Brewery Fire
We're Back!
We are proud to say that our bottling operations resumed as of 6 a.m., Monday morning (June 30th). A successful test run of Saranac Pale Ale was completed this past weekend and we are back bottling again! We thank you all for your support over the last month following the devastating fire of May 29th.
"We are really pleased to be back and running, and we will be in stores for the Fourth," says our President, Nick Matt.
Our canning operations are currently being outsourced, but as we rebuild, we hope to have this back under our roof soon. We are also pleased to announce that beer prices haven't risen at all, and they will not rise, as a result of the fire.
6/13/08
Two weeks later...
We love New York.
Because of the determination from employees and community members, we are barreling forward, one keg at a time! This week, the beer started flowing all the way to High Falls Brewing in Rochester, New York. We will temporarily package our 12 ounce bottles and cans at the facility until we are ready, and safe, to package in our building. Clean up is well underway, and we have started to stabilize the bottling facility. We should be ready to package here in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, stop by to see us! Come to our brewery to take a famous F.X. Matt Brewery Tour or visit us for Saranac Thursdays. Tours are given Monday-Saturday 1,2,3 and 4PM and on Sunday at 1 and 3PM. Saranac Thursdays are every Thursday until September 4th from 5-8PM in our Tour Center Courtyard. We would love to see you, and our beer would too!
Draft packages are still being produced at our brewery daily, so visit your local restaurant or pub and order New York's best beer, Saranac!
6/6/08
A week later…
"Saranac brings everyone together”
This phrase by a community member says it all. Everybody at the brewery and in our community has their heads up. A visit from the Governor of New York State and over 4,000 people at last night’s Saranac Thursday later, we can’t express how much we appreciate all of the support from our community, officials, and our loyal Saranac drinkers.
During Governor Paterson’s visit, he had many encouraging words for us. “As we have so many times in New York, we have obstacles, we rebuild. We have barriers, and we work through them,” Paterson said. “It [the brewery] survived the Great Depression, it survived the recessions of the ‘60s and ‘80s…and it will survive the fire.” Following his visit, we re-launched the first Saranac Thursday with a toast by Fred Matt, an address by Oneida County Executive, Anthony Picente, Jr., a proclamation by Mayor of Utica David Roefaro, and a presentation by Nick Matt to all policemen and firemen who saved our brewery.
Saranac Thursday continued down on Varick Street, where we received even more support by our local businesses. Several bars even decided to serve F.X. Matt Brewery products exclusively. Thanks to Nail Creek, The Electric Company and O’Donnells.
Fred Matt set the theme for the night, “Two words: Drink Saranac.” To all of our Saranac drinkers, your drinks mean a thousand words of thanks. Cheers!
The F.X. Matt Brewing Company
Dear Valued Saranac Drinker,
As some of you may have heard, last Thursday, a major portion of our production facility was destroyed by fire. While the Brewery operations remain shutdown, it is our intention to rebuild our Brewery and plans are already underway to do so in the most efficient manner possible.
We cannot possibly thank everyone for their generous outpouring of support for our organization during this difficult time. We extend our deepest gratitude to the City of Utica Fire & Police Departments as well as surrounding municipal fire departments for their efforts to control this devastating situation. Having been faced with many challenges over our 120 year history, we are extremely confident in our ability to rebuild this area of our operations and come back stronger than ever. Thank you all for your support of Saranac Beer and Soft Drinks.
Check back for frequent updates, we will be posting news and pictures as they come.
Nick Matt Fred Matt