Matt Brewing Company - Saranac Pale Ale

To the Iroquois, the native people of the Adirondacks, the word Saranac means
“Cluster of Stars”. The Matt Brewing Company bottles their Saranac line of beers from the pure water that flows from the Adirondacks and the grains that grow in its unspoiled soil. Their Pale Ale is a wonderful example of a beer made with pristine natural resources and genuine craftsmanship. The inviting hopdriven aroma owes its sweetly floral nose to generous portions of English East Kent Goldings hops. With this medium-bodied pale ale you can expect a flavor similar its aroma but enhanced with apricot and grapefruit notes along with just a hint of pine. Look for caramel and bread-like flavors in the malts, accented by lightly toasty notes, but expect the malts to take a backseat to the hops. Enjoy the bitter Willamette hop finish which we found subtle, yet lingering. Great with pizza or pretty much anything you throw on the barbeque.

It seems appropriate that one of the oldest breweries in the United States, founded by a German immigrant from the Black Forest region of Germany, would be founded near one of the oldest state parks in the U.S.. German-born immigrant and brewer, Francis Xavier Matt I, left his homeland in order to fulfill his dream of owning his own brewery. He arrived in the U.S. in 1878 (a mere 13 years after the conclusion of the American Civil War!) at the foothills of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and within 10 years had created The West End Brewing Company which quickly became one of the largest and most successful breweries in the Northeastern U.S. Today known as the Matt Brewing Company, the brewery has survived two World Wars and perhaps even more remarkable, Prohibition. After the days of Prohibition, F.X., then 74, was joined by his sons Walter and Frank Matt, and a tradition of family brewing ensued. Under the leadership of the third and fourth generations of the Matt Family (Nick and Fred, respectively), the Brewery has earned a reputation as one of the most respected specialty brewers in the country, producing a variety of distinctive, flavorful beers. Management of the Matt Brewing Company has spanned four generations – a very uncommon feat in the world of U.S. microbrewed beers since most were founded within the past 30 years. This practice of family run breweries is more common in the master breweries of Europe, such as those found in Bavaria, and is a tradition that F.X. Matt I clearly brought with him to the states. It’s been more than a century since F.X. created the first of his brewery’s malty treasures and set in motion the legacy that is the Matt brewing tradition. Today, each of their brews is a flavorful testament to time-tested recipes and their literally generations of experience. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call 800-765-6288 or check out their web site at www.saranac.com.