Walt & Whitman Brewing

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY BRIDGET SHEVLIN

WHAT MAKES WALT & WHITMAN BREWING THE BEST?

It’s a thought-provoking question. Yet, after just a year in business, Walt & Whitman Brewing has already won recognition by a leading industry publication, Hop Culture magazine, and been named as America’s 8th Best New Brewery by USA Today’s readers.

WHAT IS CRAFT BREWING?

Crafting implies the specialized skill of combining action with an energized creativity to make something extraordinary. “It’s the people behind it and their creative vision about how to use simple ingredients. They are not afraid to push the norm and extend the palette of tastes,” said Kathy Crager. Kathy and her four children; Will, Katie, Jane, and Lilly, always loved incorporating trips to craft coffee houses and breweries into their travels. They took the best of what they learned and put it into one of Saratoga Springs’ prime locations. It may still say “The Saratogian” on the brick building downtown, but many Saratogians know it’s actually now Walt & Whitman - a café, lounge, taproom, and brewery. “We marry a really great beer with a really great in-house experience which gives us a leg-up on other breweries,” said Will.

PURPOSEFUL CHOICES

There are 11 beers on tap and a new variety coming out every week at Walt & Whitman. They strive for a balanced beer board that includes an IPA, sour, gluten-free seltzer, lager, lite, and saison selection. Soothe a hangover with a beer mimosa in their upstairs café – it’s open early and is super spacious, offering approximately 60 different seating options. Enjoy a traditional beer-flavored-beer like the Dick Murphy lite on the outdoor patio, or head downstairs in the evenings for a comfortable seat at the wall-length booth, the long butcher block tables, or by the fireplace in a room where you’re accompanied by photos of inspiring musicians, artists, and writers.

FIT TO BE SEEN

This summer, Walt & Whitman invites you to get adventurous with a sour and fruity BerlinerStyle Weisse, or a refreshing Hefeweizen, recommends Meg Thompson – who does everything from rubbing hops (releasing their aroma) to designing the beer’s labels and social media marketing. “It’s unbelievable how many breweries you see popping up everywhere now. It’s an industry that’s gotten so big and there are all new styles of beer, everyone is making something different,” she said. Through the glass, you can watch Brew Master Nick Meyer at work in the three vessel, 10-barrel brewhouse. Here, they make 300-gallon batches of beer to fill kegs and churn out 140 cases of 16-oz. beers per day.

SEIZE THE DAY

Originally built in 1902, renovations to the impressive 18,000 sq. ft. brick building, by Bonacio Construction and the Phinney Design Group, has yielded shining results. “There were a lot of miracles they pulled off in this building for us,”said Will. The changes continued when the pandemic caused fewer people to venture out, last year. Walt & Whitman began offering take-out. Brew Master Nick Meyer finished assembling their canning machine himself and they began rolling out to-go beers – the production of which will continue for the foreseeable future.

“Happiness, not in another place, but this place…not for another hour, but for this hour.” Walt Whitman wrote these words, which are emblazoned across Walt & Whitman coffee cups, but it’s the Cragers who are living them – grabbing happiness by the horns and refusing to let go. “That’s a large part of the excitement around it. It’s the passion of a quality-crafted product. It shines through everything we have.” For menu, hours, and more information, find them on Facebook, Instagram and at waltandwhitmanbrewing.com SS