What a fantastic brewery! I visited on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and was blown away by their ample outdoor space and drink offerings. The outdoor space is kid and dog friendly. They, of course, offer a wide variety of beers as well as wines, cocktails, frozen cocktails, and their craft sodas as well. There were plenty of tables to sit at, and they provided activities including corn hole and Jenga games. I ordered McKenzie's Pumpkin Jack Cider with a cinnamon and sugar rim, and my boyfriend got the Octoberfest beer. We also ordered a Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese and mustard and an order of nachos with chicken. Both were delicious! The beverages and food are in separate areas. Once you place your food order, they give you a buzzer to keep to notify you when it's ready to be picked up. They also have a beautiful gift shop with tons of cans to go as well as nice clothing and merchandise options. Highly recommend if you're in the Utica area! read more

See all

Delightful establishment with a beautiful assortment of beers and hard ciders. Decent food, some of it actually quite excellent. Noisy, popular, with a gift store downstairs and a bar and restaurant upstairs. read more

See all

I grew up in Upstate New York and sipped my father's Utica Club when I was a small child. The Schlutz and Dooley ads were on the black and white television every day with all the fun of Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. So, whenever I get near Utica, I make it a point to stop in and take the tour again and stock up on Utica Club Pilsner/Lager (isn't it suppose to be one or the other?) for my family and friends. Nowadays, here in Houston, I am drinking Brooklyn Brewery ales that come out of the very same little brewery and I feel at home. read more

My server Isaiah was top notch! He deserves a bonus. The kitchen staff were friendly and catered to my specific needs after making personal suggestions. The gentleman in the store with the slick hair was very professional. I think I'll stop in again soon. read more

Looking for something to do in the area, I was informed to check this brewery for a tour. Parking is in a private lot, located next to the gift shop. Tours are every 1 pm and 3 pm Monday to Saturday from June to August. Tours are every 1 pm and 3 pm Friday and Saturday from September to May. In order to get to the tour, enter the gift shop and make an immediate left up the small stairs. Despite not being a huge fan of beer, it was interesting listening to the tour and how the Matt family developed the Saranac company from the time of Prohibition! Great history to the Utica community and props to my guide who entertained us. The tour is $5 per person with children under 12 years of age are free. Be sure to swap cash for two tickets to get two full sized samples of the beers on tap or non alcoholic beverages. In addition, you can try sample cups of about 8 beers that are on tap! I tried two sample cups and kept my two tickets. The bartender was kind enough to notify that I was able to use my tickets for a future date at the bar without going through the tour again. I believe the bar inside this brewery is open until 8 PM. If in doubt, call ahead before the tour. I do recommend it! read more

See all

Man, I sure do love brewery tours and this is one of the best ones I've ever been on. The brewery has so much history within its walls and the tour is really great. Tour and tastings are only $5 a person, so it's a complete steal. The tour lasts around 1 hour and you get to explore the various areas of the brewery including a really interesting area concerning the brewery during prohibition and the Matt Family who started and continue to run the brewery. We got to see an active bottling line as well and that was a blast to see in person. They truly make a ton more products than I ever knew and I had no idea that The Matt Brewing Company actually brews most of Brooklyn's beers and they were also the first place that Sam Adams had a large production made. Neat! The tour itself is worth $5 and the tasting at the end is such a huge bonus. With the tour admission, you get 2 (count 'em, 2) tickets for full pints in the tasting room. They have about 8 beers on tap and about 12-15 bottles that you can choose from too. Translation = amazing selection! Not only that, but you can sample as many as you want in addition to the 2 pints! Yay! beer heaven! This brewery is a wonderful mix of truly interesting history and great beers. Utica is not exactly a destination spot for most people, but if you're planning on driving through the area and have the time, definitely stop in and enjoy yourself for a few hours! read more

F X Matt Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

See all

Great! Awesome beyond words. Tour was so nice. Duff was so informative and fun as a tour guide. Gave great recommendations where to get apps. The history behind this company is wonderful. The soda options were great for a non-drinker Would recommended! We go to many brew tours this was amazing read more

