Saranac-Matt Brewing Company – a heritage brewery reinvents itself

July 27, 10:20 AMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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Nick Matt, President of Matt-Saranac Brewing Company, Utica, NY reminesces
on the decisions to take their 111 year old brewery in the direction of craft
brewing and craft beer.  All photos by Charlie Papazian

Of the thousands of beers and American breweries that have blessed beer drinkers only 12 have survived more than 100 years and are still brewing today.  These are America’s “heritage” breweries.  Among those twelve 100+ year old breweries only 4 are owned by the original family, are small and are independent.

Visiting one of these remaining 4 breweries one quickly realizes the incredible achievement it is to have survived all these years through the tumultuous American beer history, politics and economic forces that have slaughtered the thousands of American breweries that are only a romantic memory for beer buffs and enthusiasts.

From the Saranac.com website: In 1885, young F.X. Matt I, a German-born immigrant, left a promising career at the famous Duke of Baden Brewery in the Black Forest region of Germany to travel to the United States with the determination and dream of owning his own brewery someday. After several years of brewing experience at the Bierbauer Brewery, F.X. Matt re-organized the faltering brewery to create The West End Brewing Company in 1888. Serving as both the star salesman and brewmaster, the brewery quickly became one of the largest and most successful of the 12 breweries operating in Utica at the time.  Today, Nick Matt (President) and his nephew Fred (Vice President)

At 811 Edwards St. in Utica, New York there stands an impressive structure of brick, mortar and a sweat legacy of both labor and nerves.  High above the entrance are the words “West End Brewery,” the name which has given way to the now Matt (or Saranac) Brewing Company.  Therein lies their claim to uniqueness among the thousands of breweries that opened over 100 years ago.  The Saranac-Matt Brewing Company is the only surviving heritage brewery that has reinvented itself by transitioning to become a craft brewery. 

They still make Utica Club light lager, though it is no longer their main brand.  It’s a light lager hopped at the high end of its class for classic cold lager refreshment – with hop character you won’t find in most international light lagers.  Through the early 1980’s these types of light lagers were their mainstay-bread and butter brews. 

“After we won a silver medal with our Saranac 1888 All-malt Lager we introduced at the 1987 Great American Beer Festival we made the decision that this was the direction we wanted to take our company,” said company president Nick Matt in a recent conversation.  Nephew Fred Matt, currently  Vice President of the brewery recalls, “I went into work one morning and I knew we were ‘sleeping on the idea’ of transitioning the company, but when Nick announced that morning the decision was made, I was floored.”  That was an incredibly bold move for a company that had been on the singular path of light lager for all of the 20th century up until that moment.

Left: A working museum of copper kettles and heritage at the Matt Brewing Company, Utica, NY

Over the years the brewery has been updated with new and modern equipment, but the workhorse copper brewhouse and gigantic mash filters are continually maintained and churn out new school beers with old school heritage.  “The brewhouse is the same vintage and of the same manufacturer as the Anheuser-Busch copper brewhouses used for years.  If it was good enough for them it’s good enough for us.”  Nick Matt adds, “We’re also one of the very few breweries in America using a mash filter instead of a lauter tun [to separate the spent malted grains from the sweet ‘liquor” produced in the ‘mashing’ process”].

The brewery building and structure is impressive.  The place reverberates with the heritage of a thousand breweries that have passed through the American landscape.

Their flagship Saranac Pale Ale   is balanced, refreshing and perfectly hopped with an emphasis of English East Kent Golding hop aroma and flavor.  Fresh at the brewery in their tap room or visitors center, you can’t help but feel nirvana – if you’re a beer enthusiast. 

Seven core  Saranac brands  , six Saranac seasonal  and currently two “high peak”  imperial-series beers are flowing to beer drinkers.

Do they get local support?  Absolutely.  The brewery sponsored 15 K run called the Boilermaker   draws 40,000 people to the brewery’s parking lot at 10 a.m.  There they down 250 half barrels of brewery beer before noon.  Runners, family and friends all join in at the annual event. 

It’s Saranac Thursday  during the summer.  At the brewery’s beer garden and concert stage thousands convene for beer, music and friendship.  “We’re seeing a revitalization of the areas businesses in part due to what we started here with our weekly beer, music and friendship gathering on Thursday during the summer” adds Nick Matt.

Utica, New York may seem a bit out of the way for east coast beer enthusiasts, but there’s no other brewery in America that reveals the history and transition of America’s brewery culture better than the Saranac-Matt Brewing Company.  Tours are regularly available. 

Also see:

America’s small heritage breweries making beer for over 100 years - part 1

America’s small heritage breweries making beer for over 100 years - PART 2

America’s small heritage breweries making beer for over 100 years - PART 3