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Beer brewing may be an age-old tradition, but the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery at PJ O'Neil's is breaking new ground in the field. Only 5 years old, the brew pub has since become the fastest-growing in the North Country. Owner and head brewer Chris Ericson's ideas for the LPPB have been the driving force behind its explosion, its top-selling ale, Ubu, and the pub in which it and many other fine beers are born.

The pub maintains a successful restaurant while brewing for its rapidly expanding market. Now that Ubu, and the brewery's India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) are moving into Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, the brewmasters are setting their sights to the west, looking to expand toward Ogdensburg and Waterbury. The LPPB's expansion is remarkable, if you consider the house-sized brewery where it all begins.

"The smallness is something we thrive on," comments Ericson. In a town with a population of only 4000, the brewery keeps its devoted regulars coming back day in and day out while sending its brews across the North Country. "Nobody is on the level we are," he adds.

The LPPB as a whole gives customers new and old alike an at-home feeling in a relaxed setting with some of the areas finest tasting beers to match. "Its very personal here," adds co-brewmaster Kevin Litchfield.

Since the dawn of the brewpub, Ericson wanted beer lovers of all types to enjoy his brews within the comfort of the pub. This idea is what led to a non-smoking upstairs. So, those looking for a good time can go to enjoy a Moose Island Ale with an order of chicken nachos or an Ubu with their BBQ baby-back ribs without worrying about smelling like an ashtray the next day. And the seasonally revolving menu at the brewery incorporates several of the brews. Whether it's the bratwurst steamed in Moose Island or the Ubu poured into the house ale onion and portabella soup, patrons will find themselves wanting more, even when they notice that full feeling from the generous portions.

Over 405 batches ago, Ericson knew his dream was on the way. "From the minute we saw the stained glass, we knew we were going to have our brewery," comments Ericson about the colorful windows overlooking Mirror Lake. The fireplace in the dinning room also adds to the feeling of being in a cabin on the lake.

When Ericson decided to look for a place for his brewery, he knew what he wanted. "We started looking for towns that didn't have a brew pub but should."

Ericson and former partner Chad Cleveland found their opportunity at PJ O'Neil's, a local bar with a reputation seventeen years strong. "I don't know of many places that get their liquor license and open the doors to 15 regulars the same day," Ericson points out. "There was a niche to be filled, and upstate New York was behind microbrews at the time," he adds. "People were ready for something like this to happen."

Now, forty brews later, Litchfield and co-brewmaster Matt Ray produce the quality that the brewery is known for on a daily basis. When the idea of personal dedication comes to mind, there isn't a better example than these brewmasters.

"We oversee everything related to beer, every aspect from start to finish," Lirchfield says. Besides the "quality control" (making sure the brewing juices taste good on a daily basis), the two oversee the beer from the moment the grain is ground until it's finally tapped at the local bar. The gallon growlers that show up on the shelf of your local store are put there by Litchfield himself. "It's a lot of work, but we enjoy it," Ray says.

"It's very rewarding," he continues. "When you get [to a new account] they don't have [our beer], and when you leave, they have the beer that we made on tap."

With the smooth I.P.A., the hardy Ubu, the golden Moose Island, and the medium-bodied Barkeater Amber Ale on tap at all times and two seasonally revolving beers filling the rest of the two six-tap bars, it's no wonder why the LPPB stays fresh in the hearts of the locals year round. But don't expect to find any of the seasonal brews at the local store, notes Litchfield. "We make the seasonal brews local for the people that come in and drink here."