See all

Cool brewery for Saranac beers. The bartenders were super cool and super nice. The beers were okay. Merchandise is insanely expensive. The tour is only on weekends, but it takes you through a really cool history of the place and even takes you to the speakeasy built during prohibition. Cool place to tour if you're ever in the area. read more

F X Matt Brewing - Beer flight. 4 5oz cups for $10 - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

See all

Review is of the brewery tour, not the beer itself. My grandparents lived in Utica, and I have fond memories of touring the brewery as a child (mid-1980s) and exploring the various areas along the way. I distinctly remember the cooling rooms that were always very cold, very wet, and smelled very weird. I remember getting to the end of the tour and riding a trolley (really, a converted bus) back to the brewery. And I remember drinking root beer and eating pretzel nuggets with my grandfather while I am sure he had beer. Fast forward 25+ years, and I thought it would be fun to bring my wife here for the tour. Of course, I have changed since then and I not only can appreciate the nuances of the brewing process more, I can also read (meaning, I could look at the signs and displays and get a better understanding of what was going on). The prices for the tour are reasonable and include two sample beverages at the end. My wife and I aren't big beer drinkers but we enjoyed going through the various rooms, looking and the huge shiny vats, freezing in the brewing room (which still was very cold, very wet, and smelled very weird). The dark wooden trim and stained glass windows are pretty neat. Due to the fire several years ago, the tour didn't end at a place where you boarded a trolley for the return trip. Instead, you reversed direction and walked back. Oh well, some things must change. The samples were good, and we brought home some beverages to enjoy at a later time. It is hard to imagine that the fourth oldest family-owned brewery in the United States, and the second-longest running one would be found in little old Utica. But, it is and their Saranac brand (as well as their Utica Club brand) still coming off the lines. Someday, I hope to come back and take the tour again. read more

Love this brewery. Finally took the tour and it was fantastic! It was super informative and so interesting! All of their craft beers are delicious. The limited edition Blueberry Ale is so light and refreshing, perfect for summer. I love the historic location, it is really beautiful. read more

F X Matt Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

I came to visit the Brewery on a Friday night to see the Flaming Lips perform a concert there. Everything was great! There were no lines for the beers (ticket system). They offered about 8 different beers, all from local breweries (Saranac, Utica Club). There were tons of portajohns which made lines very small. The food line was large but it moved very quickly. I was very impressed. I tried the fried cheese curds which were excellent and also had the chicken quesadilla which was decent, but nothing special. Food prices were very cheap for a concert which made everything taste even better. It was my first time in Utica and i loved it. Also the Flaming Lips were incredible, they put on a great show. read more

See all

I wouldn't call Utica a tourist destination, but if you happen to be traveling there, you should do yourself a favor and go to the Matt Brewing Company. See, they make the Saranac line of beers and soft drinks, and that alone is worth you paying your respects. The tour itself runs at the end of the week, and I ended up catching one with my fiance and two friends the day after Thanksgiving. It was absolutely mobbed, with no less than 30 people on my tour alone (and there were multiple ones going) but there was always enough space where we stopped to spread out, take pictures and bask in the hoppy air. There was nothing terribly special about our tour guide. He tried to be funny and kept falling flat, and he didn't know too much about the process, but he kept things moving as we made our way through the immense facility. The size of the place was probably the most astounding single thing about the brewery. While it wasn't as big as, say, the Busch Brewery in St. Louis of the Yuengling Brewery in Tampa, it was in the same general order of magnitude. Massive brew kettles, massive aging tanks. Multiple buildings, all of soaring brick construction. The beerhall here played a lot like a dark mahogany Prohibition-era speakeasy. The only air that came in came from the open door near the fire escape. There were three bartenders frantically pouring drinks (everyone on the tour gets two) as folks crowded into tight clusters and sipped their beer while soaking in the history. If you like beer or are a brewery tour fan, I'd recommend making the trip. It's four hours or so from both Boston and NYC, and you can stop at the Dinosaur BBQ in Troy on the way home. That's what I'd call a roadtrip. read more

