Saranac Traditional Lager
Review Date
Beers like
Budweiser, Miller, and Coors get a bad rap among craft beer enthusiasts.
They crowd the shelves and take up space that could be used for more
microbrews, some say. They hold an inordinate amount of the beer market, say
others. And they just taste too darned bland say still more. The fact of the
matter though is that such beers are the biggest selling beers in this
country, and also the world.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
Also From This Brewery
Saranac Traditional Lager pours to a deep golden color with a light bubbly
head and a faint malty nose. The palate is smooth and clean, malty, crisp,
refreshing and just a tad toasty. In the finish it is neutral to slightly
sweet, and goes down rather smoothly. This is definitely a beer marketed at
the macrobrew drinker, but it has more flavor than most of those and no
noticeable adjunct notes. It is sold in six-packs and cases, and also on
draught. Matt Brewing, makers of the Saranac line, packages their
Traditional Lager in a twist-off, clear glass bottle with an attractive
oddly shaped label.
It’s a good step-up beer for those who might be interested in exploring
heartier brews than their usual Budweiser or Miller, perhaps a step towards
Samuel Adams or Pete’s. What exactly is a step-up beer you ask? Simply put,
it’s a beer that is a great logical progression for a beer drinker who
usually only partakes of Budweiser, Miller, Coors or the like. As a
card-carrying member of the beer geeks society, we all want to increase the
numbers of our ranks, for several reasons. Partly because we hold a deep
aesthetic love for beer and want to see appreciation for our favorite
beverage soar to new heights, but mostly because we’re sick of our buddies
coming over and drinking all our really good brew when all we get at their
house is Bud. Hey, it would be nice to be able to drink their good
stuff for a change!
OK, back to the step-up beer notion. I worked in a liquor store for five
years, and when I did I always loved to introduce curious beer drinkers to
new brews that were just a bit more flavorful than what they usually drank.
The last thing you want to do with these curious but cautious souls is to
give them a Guinness or Old Rasputin right off the bat. Instead, it’s better
to slowly intrigue their palate with beers like Sam Adams Boston Lager,
Pete’s Wicked Ale, or Saranac Traditional Lager. Stock some in your fridge
today.
