Nearly 500 for Brew-ski with sunshine and snowy trails
TUPPER LAKE — Thick snow and blue skies brought a record number of skiers to the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Brew-ski at the town’s James C. Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails and Fire and Ice golf tournament at the town golf course.
As of 3:40 p.m., 476 people had signed in to get a drink wristband.
Some breweries were so busy they ran out of beer, but hometown brewer Mark Jessie from Raquette River Brewing said his table made an emergency run back to the brewery to pick up more kegs, after draining four.
For only the second year in its five-year run, this event got snow, allowing skiers to roam the mile-long golf course loop, stopping at brewery tables along the way to sample porters, IPAs and lagers.
“It was great to see what it’s supposed to look like,” event organizer Hayley McCottery said. “Now I’ll sleep great.”
People gathered around the fires at each station, some on skies, some on snowshoes, some on fat-tire bikes some carrying kids, some walking dogs and all holding samples of cold brews from Tupper Lake’s Big Tupper Brewing and Raquette River Brewing, Saranac Lake’s Blue Line Brewery, Plattsburgh’s Valcour Brewing Company and OVAL Craft Brewing, the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort’s recently opened Maple Brewery, and Lake Placid’s Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, Big Slide Brewery and Great Adirondack Brewing.
Jessy Jolicoeur, who owns Oval Brewing, said that Oval is not selling its beer yet in the Tupper Lake area, so the event was a good bit of exposure for him.
“We really enjoyed ourselves last year,” Jolicoeur said. “But this is busier than I had imagined.”
On the golf course, contestants in the Lion’s Club’s Fire and Ice golf tournament smacked tennis balls over piles of wood, through thick tree cover and over skiers heads as they competed for first place.
Team LaMere, Patnode and Wood, named after its members, Paul, Matt and Shaleen, respectively, took home the top spot.
McCottery said she wants to continue to expand the event next year, so anybody can come, even if they don’t ski, drink beer or play golf.