Paradox Brewery

My fiancé and I stop at as many breweries in the area as possible. We had a very good time and she really liked some of the beers. Fun atmosphere. corn hole.

The craft beer scene, especially in New York State, has undergone a mind-​boggling boom during the past decade. With a market this crowded, it is essential for current and aspiring brewers to bring something new to the table, something exciting. Short of reinventing the ale, for a small-​scale brewery to stand out, the passion with which they brew must be evident in the final product. In other words, don’t just open a brewery because you really like drinking beer and have a little cash to throw around.
Paradox Brewery, while a bit of a drive from the Capital Region, should be the top destination on every local beer drinker’s list. I arrived at Paradox on a Saturday afternoon in October, shortly after completing a hike in the area. While finding the taproom was a bit of a mystery, when I finally opened the right door, the warmth and sense of community was evident. I don’t necessarily recommend bringing a huge crowd to Paradox, as the taproom is fairly small. If there are more than about 7 — 10 people in the space, it will likely start to feel crowded. One of the owners reported that a sizable addition will be tacked onto the existing space before the holidays, easing the congestion a bit. Just having that knowledge is good enough for me, as I was quite comfortable during my time there.
The beers offered by Paradox are really something special. We sampled all seven of the day’s offerings, which included the Beaver Bite IPA, Beaver Underbite Session IPA, Beaver Overbite IPA, Black Fly Porter, Paradox Pilsner, Paradox Fest Lager, and the Paradox Pumpkin Lager. Each of the beers, which are brewed in fairly small quantities, tasted fresh beyond most breweries that I’ve visited of late. For me, the Black Fly Porter was the winner. It was malty and rich, with subtle notes of chocolate. This, in my mind, is exactly what a Porter should taste like. The IPA trio was also quite good, even to a guy like myself that isn’t huge on overly hoppy beers. We left with a 32 oz growler of the Pumpkin Lager, which stands out among the scores of pumpkin beers that flood the market this time of year. A tip when drinking the Pumpkin Lager — let it mellow for a few minutes, as it unlocks some really beautiful seasonal flavors. For the flight of seven beers, a 32 oz growler fill, and a pint glass, the total came to $ 17. When you add in a super friendly staff and a generally laid-​back vibe, Paradox can’t help but be a crowd favorite.
In sum, I was majorly impressed by everything about Paradox Brewery. Sure, the taproom is a little cramped, but I think that adds something to the atmosphere of the entire operation. I must be perfectly clear when I say this — Paradox offers some of the very best craft beer that I’ve sampled within New York State. This is a true beer drinker’s destination.

If you like craft beers this place is for you. Has a great outdoor setup for sales, and also consumption of the fine beer you just purchased. No better way to enjoy and Adirondack beer then in its natural element. Feel free to sample beers before you buy any. Easy access right off exit 27 of the northway.

Great beer, great people, nice outside seating under a tent or in the sun if you prefer… have a pint (or two or three!) and take a growler to go!
Never miss a chance to visit when I’m in the area! If you like beer and you are in the area stop in!

I’ve been going to Paradox for a few years now and I always look forward to my visits. Literally off the exit, so it’s easy to fit a growler fill in on the way to the lake or somewhere further north. And you’ll want to fill up growler (s) because the beer is very good. On my last visit I fell in love with a Farmhouse session IPA. 4.5%, great balanced flavors. Yum.
When I visited in the past I had tasted inside, upstairs around the back of the building in a nice little tasting room. On our last visit they had tents and an outdoor tasting room which I really dig. Cornhole set to be used out there, volleyball, picknick tables and delicious beer. Which I find to be inexpensive for the quality of the product.
Family run, warm and very welcoming. I can’t recommend this spot enough. If you can get a DD you can make a day of it and chip away at the ADK beverage trail which has both beer and winery gems all over it.

