Adirondack Brewery - Bear Naked

This amber ale pours – as one would expect – a rich-looking medium amber color, well-filtered, and topped by a voluminous head of light beige foam. On the nose, we picked up lots of caramel notes, accompanied by fruity tones of apple and stone fruit, plus some earthy and spicy noble hops with a floral hint. In the flavor, this brew really hit the spot. Look for a nice toasty & bready impression at the core of this satisfying amber ale, bolstered by lots of caramelized notes, a bit of nuttiness, and a touch of hay. A nice dollop of hop bitterness contributes plenty of counterbalance to the light residual malt sweetness, with hops also adding a hint of floral spice. Amber ales are famously food-friendly beers, and the potential pairing opportunities are vast. Roasted meats are a good call, particularly chicken, turkey, or other fowl. Sharp cheeses and spicy foods are also in this brew's wheelhouse; the caramelized notes can contrast and tame pungent ingredients. On the sweeter side, a fruit tart drizzled in caramel would not be something we'd run away from either. In any case, feel free to experiment – it's hard to go wrong. Cheers!

John Carr, a Vermont native, did what many Americans do when young: he went backpacking through Europe. What a fateful trip it ended up being. Along the way, amidst all the great sights there were to see, he picked up a love for European beers – which, we’ll add, is very hard NOT to do. The brewing renaissance hadn’t yet gotten up to full steam yet in the U.S., so upon his return to the States, John experienced quite the let-down at the lack of quality European-style beer available here across the pond. Not to be deterred, he decided that if he couldn’t find much good beer to drink locally, he’d simply make it himself. His love of quality beer soon became a full-blown passion.

Fast forward ten years. John had become quite a skilled and accomplished home brewer whose beers were always popular and in demand with his friends. He decided to go pro, and opened his brewpub in 1999 in Lake George Village, at the southern end of the vast lake of the same name. It turned out to be a very smart move, as the pub soon became a favorite watering hole for locals and vacationing tourists alike. In 2011, additional brewing equipment was brought in, including a bottling line, allowing the Adirondack Pub & Brewery to quadruple their previously miniscule production while making their beers available in retail establishments across upstate New York. They’re eyeing another expansion in the future, to enable them to meet demand across the whole state and beyond.

The brewery is very much dedicated to the Lake George community, purchasing ingredients from local producers whenever possible and donating their spent grain to local farmers every day. To learn more about the brewery, the pub, and brewery tours, contact them at 518-668-0002 or visit them at www.adkbrewery.com.