Saranac is an excellent part of CNY. I've alway enjoyed their beer (especially Black Forest), but once I started exploring more of what they had to offer, I became an even bigger fan. Start with Saranac Thursdays. Each Thursday night through the summer the brewery hosts a musical act and serves up various brews (including seasonal) Admission is 5 bucks and that INCLUDES your first drink. Live music and a drink for $5 - how can you go wrong? After that drinks are very cheap (4 beers for $10). The serving size is less than a pint though. The last thing, also mentioned by others is their gift shop. They have an awesome selection of both Saranac and Utica Club items. If you're a stein collector, they have a new edition out each year. This is definitely a unique way to find someone a gift. My next adventure here will be a tour of the brewery. I'm guessing that will be a good time. Until then, you can find me rocking out on Thursday nights, Saranac in hand. read more

I've been wanting to take the brewery tour ever since I turned 21, and after 14 years I've finally managed to cross it off my bucket list! Whether you like beer or not, it doesn't matter. This tour is one of the most interesting things I have ever done. There is an incredible amount of local history with in the walls, which I found fascinating. Matt's produces way more products than I ever realized, including ginger beer and sodas. The actual tour was about an hour or so, followed by a tasting. They take your through old tasting rooms, talk about the local prohibition era, bottling, fermentation and more. The tour guides are knowledgeable, fun and can answer just about every question you throw at them. Again, this tour was a blast, and i wouldn't mind doing it again. $ 5 admission. read more

See all

The last time we visited family in Utica we wanted to spice up our trip, so we decided to stop in at Matt Brewing to take a tour of the complex try out some beers, as well as to pick up some Saranac beers in their coolers. When we arrived we didn't know what to expect, but when we walked in the door we were impressed by the brewery store as well as all shirts and mugs they had in stock. The building itself is very unique and the history behind this brewery was cool. We ultimately didn't have a chance to take the full tour because of our time frame, but the staff here let us walk through some of the building which was intense and gorgeous. In the end, we hope to stop here again in the future when we can take the tour and sample some more of their beers. read more

See all

I have taken quite a few brewery tours. This was by far the best one. It was like being Charlie in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The tour guide, Tom, would open a door and usher us in and it would be a new motif. I was waiting for the beer river, where I would then decide to pull an Augustus Gloop. The guide waa knowledgeable, and entertaining. For the $5 tour price yoy receive two drink tickets. Since I was driving back to Buffalo, I couldn't have two alcoholic beverages. I opted to try the Prism White Ale by Prism. It as delicious with its delicate flavors. Pretzels were on the bar to cleanse your palette. My second drink was their root beer, which just like the ginger beer, I fell in love with. I ended up buying a 6pack with 3 each of the pops. If you take any brewery tour, take this one. It's not just here is the process, it's about the traditions and the history. read more

See all

Perhaps I'm a bit biased, like many of the other local folks that have reviewed the brewery. Either way, my review echoes the same message--the brewery is fabulous! It's amazing how deeply engrained this brewery has become in the local community. They have a huge presence at the annual Boilermaker 15K road race. They offer Saranac Thursdays with live music and brew during the summer months. And.. the brewery tours? They're a local tradition. From the small corner of wallpaper that's peeling in the "hall of presidents" (from the time beer was leaking from the tavern above) to the freezing cold storage cellars, everything about this tour is endearing. Try to go on a weekday during the spring or summer--when the bottling works is in full-swing. Watching the bottles go round-and-round is mesmerizing. If you're lucky (and it's the summer), you may even get a ride around the block on the trolley at the end of the tour. (I believe it's an old bread truck that they converted some time ago.. but believe me, it's a hoot!) After the tour, they lead you up into the tavern, where you get two free drinks (included in the the cost of the tour). They've got bottles and brew on tap, as well as ginger beer and root beer for the under-21 set. Be sure to check out the gift shop afterwards! Tip: Call the tour center ahead of time before showing up for a tour. The hours of the tour center differ depending on the season. read more

See all

One of the very best places on earth! Such an amazing story. Cheers to the Matt family many many more generations of success! read more

See all

Took a tour and tasting at the Saranac brewery. Interesting history and a large variety of products they make. Tour actually takes you through the real process (need to make sure you don't trip on large hoses in the chilling room!) Guide woman was personable, crowd we were with were reserved so she didn't have a lot to interact with. Afterwards you get to taste your choice of product in a really cool old converted house. Must do if you are in the area! They are part of a group promoting upstate beverage touring: @HeartNYBevTrail heartofnewyorkbeveragetrail.com read more

See all

Love this place! Take the brewery tour, 2 beers at the end! Such awesome history in the Utica community! Their Beers are unmatched!