What a fun side trip if you are in the neighborhood. We stopped on the way to a conference that didn’t serve alcohol and enjoyed some beer tastings in an outside tented area. We bought a growler to bring home. We really enjoyed our time and everything they had on tap. The owner and head brewer were there along with what seemed like some groupies (relatives and neighbors hanging out just chatting and spending the day). Def stop by and visit this place!

Awesome little Treasure. Just off the Northway. A very small but generous Brewery. Still in the early stages. But I would not not be surprised if you see on the shelves soon.

First visit!
Went there on a cold, rainy fall day. The beer was served in the tent out back. Turned out to be perfect. The tasting was relaxed. All of the beers were excellent (a rarity for me to like all of the beers from a brewery). The brewer was very friendly and a pleasure to chat with.
The tasting is free (the samples are in small, plastic cups). The pricing is very reasonable. The beer taps are all unique. And their logo looking like a trail marker is perfect, considering all the awesome hiking in Adirondacks.
I will definitely be going there again!

I have no idea what would be a paradox in having a craft brewery located in Schroon Lake, NY, other than it is NOT located on Paradox Lake, and it doesn’t have a pair of docks on Schroon Lake. This small brewery is in a small building, with the brewing equipment on the first floor and the tasting room just a short Adirondack hike up the stairs to the second floor. However, on this beautiful Summer day the tasting was being conducted under a tent behind the building.
Almost a year old, July 26 they will be celebrating their first anniversary, it would seem by the continued flow of customers returning with growlers for refills, that it has built a strong customer base. Or just looking at their web page listing almost 50 locations just between Lake Placid and Albany should clue you in that they know what they’re doing.
So you can purchase growlers of their beers to take home, and you can also purchase 16 oz. pints to enjoy right there discussing the finer points of each offering with the friendly staff or the other brew-​loving customers. You say you’re not sure which of their brews you might want to enjoy? Well, how about having a tasting of each! They will gladly give you a few ounces of each brew, at no charge, and explain it to you. Of course, after such accommodating, warm and friendly service, not to mention six or seven of these different tastes, you’ll feel obliged to leave a «donation.» Just make sure you have a designated driver to get you safely home, with or without a growler.
A pint of beer to enjoy there will set you back $ 5. Refilling a small 32 ounce «growlette» is $ 5.50. I don’t know the cost of filling the 64 oz. growler, but it’s got to be less than $ 11, and they don’t care where the growler came from, as long as it’s clean! The offerings the day we were there covered a refreshing Summer wheat ale, a pilsner, a red ale, a couple of different IPAs and more. Check out the hop plants growing next to the tent, and watch for the solar panels that I heard were coming in the future. If your local watering station doesn’t have at least one rotating tap for Paradox, tell them about it and ask them, nicely of course, to get their ADK together.

Great selection of beers! We have been going here for a few months and really enjoy all of the beers they have to offer. Right now, they have a Winter Lager that is fantastic.
The only problem is they are going to have to expand their tasting room. Every time we go, it seems to be getting busier and busier.
Highly recommend you stop in if you are in the area.

Cute little place. Brand new. No food (which is fine). They have an upstairs tasting room where you can try the beers before buying growlers.
I love little boutique breweries but I have a caveat… they have to make good beer. The Schroon Ale was very drinkable, but very light and not terribly interesting. The Red Ale was far to sweet. And both the pilsner and stout had odd bitter aftertastes.
I liked the proprietor and the place so hopefully they start making better beer!

What a great addition to the Schroon lake area! The beers are all very good and the staff is very friendly and knowledgable. We picked up two growlers during our week stay. They also have nice pint glasses! We hope they have continued success. A must do if you are in the area!

This brewery is awesome and the people that run it are straight up rock stars! Some buddies and I were heading upstate passed by and stopped in. We had a few samples of their amazing brew and left with 3 growlers. On the way home the next day we went back, filled up said growlers and picked up a few more. All their beer is good and definitely worth a taste. I enjoyed the Pilsner the most, my friends liked the Red, but honestly their entire selection is good. The next time I’m up that way I will most certainly stop in to fill up my growler.