If one travels north on I-81, following it to
its terminus at Wellesley Island on the Saint Lawrence River, you reach what
locals refer to as the “North Country”. Most non-natives refer to this as
“Upstate” but ask any native of the North Country and the curt reply will be
“Upstate is south of here”, probably followed by “Where are you from?” The
actual boundary of the North Country is subject to debate but is basically
comprised of Clinton, Essex,
Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, and Warren counties. St
Lawrence County is the largest county in NY, larger than the state of Delaware.
It is also the most sparsely populated with a population density of 42 people
per square mile, according to 2000 census data.
I lived in St
Lawrence County for the better part of a decade and still have friends there. The
favorite beer of those 42 people per square mile is unequivocally the “Light”
beer. Busch Light, Bud Light, Blue Light (Canadian), you get the idea. Since my departure in 2006 the craft beer
revolution has swept over the county like a rogue wave over a dingy (The Small
Boat)! The county is now home to…wait for it…..TWO breweries! Saint Lawrence
Brewing Company located in Canton, and Adirondack Toboggan Brewing in
Goveneur. A brew pub is planned for
Potsdam later this year, although according to my sources they aren’t going to
actually BREW beer in the pub. Of the
two breweries St Lawrence Brewing Company is the crown jewel. Opened in 2013 in
Canton, home of St Lawrence University, Saint Lawrence Brewing Company boasts a
nice selection of beers ranging from their flagship Ruby Canoe Maple Porter to
my personal favorite Skinny Dipper IPA. It’s probably worth noting that they
tend to frown on disrobing in the tap room while consuming Skinny Dipper.
Lesson learned!
Over the long
Independence Day weekend I seized the opportunity to stop by the tap room and,
much to my surprise, St Lawrence has upped their game. The brewery has revamped
some of its recipes with beer offerings ranging from ciders to Saisons. Their
Barnstormer Bohemian Pilsner is an easy drinking somewhat mild beer as they strive to attract and introduce the
local population to craft beer, according to the tap room manager. By far the
most impressive new offering was their “Barrel Roll “, an imperial IPA aged in whiskey
barrels. More like a Belgian than IPA this barrel aged 10% ABV gem sneaks up on
you and will slap you silly if you aren’t careful. August will mark the 3rd
anniversary of Saint Lawrence Brewing which will undoubtedly be marked by
special events. So if you find yourself wandering through Northern New York Saint Lawrence Brewing is a great place for a “pint
stop”.
Until next time,
stay crafty.