This was a really cool brewery tour! Our guide was a little dry, but did throw in some fun facts and a little bit of humor. Saranac is one of the largest breweries I have ever been to (Yuengling and Anheuser Busch being the biggest, of course). The bottling line was enormous. It was also cool to see the huge brew kettles and big room of fermenting tanks. I wish I gained a lot more information though. I love brewery tours for the academic aspect (because I'm a nerd like that). They talked a little bit about beer brewing (generally the basics) but didn't say anything about their soda production. The only thing they mentioned was that the soda and "club" drinks gained popularity during the Prohibition Era. The tour is $5 but you see a lot, learn a little bit, and receive two free beverage coupons. The free "samples" were generous - full pint glasses full of whatever you wanted! Beer, draft root beer, basically any of their beverages on tap or bottled. Really nice selection. The gift shop is great and has a huge selection of goods, gifts, and bottled beverages. So glad we went here! read more

See all

Great brewery tour! And for $5 it includes 2 pints of beer following the tour. Its an impressive operation for Saranac and contract brews. Highly recommend if you're in the area read more

F X Matt Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

I order two cases of the Soft Drinks on a regular basis. The flavors are really nice and very tasty. I recommend if any New York stop by and enjoy their beverages!!! read more

F X Matt Brewing - Shirley Temple delicious - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

This is bar none the finest brewery tour I have ever been on. Our guide was very knowledgeable and he was a good sport as well. For such a young guy, he really had a great sense of how to keep things interesting. The tour itself was great as well. The brewery is very old, and they have some sections that are similar to how they would have been 100+ years ago. The modern brewing and bottling plant is impressive as well. We took a nice leisurely stroll through the plant, while our guide imparted all kinds of information about the history of the brewery, prohibition, the longstanding central NY favorite Utica Club, and of course, the genesis of Saranac. The tour concludes with a visit to the tasting room. The tour entitles you to a couple of beers, and the tasting room is not some crummy counter in a basement. It is a beautifully appointed bar that feels like a private club from the 19th century. I had a really great time at FX Matt, and I strongly encourage people to give it a try if they are in the area. It is also definitely worth a day trip. read more

This brewery has charm, history, and a wonderful tour (in season). Free drinks offered at the end and the gift shop is aces. Player piano and old world pictures in their tavern... kids sodas and pretzels offered! The beer is SO good they get tons of contracts from some of the best beer producers in the US to make their beer for them at this brewery. For example, most of Brooklyn Ales are produced by Saranac! Says it on the bottle "brewed in Utica NY" Anyone who doesn't like their beer has not tried hard enough What they make routinely is phenomenal (Black Forrest) and their are so many seasonal recipes every year that are home runs. Their sodas make great mixed drinks too. We've been going for 29 years every summer. The best! read more

Ok to start, I grew up here so I may be biased. I came back recently to visit some family and someone suggested a brewery tour. I don't think I have been here since I was in high school. It's pretty fascinating. Matt's makes Utica Club, Saranac, and contracts places like Brooklyn (amazing) and Pete's Wicked. If you know any of them (well maybe not Utica Club) you probably are pretty googly eyed right now. You can't get any of their brews outside the North East, but they are the oldest production scale brewery next to Yuengling. So what gives? I loved the Brooklyn brews in college. And I loved Saranac as well (Black Forest has always been amazing). However I got to try their newest addition when I went back. The imperial stout ... amazing. I could have drank it all day .. well until my stomach got full. It was dark malty to almost looking like treebark. Tasted great, no nasty aftertaste. Another I had never tried was the Carmel Porter. Was good, but could only have a few as it was a little too sweet for my tastes. Used vanilla beans in it I think. If you are in the area I recommend the tour. The place has a lot of elegant antiques inside and a lot of the original pieces still intact. The tour is 5 bucks a person and you get two free drinks at the end. (You can get the soft drinks for kids). Saranac soft drinks are really good if you don't know. Orange cream and root beer are really really good. If you are having a party there is also a nice tip about this place, you can rent out the tavern upstairs (very nice place) for 30 bucks a person. They will give you unlimited drink and provide some pizza. You can bring in any food from any local restaurant too :) Not a bad deal. So check it out. It's a nice place of history and well overall really good beer. read more

