Pamela Merritt

When I told my husband we needed to head for Blue Line as part of a blog I'd be doing, he pretended that he was going to do this "for me," as did the friends who accompanied us. I was not fooled.

We all love to visit Saranac Lake's hometown brewery.

a former carwash

Blue Line Brewery is

From garage to theatre: Pendragon revs it up! asdlfkj

a few elements of the original building remain

Mr. Gillis said he’s looking to hire slightly more people than at his Saranac Lake location, which employs about seven to eight. He said once the warm weather hits, that number will likely increase with seasonal help, up to 15 or 18.
First opened in 2012, Blue Line Brewery gradually transformed from a part-time hobby to a full-time operation over a period of two years, according to Mr. Gillis. The enterprise now occupies 1,100 square feet of space at 555 Lake Flower Ave. in Saranac Lake, and produces three to five barrels of beer, two to three days per week.

their goal: serve enough pints and pizzas to match the number of car washes

Blue Line Brewery was formed in the summer of 2012 with the intention of brewing Great beer in SARANAC LAKE, NY. We are now open for business !!

We apologize for the elementary nature of our website. Luckily we make better beer and pizzas than websites !!

Update !! The Brew Pub / Kitchen opened officially on Dec 12th, 2014. The food has been coming out fantastic. The official number of car washes over 20 years was 231K. We are over 500 pints and 200 pizzas in the first 2 weeks as we try to catch the car wash total. Please dont forget that we will have outdoor seating on Mckenzie Deck in the warmer weather.

Update# 2 - Here we are sitting in the middle of a snowy April, and we are over 6300 pints and 2300 pizzas. We are hoping to have Mckenzie Deck open by the 2nd weekend of May.

Update # 3 - Mckenzie Deck is now open!!! It is the best dining view in S.L.

Update # 4 ( June 14th 2015 ) - we crossed 10K Pints over the weekend. Thanks for all of your help ! I was considering upgrading my website, but decided to buy another beer storage tank instead!

brews with local flavor

SAFD

as seen in the back, I didn't catch this sampler before it got sampled

Forest Home Black - 4.8% ABV - IBU’s 36
This black “lager” is very drinkable!!!! We have been told by many folks that don’t like “dark” beer that they really like this one. While Forest Home may be dark in color it is light in body. The flavor profile unique as it is brewed with 2 kinds of honey and fresh rosemary. Our hop profile also crosses the boarders using a blend of Nobel and American hops.

Smoke Signals Blonde- 5.2% ABV - 18 IBU’s
Brewed as a Noble Honey Blonde we use 3 kinds of noble hops in 3 additions along with honey malt to bring the flavors together. Look for a subtle notes of floral and honey while finishing very clean. We special brew this beer for Smoke Signals which goes great with BBQ cause of the honey malt & honey found in many BBQ sauces. Give it a try…..you’ll be back for more!!

Black Fly IPA- 5.5% ABV / IBU 47
This beer is a black IPA brewed with 4 different kinds of hops to balance the sweetness contributed from the malt. It drinks like a pilsner in body yet finishes like an English Mild. Look for notes of chocolate and roast. It may be dark but goes down easy.

the brewery deck overlooks the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness

Lake Flower Cream Ale - 5.2% ABV / IBU’s 19
Brewed as a cream ale style this brew is perfect for the “newbe” to the craft beer world or a seasoned pro looking for a session beer. It finishes very clean and crisp, & its great for a hot summer day. Look for very subtle notes of Carmel at first then a clean finish.

Red Rye IPA- 5.3% ABV / IBU 28
This is the Brewer’s favorite. A “blend” of 3 different styles of beer , Irish Red, Rye, and English IPA. It is brewed with 10 ( WOW !! ) kinds of specialty malts, which is balanced with Noble hops. A slight hop nose in the finish compliments the spiciness of the rye.

Forest Home Black - 4.8% ABV / IBU 36
This black “lager” is very drinkable!!!! We have been told by many folks that don’t like “dark” beer that they really like this one. While Forest Home may be dark in color it is light in body. The flavor profile unique as it is brewed with 2 kinds of honey and fresh rosemary. Our hop profile also crosses the boarders using a blend of Nobel and American hops.

Upper Locks IPA - 6.3% ABV / 62 IBU’s
This beer is an IPA without the overpowering bitterness found in many American brews today. This I.P.A. has 6 hop additions throughout the brewing process that gives it a semi-dry / little sweet flavor profile with a nutty toasted flavor which comes through at the end.

OATMEAL AMBER - 5.3% ABV / 38 IBU’s

An Amber ale has similar profiles as an American pale ale, with come characteristics of an oatmeal stout added in. Its moderately hopped with 2 hop additions of a single hop. Look for a great copper color with a rich creaminess to balance the hops.