Bud Light Can-Am Rugby Tournament
Guest post from Jennifer Null, who lives in Baltimore and plays rugby for The Keystone Women in Philadelphia. She writes a blog, Professional. Rugby. Woman. She previously wrote about "the drink-up" on Kasper on Tap.
The annual Bud Light Can-Am Rugby Tournament has been held at Saranac Lake/Lake Placid the first weekend in August every year for the past 36 years. It is one of the largest tournaments in the world and possibly THE largest in the Northern Hemisphere.
I feel bad for residents in these two rural towns; once a year, they are over taken by loud, rambunctious, eager rugby players, high-school age to their 60s. With brackets for men's teams over age 50, over 45 and over 35, as well as social, competitive and a women's bracket with 20-plus teams, this tournament has made a mark in these two small towns. (As a disclaimer, I can’t imagine we are any worse than what must have happened there in 1980, when the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviet Union.)
This tournament brings thousands of beer drinkers to one place. This can cause some sort strain on bars and restaurants to keep supplies up, but it has been about three years since I went to a place that had run out of something on tap -- so, I think they’re figuring it out.
For a tournament sponsored by Bud Light, I can honestly say the only time I had a Bud was when my team placed second and it got an 18-pack. Some of the best brews I found were from Saranac Brewing Co. and the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, home to Ubu Ale. My favorite Saranac beer is its Pomegranate Wheat, but it also has a Amber Wheat that is very good. And Saranac's Pale Ale is also quite tasty.
We had lunch at Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, which was fantastic. It also had an unfiltered German wheat beer on tap (the name escapes me), which was cloudier then most but very good. It had a really nice flavor and consistency.
I also had the pleasure of meeting a team from Erie, Pa., which is sponsored by Erie Brewing Co. It came equipped with several different beers from Erie, all of which I thought were very good. I tried the Railbender Ale (yum!) and the Derailed Black Cherry Ale (hurry up, it's almost out of season), which was my favorite. While I haven't been to the brewery itself, I already like it. If it's generous enough to sponsor a rugby team and send it on road trips with beer, it's OK in my book!
Lake Placid has another brew pub downtown that I didn’t get to, has anyone else been there?
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Null
Comments
The other brewery is the Adirondack Steak and Seafood on the main drag in Lake Placid. Excellent IPA and brown ale. Don't like wheat beer so I'll pass on that. 6-8 selections. Excellent food. They love rugby players.
Posted by: Chris Hodson | August 11, 2009 7:58 AM
Chris - thanks! I will have to try that next year!
Posted by: Jenn | August 11, 2009 12:11 PM
Jennifer,
This is Ryan over at the F.X. Matt Brewing Company (brewers of Saranac). I just wanted to thank you for the kind words with regard to our beers. We're really glad you had a chance to try them and enjoy the beautiful Adirondacks. If you make it back to our neck of the woods, stop in for our historic brewery tour!
-RM
Posted by: Ryan Miller | August 12, 2009 11:36 AM
As a rugger myself and a opponent of Erie Rugby club I have had the pleasure of drinking one too many railbender's at their after match socials and tournaments. It is one fine beer.
Posted by: Jon | August 12, 2009 1:51 PM