Editor's note
Editor's Note: We want to give a shout-out and special appreciation to Royal McDonnell, the artist (and long-time family friend) behind the awesome label art you see (partially!) pictured above.
Through our Speakeasy, er...library, we spent time researching to concoct a special surprise for you to celebrate the Lodge’s 135th anniversary and 55 years of three generations of Hohmeyer family ownership.
I think you all may know the story of how the Lodge was built in 1886 as a stagecoach inn and post office by the Otis family, who were so prominent Lake Clear was then called Otisville. After Cathy and I were married, we discovered they were her relatives, and we found quite the stories of those early days.
The 1920s in the Adirondacks were also the height of the Cure Cottage days and the Grand Hotel era. Our local area became quite the hotbed of activities as all sorts of people visited here, from Einstein to the gangster Legs Diamond. The area became the largest distributor of booze to New York City due to our proximity to Canada, the backwoods as a great place to distill, and the fact that Lake Clear was the railroad route between Canada and the metropolitan area.
So, as we researched the Adirondack “spirit” for our “library,” it was only natural to get out the holiday “spirits.” After all, we are always concocting something new with our seasonal restaurant menus, and we were excited to find a 1920s “tonic” made with Adirondack honey. We didn’t know how to make the tonic or preserve it, so we asked our friends at Lake Placid Spirits (an appropriate name, right?), if they could help us. They spent a lot of time analyzing this recipe, tore it all apart, and “distilled” it down to its bare elements.
Voila! An old Lake Clear Lodge Speakeasy “tonic” was recreated! Some might say that mixing Adirondack honey with Adirondack apple cider with other interesting liquids gives it a caramel, whiskey-like taste. You know, almost like a honey bourbon. But, we can’t serve that as it is a “library...”
Unless, of course, you know the password to get into the Speakeasy, ah-- library, and the only way you will get that is to sign up as one of our limited, special “patrons” by staying here or coming for a lantern-lit sleigh ride and 1920’s dinner!
Oh yes, due to the Cure Cottage days, our area became known as the “Healing Woods,” and our “tonic” is so unique, you can only get it here. Don’t worry; we’ve made some extra batches you can take home with you or use as a holiday gift!
So, we hope you join us. We are readying the Sleigh Ride Trail, the kerosene lanterns are being cleaned, and Lucky Clover Farms are preparing the sleigh and their Percheron Draft Horses, Fly and Jasper, for those romantic lantern-lit rides. It may be the only ones you find in the Adirondacks and certainly the most unique.
And yes, we will have a special treat for you this year with our new holiday “spirits” to go along with our timeless Speakeasy Dinner experience with hidden Beer and Wine Cellar and authentic 1920s dinner in the 1886 Stagecoach Dining Room. Artisan cabins with fireplaces and lake view suites with Jacuzzis await you, along with additional experiences such as History of Beer Tastings to family Roll-n-the-Dough cooking demos. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing will take you through our wooded trails to the lake but don’t stop by the remains of the Bootleggers Shack...You may alert the 1920s Copper’s, and we don’t want to be raided while you may be visiting the “library” or having a savory dinner!
These experiences are limited and extremely popular, so get into the spirit and reserve a lodging experience today that includes the Lantern-lit Sleigh Ride & Speakeasy Dinner, or sign up for the standalone Sleigh Ride & Speakeasy Dinner waitlist. Or, give the gift of a Lake Clear Lodge Experience this holiday season.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours!
With kindness,
The Hohmeyer Family