ST. PAUL, Minn. – Twenty-Eighteen was an exciting year at Summit Brewing Co. In addition to releasing new beers, reintroducing old favorites, and winning a number of trophies and ribbons for our year-round staples, we completed a modest renovation of our public taproom. Rebranded as the Summit Ratskeller, in January 2019 our very handsome drinkin’ space will get its own namesake variety pack: The Summit Ratskeller Reserve Collection.
Inspired by warm and welcoming German pubs, the Summit Ratskeller is where we test the bold, experimental beers born on our pilot system — our playground for trialing exciting new recipes. It’s also where we introduce beer drinkers to Summit’s traditional approach to the centuries-old art of brewing and guide them to where they can find our beers in the wider world — all part of our efforts to Support Your Local Pub™.
As for the new Ratskeller Reserve Collection, a 12-pack of 12-oz. bottles, it’ll feature four beers originally brewed on our pilot system, each brought back to life and bottled just this one time. Check ’em out:
- Summit Triple Rye – An Amber Ale featuring three types of rye from three different countries, combining sweet roasted malt flavors with citrus hops and spice.
- Summit Twenty-One – A collaborative IPA from Summit’s seven brewers, Twenty-One features seven different malts, seven different hops, and notes of citrus, pine and melon.
- Summit Get Smoked – A traditional export porter with smoked malts, spicy British hops, and flavors of dark fruit and bittersweet chocolate.
- Summit XPA One – A single malt, single hop Pale Ale with notes of breadcrust, sourdough, and tropical hop flavors from Sabro, Yakima Valley’s newest hop variety.
Debuting on draft at the Summit Ratskeller Thursday, January 10, 2019 — with live music provided by the Minnesota Music Coalition — the Ratskeller Reserve Collection will land in bottle shops shortly thereafter. Additionally, a limited number of kegs will go to select bars and pubs throughout our distribution footprint.
Now, naming a variety pack after our brewery’s taproom may look like sly ploy to get beer drinkers to visit us. And it is. But rest assured, says Summit Brewing Co. Founder and President Mark Stutrud, “We are not looking to steal customers from our retail and wholesale partners.”
Rather, once we have the beer drinkers here at the brewery, our goal is to introduce them to our facility and our quality-minded approach to brewing so they’ll seek out our beers at their local bars, pubs and bottle shops throughout our five-state footprint.
“Without the support of our retail partners,” says Stutrud, “Summit wouldn’t be here. We want to honor those relationships, introduce people to Summit beer, and then encourage them to enjoy it at the bars and restaurants closer to home.”
Find the Summit Ratskeller Reserve Collection beginning in mid-January using our handy Beer Finder tool. (Full disclosure: You can find all Summit beers using this tool!) For more information about the Summit Ratskeller Reserve Collection and other beer releases, visit www.summitbrewing.com.
Summit Triple Rye (Amber Ale)
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 42
Original Gravity: 12.5ºP
Color: Deep Amber (17 L)
Malts: Pale malt, Rye malt, Crystal rye, Flaked rye, Biscuit malt, Midnight Wheat
Hops: Bravo, Harvest Fresh Chinook, Harvest Fresh Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria
Yeast: West Coast IPA
Serving Tips: Serve at 45–50º F in a pint glass alongside cheese curds, barbecued meat, fried fish, pizza, or chili. And share some of that food, for Pete’s sake.
Summit Twenty-One (IPA)
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 70
Original Gravity: 15ºP
Color: Pale Straw Golden Sunrise
Malts: Rahr Pale, Simpsons Golden Promise and Maris Otter, Patagonia Pale, Weyermann acidulated malt, Breiss aromatic malt, and Moravian 37
Hops: Eukanot, Azacca, Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinook, Calista and Columbus
Yeast: West Coast IPA
Serving Tips: Serve at 45º F in a Spiegelau IPA glass, or a red solo cup, alongside a heaping pile of fried chicken.
Summit Get Smoked (Smoked Porter)
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 40
Original Gravity: 14.5ºP
Color: Coal Black (80 L)
Malts: U.S. Pale, Maris Otter, German Beechwood smoked, Crystal, Chocolate,
Patagonia Dark Chocolate
Hops: Target, UK Goldings
Yeast: UK Ale
Serving Tips: Serve at 44–50º F in a pint glass alongside barbecue, ribeye steak, smoked salmon, Gruyere, sausages, or if you’re still hungry after all that, perhaps some Stick Toffee Pudding.
Summit XPA One (Single Malt, Single Hop Pale Ale)
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 40
Original Gravity: 11.5ºP
Color: Straw Gold (6 L)
Malts: Cargill Argentina Pale
Hops: Sabro (formerly known as HBC 438)
Yeast: UK Ale
Serving Tips: Serve at 42–44º F in a pint glass alongside Thai curry, fish tacos, English cheddar, or if you’re skipping right to dessert, try a slice of coconut cream pie.
About Summit Brewing Company
Founded in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1986, Summit Brewing Company has remained close to its roots, refreshing thirsty folks throughout the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Currently available in five states, Summit now produces six year-round premium craft beers, four seasonal brews, and numerous other limited-release beers. Since our inception, we’ve been a consistent pioneer in the craft beer movement. For everything Summit Brewing, visit summitbrewing.com