As you walk through the brewery, you hear the story of a Utica beer-drinking first whose 70th anniversary was celebrated with a parade this spring. Prohibition effectively ended on April 7, 1933 when production and consumption of 3.2 wine and beer became legal. Within an hour of repeal, the Hotel Utica became the first establishment in the nation to (legally) serve commercial post-Prohibition beer by serving Utica Club in its dining room.
After the tour winds up at the brewery's Victorian tavern, you can exchange your admission coupons for 2 drafts of beer or Matt Company soft drinks. Although the Saranac line is now the brewery's lifeblood, it seems a shame to sample anything but Utica Club, which is now regularly distributed only within a hundred mile radius of Utica. It still tastes as good as you remember.