all about the beer and the sports that have made this part of the country so popular. Pop open a cold one as I explore Central New York and take in the sights and sounds of the area. Cheers!
America overflows with delicious, hand- crafted, small batch beer. The number of breweries is at its highest point in American history and while the bulk of these breweries are less than five years of age, there are some that date back many decades or even further, offering a glimpse into the American past and its sometimes uneasy relationship with fermented drink. A good example of an historic brewery that wears its past on its sleeve is FX Matt Brewing, located at 811 Edward Street in Utica, New York.
Brew Central New York
FX Matt Brewery, or Saranac Brewing as it is commonly called, is a large brewery with a rich history. The brewery dates back more than 130 years and has passed through several hands of family ownership since Francis Xavier Matt brewed his first batch of beer in 1888.
Saranac Brewing utilizes a 500 (!) barrel brewing system and brews around half a million barrels of beer each year. The large capacity has resulted in a good amount of contract brewing for other breweries. The FX Matt family includes the Saranac line of beers plus Utica Club, Jeds, and even its own line of soft drinks. The beer brewed under the Saranac banner is distributed to approximately 15 states.
Saranac and Beyond
FX Matt Brewing serves up the majority of its beers in the tap room, which is where you will wind up at the end of a brewery tour. Here is a summary of what I sampled, listed alphabetically by name, followed by my Untappd rating on a five point scale:
Basking in Bourbon Barrels, Imperial Stout, 4
Mississippi Mud, Black and Tan, 3.5
Saranac Adirondack Lager, Amber Ale, 3
Saranac Green Thumb, Double IPA, 3.25
Saranac Irish Red, Red Ale, 3
Saranac Irish Stout, Irish Stout, 3.25
Saranac Pale Ale, American Pale Ale, 3.25
Tropical Snow Storm, American IPA, 3.75
Overall average rating: 3.38
Saranac beers tend to be very agreeable, non- offensive, every day drinking type of brew. The standout in the pack is definitely the Basking in Bourbon Barrels Imperial Stout. It smacks of alcohol, whiskey, wood, and malt and is quite memorable.
History with Updates
FX Matt Brewing is a place of historic significance. Located right smack in downtown Utica, New York, FX Matt has been brewing beer, involving itself in the community, and enhancing the quality of life for area residents for more than a century and is still going strong.
I visited FX Matt as part of my Central New York beer tour and among the breweries I visited, this one is easily the largest and oldest. The building, impressive in size, is a multi- story brick structure with an historic look. Before you even set foot inside, you can tell you’re in for a trip through New York’s brewing past, as FX Matt has the outward appearance of a place one would expect on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best way to get to know the FX Matt history and its place in the present New York brewing scene is to take a tour. They walk guests through the building and talk about the brewery’s founding as well as its vision for the future. Along the way, you get to witness more than just beer in various phases of the brewing cycle. You also get to see some really cool antiques, photos and portraits from the past, and much more that keeps you in an historic frame of mind.
Saranac is the beer that has made FX Matt famous, at least in the present day. But beer history buffs will also be interested to know that FX Matt brews Utica Club beer, a product that predates the Saranac line by several decades. It’s a crisp, light pilsner beer and it has seen resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks to hipsters and others who have developed a taste for this and other retro beer products.
Walking through FX Matt Brewery, you definitely feel a sense of America’s brewing past. With each step, you feel like you’re walking on sacred brewing ground and you want to learn more about this storied brewery and the beer it produces. The tour is an excellent way to find out more about the past and at the same time, you quickly learn about Saranac’s place in the present- day brewing community. You learn about the brewery’s longstanding commitment to community, sustainability, and other modern day concerns that make American breweries so much a part of our quality of life.
Newer breweries are commonplace. The majority of breweries in existence today have been around for only five years or less and they are certainly a fun way to meet new friends and enjoy delicious crafted suds. But there is something to be said about America’s historic, family- owned breweries and FX Matt is definitely a place where the history is on full display. It’s a company that proudly displays its past while also remaining ever- mindful of the present and its many challenges. It has much to offer history buffs and lovers of craft beer, so pay a visit to FX Matt Brewing the next time you’re in Utica, New York. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
[…] Saranac FX Matt Brewery […]