Higher Profile for Local Brewery’s Adirondack Beers

By Mirror Staff

The only beer wholly brewed and bottled in the Adirondacks is the product of Lake George’s own Adirondack Pub and Brewery.  It’s even brewed with the lake’s own water, which is, of course, renowned for its purity and clarity.

John Carr opened the Adirondack Pub and Brewery in 2000. At first, Carr brewed his beer in back of the pub and sold it on site. But it wasn’t long before local bartenders were being asked to put the beer on tap and brew festivals were giving it awards.

Thirteen years later, the brewpub’s beer is being bottled in a converted laundromat on a village alley and sold throughout an eleven-county region of upstate New York under the name ‘Adirondack.’

Adirondack Brewery's Dirty Blonde Ale

Earlier this month, Carr announced that DeCrescente Distributing Company had added Adirondack to the list of national brands it delivers to markets and beverage centers.

“DeCrescente has been a phenomenal partner,” said Carr. “They choose their brands carefully, and they’re committed to them.”

To meet the increased demand, Carr has purchased two new fermenting tanks, each capable of brewing sixty barrels or 21,000 bottles of beer.

He’s installed a silo at the brewery that can hold 40,000 pounds of grain, enough for 250,000 bottles of beer.

And he worked with graphic designer Linda Wohlers to create distinctive packaging that not only promotes his beers but Lake George and the Adirondacks as well.

“Every variety is identified with a story about the Adirondacks,” said Carr. “Our product is a tribute to the Adirondacks.”

Carr says Wohlers carefully researched every story.

Cynthia & John Carr

The Native American on the cover of the Iroquois Pale Ale, for instance, is an authentic Iroquois in historically correct attire. The Bobcat Blonde is named for a bobcat that spent three consecutive summers near the fire tower cabin of a warden. The Headwater Hefe, a Bavarian style Hefeweizen, pays tribute to the headwaters of the Hudson River in Lake Tear of the Clouds.  And the Dirty Blonde Ale is, according to Wohlers, “an ode to the many summer romances that have taken place on the shores of Lake George since the early 1800s.”

“I wanted to create labels that not only caught the consumer’s eye, but also told a unique story that was symbolic of the Adirondack region,” said Wohlers.

With the expansion of the brewery’s capacity, Carr is now able to provide five local residents with year-round, full-time jobs.

He also plans to keep the pub and brewery open year-round for tours and tastings. Maybe Adirondack will become known as the beer that made the Adirondacks famous, and Lake George will become a year-round destination for craft beer lovers.  John Carr hopes so, anyway.

Tags: Adirondack Pub & Brewery, Beer, John Carr, Lake George, Lake George Beers, Lake George Dining, Lake George Food & Drink, Linda Wohlers, Local Brewery