MALTA — Unified Beerworks, a taproom and kitchen located in Malta, announced last week that it will be closing its doors on Dec. 27 after a seven-year run.

“When you embark on any big adventure, you know at some point there will be an end,” the company said in a social media post. “As 2025 comes to a close, our adventure with Unified Beerworks will reach its end. We’re very proud of our efforts over the last 7 years, and have so many incredible memories with staff, customers, and colleagues that have become friends and family to us. We thank you for all your support through these years. Our final day will be Saturday, December 27th, when we’ll come together one last time to celebrate the beautiful adventure that is and will always be, Unified.”

Unified Beerworks, which opened in October of 2018, is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Mannion and Erika Anderson.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Beer Summit will return on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, bringing local favorites such as Artisanal Brew Works, Whitman Brewing, and Active Ingredient Brewing Company to the Saratoga Springs City Center.

New to the 14th iteration of the Saratoga Beer Summit will be expanded offerings that include hard seltzers, craft ciders, and malt beverage cocktails—in addition to the traditional variety of ales, lagers, IPAs, and seasonal brews.

“The Saratoga Beer Summit has always been about bringing people together over quality beverages,” said Jake Demmin, VP of sales at Townsquare Media, in a news release. “By expanding our selection to include seltzers, ciders, and malt cocktails, we’re ensuring that everyone can find something they love, whether they’re a hophead or prefer something lighter and fruitier.” 

Attendees of the summit will have the opportunity to sample dozens of beverages from local and regional producers, meet the makers behind their favorite brands, and discover new favorites. The event will also feature food from Speckled Pig, live music, and vendor booths. 

For more information, including vendor lists, tickets, and the event schedule, visit saratogabeersummit.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The AC Hotel by Marriott Saratoga Springs will officially open in December.

A series of social media posts by the hotel indicated the opening timeline, although a specific date has not yet been publicly announced.

According to the hotel’s website, the location will include a meeting space, fitness center, lounge, and coffee house.

The AC Hotel is located at the former site of the Turf & Spa Motel on South Broadway. In February of 2024, Bonacio Construction broke ground on the project. 

The four-story hotel will feature 120 rooms and underground parking.

Saratoga Joinery, a nonprofit community woodworking space, held its first-ever “Wine & Cheeseboards” silent auction fundraiser on Nov. 13. The joinery’s Executive Director Tori Colarusso is seen here speaking to attendees. All proceeds from the event go towards “making woodworking education more accessible and building our creative community,” the organization said. “Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker or just love the idea of making things with your hands, you’re welcome here.” Saratoga Joinery is located at 69 Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs. Photo by 

Tom Stock/Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The bar Pint Sized by Dive officially opened its new location on Nov. 13 at 33 Phila Street, the former home of Mittler’s. 

Pint Sized’s original location at 489 Broadway will remain open until the end of this year.

The new location on Phila is open seven days a week and includes a Herbie’s Burgers location, pool table, dart board, six arcade cabinets, and lots of TVs. A dance party with 1960’s soul, Motown, ska, and R&B tunes is already scheduled for New Year’s Eve.

“With so much extra space, our focus was on how to make the place as fun as possible,” said August Rosa, owner of Pint Sized. “I opted for games and ideas that would engage guests. I wanted to keep the space as open as possible, fostering the congregation that you would see in a classic pub.” 

Herbie’s is a fast-growing smash burger chain founded in Albany in 2021. The company has seven locations outside of Saratoga, including three in Albany and one in Clifton Park.

WILTON — Canopy, a 9,000-square-foot “home and garden destination,” opened its doors to the public for the first time on Nov. 18. The business sells plants, garden goods, and home decor. It also houses a cafe/coffee shop.

On opening day, Canopy hosted booths filled with products from local businesses such as Autumn’s Harvest Vineyard, a winery based in Cambridge; the Dancing Grain Farm Brewery located in Gansevoort; Saratoga Sundry, which sells candles, clothes, coffee, and other home goods; and Maple Valley Farm in Corinth, which offers a wide variety of maple syrups and other maple-based food items. Later in the day, Canopy held a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The festivities kicked off Canopy’s month-long holiday market, which will run until Dec. 24.

Canopy was created by the team behind Mandy’s Spring Nursery in Granville, New York, near the Vermont border. The family-run operation also opened The Florist at Mandy’s Spring in 2010 and Gables & Gardens, an event barn, in 2019.

Canopy of Saratoga is closed on Mondays but open Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Canopy is located at 697 Saratoga Road in Wilton.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Automobile Museum debuted its newest exhibition, “Pontiac: The Dawn of Muscle,” at a reception on Nov. 13.

The museum described the exhibit as a “celebration of Pontiac’s most iconic performance machines and the enduring spirit of American muscle.” Showcased are sixteen Pontiacs, including several examples of the legendary GTO Judge, a 1964 Tempest GTO, and the 1966 GTO “Monkeemobile,” which was custom designed for “The Monkees” TV series and autographed by all four members of the 60s rock band. 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to bring this incredible piece of pop culture to Saratoga,” said Brandon Salls, creative director of the Saratoga Automobile Museum, in a news release. “The Monkeemobile isn’t just a car; it’s a time capsule of an era when music, television, and automotive design collided in the most creative and colorful ways.”

The exhibition also explores how image and aspiration helped shape Pontiac’s identity. In the museum’s Orientation Theater, visitors can experience digital reproductions of more than thirty original Pontiac advertisements by artists Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufmann, courtesy of the GM Heritage Collection.

“Pontiac: The Dawn of Muscle” runs until April 26, 2026. For more information, visit www.saratogaautomuseum.org.

BALLSTON SPA — Anyone can become a pilot. 

This is the mantra, of sorts, for Hewison Aviation, a company that offers flight lessons and recently expanded its services to the beautified Saratoga County Airport.  

“The general, typical, day-to-day person—they don’t know that they can become a pilot,” said Maura Hewison, the aviation company’s operations manager. “Unless you have an uncle or a neighbor or someone who is a pilot, it’s not on your radar. You don’t know how to do that.”

Hewison’s staff of instructors can teach just about anyone how to pilot an airplane. Their teachers have anywhere from 500 to thousands of hours of flight time experience, a qualification that Hewison says sets them apart from competitors. In addition to the nuts and bolts of manning an aircraft, these instructors also emphasize a “disciplined attitude toward aviation” that aims to keep pilots well-trained and passengers at ease.

“What you’re doing in flight training is you’re learning how to stay calm in the event of an emergency,” Maura said. “It’s called aviate, navigate, and communicate. That means fly the plane, figure out where you’re going to land, and talk to whoever you have to talk to… It teaches you how to stay calm and how to focus instead of everyone freaking out.”

Hewison is interested in teaching these lessons not just to hobbyists but also to the next generation of pilots. The company hopes to get more high school students involved in flight lessons, perhaps via a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) program.

“These are going to be the people that are flying you and your family around for the next 30 to 50 years,” Maura said.

Hewison’s mission to share a love of the skies with young and old pilots alike stretches back to the company’s founder, Chris, watching his father and uncle soar through the heavens. Chris’ father was a private pilot and his uncle was a fighter pilot in the Korean war. When Chris created his flight school 11 years ago, his first plane was purchased from his father. Since then, the company has grown slowly but surely, expanding but attempting not to expand too rapidly. In New York State, Hewison now operates out of the Griffiss Airport in Rome, where they have about 30 students per year; the South Albany Airport, where they tally around 60 students per year; and, as of January 2025, the Saratoga County Airport.

The company offers a wide range of courses, from introductory “discovery flights” to commercial pilot licenses. To learn more, visit hewisonaviation.com.