Of course they have delicious beer, you probably already know that, but they also have a really robust gift shop with all kinds of Saranac and Utica Club merch and pretty much the best tour $5 can buy. First, of course, the downside of the tour is that it's only offered at 1pm and 3pm on Fridays and Saturdays during the non-summer months, which is unfortunate since a tour and a tasting would really hit the spot during the non-Friday and Saturday I'm passing through Utica. Of course, then summertime hits and Sunday is the only toursona-non-grata day of the week. The tour begins in their 1960s Victorian viewing room, which has a selection of antiques as well as old memorabilia and bottles from the early twentieth century through to today. The ceiling, by the by, is made of pressed cardboard made to look old. (Sometimes knowing that is good for an extra beer ticket, but don't tell them I gave you the answer) From there, it leads into the portrait gallery where you hear the biographies of the members of the Matt family, who have ran the brewery since its opening in 1888. The next room looks at some of the ingredients used in the making of beer and has open barrels so you can touch them, smell them, and pick up the flu virus from one of the hundreds of people who have touched and smelled them on one of the past few tours. Then, it's on to the Prohibition room, where you learn about this dark period in American history. You also learn a bit about the brewing industry. This brewery, for example, is a contact brewer, meaning that the delicious products of other breweries are actually made right here in Utica. Brooklyn, Pete's Wicked, even Kirkland, Costco's house beer is made on site. From there, you go into the bowels of the brewery and see everything from the huge copper kettles to the bottling operation in the works. It's a bit like Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, except they put up glass barriers, so it's all but impossible to fall into the beer river... believe me, I've tried. Finally, it's the part you've all been waiting for. You go up to the beautiful 1888 tavern where you're free to try any two delicious Saranac products. You can choose from any of the bottles from the current season's 12-pack, the award-winning root beer (for the kids in the group... because kids love nothing more than brewery tours... really, parents?), or a rotating selection of drafts, including the delicious Lake Placid Ubu. Still with me, yelp reader? Then I'm going to let you in on a handy secret. You can become a member of the Schultz and Dooley fan club for only $30 a year. This membership is great not only if you're an admirer of the talking "spokesmugs," but also if you're a fan of the tours like I am. By becoming a member, you can get free tours for you a guest. Soon enough, you'll even be giving a play-by-play of the tour on yelp, just like me. read more

For those of you who don't know, this is the restaurant for the brewery that makes saranac beer, one of upstate's finest. If you find yourself driving from NYC to Toronto for a BNL, Fruvous, or Rush concert ( as many of us have at one time or another), you gotta to stop in utica and have a little fun at the brewery tour and a swig at the giftshop. Saranac makes a wide range of tasty beers and it's a perfect pit stop along the way. Or if you prefer a little more shabby chic, you can go for the 24s of utica club, (upstate hpsters know that pabst is passe, but genessee cream is an acquired taste) read more

This was the highlight of my trip to Utica, hands down. A few tips: 1. Do not worry if you are late for the tour. You will be cooling your heels the gift shop for a while anyway waiting for the tour to start. 2. Expect to learn a bunch about beer before you get to drink. I was anxious to start boozing, but the foreplay of education made the payoff all the sweeter. 3. Saranac means "cluster of stars" in Iroquois the language. Trust me, this is important. 4. Schultz & Dooley are awesome. My dad was talking about them the night before and I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. The loop of the old commercials they show in the brewery bar is hilarious. Problem is now I want to buy a set of steins, but my wife already hates me. 5. You get two drinks at the brewery bar for your 5 dollar tour. That is a hell of a deal. Plus, plenty of people on our tour only drank one beer, so people kept on giving us drink tickets. We finally had to drag ourselves away for the family reunion, but I think we could have stayed there drinking for free for hours. read more

