Summit Brewing Company is a regional
craft brewery in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that brews a wide selection of
beers. In 2017, Summit Brewing was the 25th largest craft brewer in the country and produced approximately 115,000
barrels
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...
of beer, with a capacity of 240,000 barrels per year.
Their flagship beer has been an
English Pale Ale
Bitter is an English style of pale ale that varies in colour from gold to dark amber, and in strength typically from 3% to 5.5% alcohol by volume.
History
The term "bitter" has been used in England to describe pale ale since the early 19th cent ...
branded as Summit Extra Pale Ale''.''
The brewery was founded in 1986 by local homebrewer Mark Stutrud and a group of his friends in an old auto parts warehouse on St. Paul's
University Avenue. The company grew as the beers become popular locally. In 1987, the Great Northern Porter won a gold medal at the
Great American Beer Festival and was featured on the cover of
Michael Jackson's ''New World Guide to Beer'' (1988). By 1998 the company's beer production had exceeded the capacity of the original University Avenue brewery, and a new brewery, designed by architect Peter O'Brien, was built on the west end of St. Paul, overlooking the
Mississippi River. Still in operation, it was the first new brewery built from the ground up in St. Paul since before
Prohibition. Having outgrown its original brewing equipment, Summit sold its 1938-vintage brew house to
Mt. Shasta Brewing Company
Mt. Shasta Brewing Company is a brewery in Weed, California. The company markets some brands as Weed Ales & Lagers. Owners Vaune and Barbara Dillmann began commercial production in 2003. Mount Shasta Brewing Company is licensed to distribute its ...
in Northern California. They then purchased an all-copper, authentic German brew house built in 1971 from the Hürnerbräu Brewery in Ansbach Germany.
, Summit beers are available from distributors in five U.S. states (
Iowa,
Minnesota,
North Dakota,
South Dakota, and
Wisconsin). The brewery currently brews seven year-round styles, a variety of seasonal styles, and limited release beers. 2018 saw the launch of new year-round beers such as Summit Dakota Soul, a traditional Czech-style Pilsener; Summit Skip Rock, a white ale; and Summit Keller Pils, an award-winning, unfiltered German-style Pilsner.
In July 2018, Summit Brewing Company completed a renovation of the Summit Ratskeller, its public bar and patio area. The Summit Ratskeller features Summit's entire lineup of beers, plus exclusive beers serves only on site, tours, and the Summit Brewing Co. Gift Shop.
, Summit Brewing Co. remains the second-largest brewery in Minnesota, after
August Schell Brewing Company
The August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota that was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860.
It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America (after D. G. Yuengling & Son)Fessler, Paul"August S ...
.
References
External links
Summit Brewing Company
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Beer brewing companies based in Minnesota
Manufacturing companies based in Saint Paul, Minnesota