Saranac Pale Ale, originally uploaded by Rob Bluey.

Saranac Pale Ale won the popular vote in each round of the Washington Post’s Beer Madness tournament, but apparently that wasn’t enough to convince the judges, who named Brooklyn Lager the best beer in the competition. The irony is that Brooklyn Lager is actually brewed in Utica under a contract with the F.X. Matt Brewing Co. So even though Saranac came up short, my hometown brewery still got to bask in some glory.

In an e-mail to Saranac fans last night, Nick and Fred Matt had this to say about their beer:

It came down to Brooklyn Lager (which we brew), and Saranac and in the last 5 seconds Brooklyn blocked our 3 pointer to win the game! Although we would have loved to win, we beat out some awful good beers, and are pleased with the results.

Thanks for your support. Please tell your friends and your friends’ friends how truly great our Saranac Beers are. Hope to see you soon.

Hope to see both of you soon, too. In fact, maybe tomorrow when we’re in Utica for our Easter vacation.

Related coverage:
• Saranac Pale Ale in the Final Four
• Saranac Pale Ale Makes the Elite Eight
• Vote Saranac in Beer Madness Tourney