As of this morning, firefighters were continuing to battle a fire at the historic F.X. Matt brewery in Utica, New York.
Utica fire officials said that hotspots remain in the brick building more than 12 hours after the fire began. Flames were first discovered around 5pm Thursday during a weekly outdoor concert hosted by the brewery. No concertgoers were injured, according to reports, but two employees at the brewery were treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire appears to have started in a canning and processing building on the brewery’s Saranac brand compound. There is no word yet from officials …read more

Apparently I’m not the only one hoping to promote a healthy understanding of beer with my kids, as the good friar deomonstrates in this week’s Hopfen und Malz
Last week I continued my inter-generational quest to share my love of beer with my kids. In the course of visiting old friends we found ourselves in Utica, NY. Now Utica does not boats many genuine tourists attractions and so I managed to convince my wife to stop by the F.X. Matts brewery. The brewery and its products played a large role in defining my college education (at nearby Hamilton …read more