Saratoga Beer Summit 2024

The 12th Annual Saratoga Beer Summit took place on February 24th, 2024. There were over 100 different breweries, cideries, and various canned libation makers at this year’s event. When my companions and I arrived we wasted no time and got right to work sampling from the various breweries, & cideries from New York and some neighboring states.

Different brewery banners and the crowd.

Our first stop was Common Roots for some of their fan-favorite Good Fortune IPA. Made with a trio of hops, it pours a hazy golden orangish-yellow color and has a juicy tropical fruit nose. This one is smooth and citrusy while not being overly hoppy. Some pineapple, and orange notes with a little spiciness on the back end.
Common Roots Brewing Company is one of my local favorites and I’ll always make time to enjoy one of their brews.

The next stop was Frog Alley Brewing for a Mango Slushy Sour. I almost skipped over this one as I’m not a huge fan of mango, but I’m glad I stopped. I wasn’t overwhelmed by mango at all, more of an overall ripe tropical fruitiness. Refreshing, and light, but seemed more like a tart ale level of sour to me because of the fruit sweetness.

We paused a moment, enjoyed our second sample, and took in some of the great music played by the DWB Trio. I will definitely be looking to hear them play again, they were so fun!

The Capital Region’s usual suspects were all in attendance so there were a few breweries I passed by in my search for new delights! And they were indeed found!

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Foam Brewers

Foam Brewers | Craft Beer Brewery located in Burlington, Vermont was one of them. I sampled both offerings, first up was The Minus Times Doppelbock. The Minus Times had a roasty coffee nose and deep brown color. It was malty and bold with a nice bitter chocolate flavor, both delicious and warming. A wonderful cold weather sit by the fire beer. I didn’t really pick up anything in the way of fruit, but it was delightful nonetheless.

Tasting glass for Saratoga Beer Summit 2024.

The second beer from Foam Brewers was Built to Spill DIPA, now the DIPA’s aren’t normally my cup of tea but this one was juicy and delicious. It looked a little like orange juice on the pour, with a fruity citrus nose. This one was a little sweeter and less bitter than most other DIPA’s I’ve tried which could be why I enjoyed it so much. Easy to drink with a nice mouth feel. I’m planning on taking a Vermont brewery trip soon and these guys will absolutely be on my list to visit!

Active Ingredient

Stopped by Active Ingredient Brewery for the next round. They’re a local favorite, heavy on the IPAs so sometimes I struggle a little there. They had Delta PH Bartlett Pear Sour with them today and I decided to give it a whirl. I haven’t had too many pear beers in my travels, but after trying this one, I’m hoping for some more! This was fabulous! It was a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and fruity. None of the flavors overpowered each other, they worked in perfect unison. At 5.5% ABV, you could drink all this all day and be a happy camper! I went back for seconds on this and a third right before I left!

Extreme Heights Cidery

The next newbie at the Saratoga Beer Summit we checked out was Adirondack Winery – SHOP – EXTREME HEIGHTS CIDER. Extreme Heights opened just this past November, so brand new. They are operating out of Adirondack Winery in Lake George.

Extreme Height Cidery table with 3 flavors of offered cider.

They have three varieties available at the moment, Mt.Marcy a classic cider, Algonquin a cranberry ginger cider, and Haystack a pumpkin pie cider. They are named after the 3 highest peaks in the Adirondacks. I tried the Mt.Marcy first which was sweet but not overly so, light and crisp. Then I tried the Algonquin, which was delicious. Cranberry on the front and a nice little bit of ginger on the back end. I went back for seconds! Excited to see what other varieties they come up with moving forward. Next time I’m up near Lake George I’ll be sure to add them to the itinerary.

Brochures and cider description for Extreme Heights Cidery.

Lunar Hard Seltzer

Lunar Hard Seltzer was the surprise hit of the day. Typically hard seltzers taste so sugary and fake that I can’t stomach them. The guys at Lunar have changed the game. They offer four flavors, passion fruit, plum, lychee, and yuzu (imagine a lemon and a grapefruit had a baby). They are all produced using real fruit, with no artificial colors or flavors. They are brewed in Upstate NY, so yay for us New Yorkers!

I tried the passionfruit which was so amazing! It was light, yet flavorful, and oh so refreshing. I can honestly say I have never had another seltzer like it! I also got to try the Korean Plum. The Plum was also delightful and light, but I would definitely reach for more of that passionfruit first! If you can find some near you check it out! The gentleman serving it up mentioned that it’s a great mixer too!
To learn more about lunar go to Award-winning Asian Hard Seltzer | Yuzu, Lychee, Plum, Passion Fruit – Lunar Hard Seltzer (drinklunar.com). They are not only brewing up great beverages but also working to make their community a better place. Cheers to that!

All in all, it was a great day at the Saratoga Beer Summit 2024. So many people all from different walks of life with one thing in common, love of beer! We will definitely be making a return trip next year. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for January 2025 when tickets go on sale.