Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Summit Brewing’s recent financial difficulties and the fact they’re facing foreclosure. If you have been living under a rock, you probably don’t care about this news, or speak any human languages, and perhaps I should just leave you to your wormy/buggy business. My apologies, my dear chap.
For the rest of us, especially those of us who enjoy beer, the extent of Summit’s financial difficulties likely came as a shock. I know I was shocked. Summit is one of the pioneers of craft brewing in Minnesota, along with Schell’s in New Ulm and Surly in Minneapolis, and it’s safe to say their beer can be found in the cooler at basically every liquor store in the state. If you had asked me at the start of September whether Summit was doing alright, I would have said, “Hell if I know, but surely they’re too big to fail.” But, well, all that feels pretty naïve now.
The news actually had me scrap my original idea for this month’s column in favor of a new focus on Summit beers. I admit it feels rather weird to start up a rallying cry for what is essentially the… 3M? of Minnesota brewing (in my head Schell’s is Target, and Surly is United HealthGroup). But alas, my nostalgia won out over my rooting for the little guy just this once. So, here are the best Summit beers to drink as they face foreclosure—just the stuff that’s on the shelves right now, so don’t come at me about your favorite one-off or seasonal that’s not available at the moment.
5. Oktoberfest
Märzen / 7.1% ABV / 25 IBU
Summit’s Oktoberfest has always been a pretty solid Märzen. It smells like sweet toffee malt, as expected. And its flavor is more sweet malt with toffee and caramel notes, and a very light herbal bitterness on the finish, as expected. Really, it’s a very “by the numbers” Märzen, and while it’s not my favorite Oktoberfest or Oktoberfest-adjacent beer, there’s a pretty decent chance it’s on the shelf down the road from your in-laws’ house, which is something many of those other beers can’t claim.
4. Sága
IPA / 6.4% ABV / 80 IBU
There was a period of time when Sága was one of my five favorite IPAs in Minnesota—back in the beforetimes when IPAs weren’t “hazy” and brew dudes with beards would rant about such a thing being heresy if prompted. While that era has come and gone, and my favorite IPA list has gotten hazier, Sága remains a great American IPA. It has a nice light citrus aroma with tropical notes overlaying malty bread crusts. Its flavor is a satisfying crisp bitterness that fades to incorporate citrus and tropical notes before exposing some malt notes to round it out. It’s actually relatively light bodied for what it is—IPAs of this sort are not often this “crushable.” And, it's no surprise many consider it a classic. But… it’s not the classic, is it? No, not quite.
3. Lager
American Lager / 4.6% ABV / 14 IBU
Hey, so… did you know that Summit started making an American lager last year? I sheepishly admit that I… didn’t. In my defense, I typically skip right over the Summit cooler at my local liquor store—a decision powered by the hubristic belief that I’ve already tried everything Summit has ever had to offer that was worth drinking. But guess what! I was wrong! Summit’s Lager is worth drinking! It doesn’t compete against my favorite American lagers, but it definitely gets up there in the “I want something wet and delicious in my mouth right now” category. It smells like biscuit and cereal malts with a hint of hops. Its flavor is lightly sweet malt with bready undertones, and the lightest hint of hops to round it out. Unlike many of the “classic” American adjunct lagers that bring a somewhat funky hop edge, this lager is all soft edges and easy-drinking. Very approachable, and very surprising that it was released just last year.
2. Sága Hazy
Hazy IPA / 7% ABV / 55 IBU
Some of you are readying your pitchforks right now. I know. What the heck am I on about over here ranking Sága Hazy above Sága itself? Is this not some deep sacrilege? An insult to tradition? But here’s my defense: no. It’s not sacrilege. It’s not an insult to tradition. It’s just a better beer, man. If it helps, imagine me sitting at a little white table with “Sága Hazy is better than Sága, change my mind” on it. Did you know that the world could be like that if we wanted? Instead of conservative podcasting losers like Steven Crowder ragebaiting folks, we could have lesbian moms ragebaiting beer bros? Do you see what has been taken from you?
Anyway… yes. Sága Hazy is legitimately an improvement on Sága, in my humble opinion. I didn’t want this fact to be true when I first tried it a while back, but… well… facts don’t care about your feelings. Sága Hazy hits a lot of similar notes to the OG, but brings in more grapefruit and tangerine aroma. Its flavor is more fresh-citrus forward than the original, but it still has the nice bready malt backbone. Its bitterness is much more subdued, however. The end result is a Sága that’s fit for the post-IBU wars era, without throwing out what made the classic enjoyable.
1. Extra Pale Ale (EPA)
Extra Pale Ale / 5.2% ABV / 45 IBU
I sincerely hope that none of you are surprised by the fact that EPA is the top Summit beer. This beer is older than I am, fer crissake, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Minnesota’s brewing scene owes its existence to this beer. EPA is my go-to any time I’m out and about and realize that the beer list is shorter than my armpit hair. Stadium? Buddy, you know I’m going to be grabbing an EPA. Outstate bar with two craft taps? Honey, you need to give me that EPA. Backyard hang with the “cool” aunts and uncles? Cousin, I’m digging in that god damn Igloo cooler until I find the last EPA.
I shouldn’t have to describe EPA to you, but I’ll do it anyway just in case. EPA’s aroma is mostly malt, but more on the biscuit and crusts end than the sweet end. Along with that, it has a light earthy citrus rind hop aroma. Its flavor is lightly sweet malt with more citrus and earthy hop notes in equal measure, and it’s a truly beautiful thing. Unassuming, reliable, classic. Change my mind.