Ahhhh....memories! Having grown up in the "U", my earliest memories are of going on the brewery tour at FX Matt! Yes, we had a 4th grade field trip, from my Catholic elementary school nonetheless, at the Brewery Tour. This is a must-stop for any fan of breweriana, americana, Victorian architecture, antiques, whatever....it just bleeds history and a time gone by. The tour is wonderful--I went on my most recent tour last October when up there visiting my folks, and it's better than its ever been. I think the tour cost $5 and it includes two tickets for beer at the end of the tour. AND you get the chance to win more tickets during the tour! I walked out pretty toasted. And the beer....I hold out hope that someday we'll see a 6-pack of Saranac on the shelves here in Texas, but alas, the integrity of the brewers at Matt's won't lower their alcohol content enough to allow it across the state lines. The Saranac line of beers is one of the country's finest--definitely in the top 5. I recommend the Adirondack Amber and Pomegranate Wheat. They also have great seasonal beers--my favorite is the pumpkin ale that comes out in the fall. If you're ever on the Thruway, get off at Exit 31 and take a couple of hours out to tour the Brewery. You won't be disappointed!! read more

We stopped in at the brewery shop to pick up a couple of 6 packs. Great variety of beers (sadly including Utica Club - just kidding). They have brewery tours including tasting which gives a nice historical look at Utica brewing over the years. Very cramped tasting room, but a fun adventure for the whole family. read more

We came for the 3 PM tour on a Saturday. Our tour guide was great, although she talked a little fast. The tour was more about a lot of the cool antiques that are housed within the brewery, rather than a ton of detail about the brewing process, but it was still cool to see just how big the facility was. Each tour ticket ($5) came with two free drinks at the end of the tour. Lots of different brews on tap, as well as some bottled beverages. The bartenders were generous with the samples, which wouldn't cost you one of your drink tickets. A great way to spend Saturday afternoon! read more

Matt Brewing Co. is responsible for Saranac, a great beer I drank with regularity when living back in MA. Either at home with friends or on the road camping at various state parks, I always enjoyed a cold Saranac. It has been a couple years since I had one but this is what I remember and can recommend. The Adirondack Lager was my go to choice. Heavy it was not, nor was it especially light, the Adirondack was a happy medium and I never had anyone disappointed when I handed them a bottle from my fridge/cooler. I was also a fan of the IPA. During the holiday season I purchased a Sampler 12 pack with 12 different Saranacs in them. This included the core beers (Black Forest, Black & Tan, Pale Ale, Adirondack Lager, IPA, etc) as well as specials like the Nut Brown, Mocha Stout, Marzenbier and others. But my all-time favorite was the Caramel Porter. I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this beer. I couldn't find it as by itself on the shelf and there was only one included in the sampler. So I just kept buying more samplers to get this lovely porter. In some ways I would compare it to the Kona Pipeline Porter, at least in body and deliciousness. Now I regret that I didn't even go searching for this during my visit home for the holidays. read more

Honestly this is the nicest family running one of my favorite larger breweries in the U.S. Matt Brewing make some solid beers (I love the Pom Wheat in the Summah!) and have great events for beer & music enthusiasts! From what I have heard, they consistently give back to the community... I have traveled more than once to see moe. at the Brewery-the beer and music NEVER disappoint. Oh I also recommend the Brewery tour and store-the store is a little spendy, but they make some quality gear. read more

This review specifically written about the concert venue at Saranac Brewing. I purchased four tickets to see a show only to find out the band advertised would not be playing. I (attempted) to contact Saranac about this issue- I purchased the tickets from their website- and after several trips around the phone loop had absolutely no leads on who to speak with. I finally send a message on facebook of all places, and was able to get contact information about refunding the falsely advertised tickets. It's been weeks and after a handful of emails and messages I haven't gotten a response. I was disappointed that the show was falsely advertised, but the complete lack of support and response in righting this wrong has left an awful taste in my mouth, unlike their beer which is great, though it will be difficult for me to support this business in the future. Very unfortunate to see a local place like this with such poor management :( read more

