To Health, History, and Horses – 4/14/17

Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale is a strong golden ale that pays homage to the beer brewed at Monticello with honey, wheat and rye.

Alexander Bryan was an unsung hero of the Revolutionary War. The stone house that bears his name sits across the street from one of Saratoga’s original best-known springs.
Native Americans called High Rock Spring the “Medicine Spring of the Great Spirit” and considered it to have healing powers.

For centuries folks have traveled to this area to experience the healing springs and the hospitality of the Inn.

Executive Chef at the Olde Bryan Inn, John Capelli, and Chef John Kosek of our sister restaurant, Longfellows, are celebrating the rich history of our building this month!

“Dinner with the Bryans”, our first Beer Pairing Event Dinner of 2017, takes a step back in time to when Alexander Bryan, and later his son John, welcomed visitors to their warm hearth with cold beer and hearty fare. Authentic period-style dishes will be served in this multi-course celebration of the family that was known to be the first permanent residents of Saratoga Springs.

Paired with each course is a themed beer, as true to the era as possible from Philedelphia’s Yards Brewing Company. Yards’ Chef Staib has added, through his research and re-creation, to their modern variety with a selection of beers that pay homage to the beverages enjoyed in the early days of our nation’s history.
Yards collaborated with a historic tavern in the city to recreate an ale recipe that honors Founding Father Thomas Jefferson.
A porter named for George Washington is inspired by his use of molasses in fermentation, and is described by Yards as “dark, smooth, and complex, with just a hint of dried fruit.”
Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce is the third beer from the Ales of the Revolution variety at Yards, and it pays homage to Founding Father Benjamin Franklin in a deep amber ale.

Bryan’s home and the adjacent spring were visited by General Washington and Alexander Hamilton in 1783, where they visited Phillip Schuyler’s camp and were taken to see the Saratoga Battlefield at Bemis Heights.

It was Alexander Bryan who learned of the British plans to surprise attack the American garrison at Stillwater. When he was found out the British chased him for three days until he had to abandon his horse and hide in the river. His report allowed General Gates to prepare and ultimately emerge victorious!

This clash at Bemis Heights in 1777 became the Battle of Saratoga, and has become known as the turning point in the Revoultionary War.

Join us as we raise a glass that the Founding Fathers would have happily partaken in, to Alexander Bryan! Here’s to Saratoga’s first permanent resident and the silent hero of the revolution! We’ll see you there!