Good brews, decent tour, SO many kids. if you want 15 screaming kids on a tour while you're trying to learn about beer and the brewing process look no further. Tiny humans love to cry and drink Shirley temples and take away from your experience. The tour guide was knowledgeable in a very general sense of the word. Not super in depth. My favorite part was paying $5 for the tour which includes 2 free drinks. I kept finding myself anxious to ask where the bar was rather than listening to the crying kids or mediocre guide. read more

This was my first brewery tour, and set the gold standard for every tour I've taken since. Set in a great building, this is an actual tour of a brewery. Not just a building where a guide shows you equipment. The price of admission included two free drinks (full pints). Even though I don't live in the area, I know that this company does a lot for Utica and the surrounding area. read more

Love this brewery! Check out the tour, its cheap to get in plus you get two free beers at the end. They have a good concert series over the summer. All-in-all, awesome place! read more

F X Matt Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Utica, New York

See all

I've visit the brewery numerous times over many years, going on multiple tours, attending Saranac Thursdays during the summer, attending special events hosted there, and renting out the place myself for events I've organized for associations and reunions. Tours are enjoyable, educational, and tasty (samples of root beer and other sodas as well as craft beers included in the tour price). A fun place to spend a few hours touring with friends or to host a gathering yourself. Please note that handicapped accessibility is limited, so call ahead to get details for any tour or event access. For events, the staff can help arrange food or other services as needed; be sure to ask for pricing of various menu options and service charges for their staff assistance, whether ordering through them or having an external catering service deliver for you. read more

Total fan of Saranac - for me, the facility made up for the beer being just mediocre. Happened to be in the area (yeah, who just happens to be in Utica..) for an event and since Saranac was literally 5 minutes away why wouldn't we check it out! I had signed up online for the 1pm tour for 5 people - not sure why they bother having sign ups as there was no mention of my reservation when we arrived. We were placed in the second group which ended up starting around 1:30pm or just shortly after. You are first corralled in the gift shop (DUH) but since we hadn't done a tasting yet, no one wants to buy anything. Along with our $5 tour ticket, we received two ticket vouchers for drinks at the end of the tour. Yep, Saranac does not do a "beer tasting" they do a straight up Pint of beer (make that two, because you get two tickets)...or soda if you choose. The tour started in this room just off the gift shop that had a pretty spooky feel to it - dark, old and full of antiques. Here we got most of the background of FX Matt and his history. We proceeded through doorways to more and more "secret" rooms and an old Speak Easy. The building is fascinating and enormous. From here we took the elevator up three floors to where the production takes place, winding up and down and around the facility to the bottling area where the tour ends (45 minutes later). There is quite a bit of walking, up and down stairs - so if you have trouble this is not for you (which they mention before the tour begins). Because the tavern is back at the beginning...at the end of the tour, you have to bob and weave your way back through the entire facility (passing other tour groups on the way)...it could get confusing. Up the main staircase just off the gift shop and to the tavern where they have 5-6 beers on top, root beer made right at Utica Club as well as other bottled beers and soda made right at the facility. There are no souvenir glasses...unless one happens to slip into your ladies large pocketbook, but they do sell the short glasses in the gift shop for $2.95 and the larger ones not much more. Cons: There were already two tour groups in the tavern by the time our group arrived and another tour shortly after ours. Clearly people stay for much longer than their two drinks tickets do and it becomes very chaotic. I would have liked to do a tasting instead of jumping right into a pint of beer. They would have offered a tasting, but with so many people behind me that wasn't an option. I went for the Farm to Tap IPA which is made from locally grown hops and it was absolutely amazing! I was glad I got a winner on the first choice. The tavern was small and cramped, it has direct sunlight after noon so it was very hot as well. But I thought it was an overall cool experience. read more

See all