Beer of the Weekend #188: Summit Winter Ale
Not only did I drink my lunch today, I drank my dinner tonight at the annual Mervgotti Distributing Christmas party. I had PBR, Anchor Steam, Liberty Ale, and shared a bottle of Aventinus with Sweet Meat. Good times.
For the LV, I decided to recommend the one beer out of my Tuesday haul that I thought had no chance: Brother Thelonius. I have called North Coast and its restaurant about four times today to get food pairings, but the people I talk to say I should talk to someone else who happens to have the day off or is not there at the moment. That was the one thing I hated about reporting: waiting for sources to call me back.
The traditional beer of the weekend is Summit Winter Ale, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. There is a cryptic batch code, but nothing I can decipher as a freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a becker glass. The color is a nice ruby brown. Two fingers of slightly tanned head developed and dissipated quickly, leaving foam along the glass, a spotted lacing, and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Hmm… Maybe Summit reverse engineered Goose Island’s Mild Winter. At least that’s what it smells like. Slightly toasted coffee, cocoa, and toffee malts. Smells like there is a little rye in there, too — eerily similar to Mild Winter. The smell also has a nutty quality to it and a little smooth vanilla.
Taste: Pleasantly toasty. Toasted caramel, coffee, and cocoa malts; the notes of coffee bitterness stand out a head above the rest. Each sip leaves a slight bitterness lingering on the tongue and cheeks.
Drinkability: Someone call Summit and tell them Winter Ale is not a winter warmer, at least in the liquid Christmas tree sense. It is, instead, a solid and malty beer.
Fun facts about SWA:
-Style: Both Summit and BA classify it as a winter warmer. (Should I be capitalizing style names? I will check my trusty Chicago Manual and get back to you.)
-Price: $6.99/sixer at the Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits on the corner of Rochester and Court. I forgot to get beer last night so I walked up to “Drug Town” around 9 this morning. Thinking about it now, Drug Town is a really bad and senseless name for a store, but it was in fact the name of Hy-Vee’s pharmacies and general stores for a long time. The name has stuck, and I will forever refer to them as Drug Towns.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.1 percent ABV. A winter warmer?
-Food pairings: BA recommends general dessert, poultry, and game.
-Carrier nerdiness: the side of the carrier features this text:
-More carrier nerdiness: the bottom of the carrier features this special message from Summit founder Mark O. Stutrud, which also appears in an altered way on the SWA webpage:
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
For the LV, I decided to recommend the one beer out of my Tuesday haul that I thought had no chance: Brother Thelonius. I have called North Coast and its restaurant about four times today to get food pairings, but the people I talk to say I should talk to someone else who happens to have the day off or is not there at the moment. That was the one thing I hated about reporting: waiting for sources to call me back.
The traditional beer of the weekend is Summit Winter Ale, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. There is a cryptic batch code, but nothing I can decipher as a freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a becker glass. The color is a nice ruby brown. Two fingers of slightly tanned head developed and dissipated quickly, leaving foam along the glass, a spotted lacing, and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Hmm… Maybe Summit reverse engineered Goose Island’s Mild Winter. At least that’s what it smells like. Slightly toasted coffee, cocoa, and toffee malts. Smells like there is a little rye in there, too — eerily similar to Mild Winter. The smell also has a nutty quality to it and a little smooth vanilla.
Taste: Pleasantly toasty. Toasted caramel, coffee, and cocoa malts; the notes of coffee bitterness stand out a head above the rest. Each sip leaves a slight bitterness lingering on the tongue and cheeks.
Drinkability: Someone call Summit and tell them Winter Ale is not a winter warmer, at least in the liquid Christmas tree sense. It is, instead, a solid and malty beer.
Fun facts about SWA:
-Style: Both Summit and BA classify it as a winter warmer. (Should I be capitalizing style names? I will check my trusty Chicago Manual and get back to you.)
-Price: $6.99/sixer at the Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits on the corner of Rochester and Court. I forgot to get beer last night so I walked up to “Drug Town” around 9 this morning. Thinking about it now, Drug Town is a really bad and senseless name for a store, but it was in fact the name of Hy-Vee’s pharmacies and general stores for a long time. The name has stuck, and I will forever refer to them as Drug Towns.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.1 percent ABV. A winter warmer?
-Food pairings: BA recommends general dessert, poultry, and game.
-Carrier nerdiness: the side of the carrier features this text:
Ah, the joys of winter! A crackling fire and a Summit Winter Ale. This nutty brown ale gets its spicy character from a unique yeast and special blend of malts. With its ruby hues and smooth body, it is a perfect choice throughout the season.
-More carrier nerdiness: the bottom of the carrier features this special message from Summit founder Mark O. Stutrud, which also appears in an altered way on the SWA webpage:
Summit Winter Ale is truly a lively ale for the dead of winter. This unique seasonal beer has its origins in British neighborhood pubs where villagers gathered to shake off the damp chill of the English winter. They’d share a few pints by the fire, catch up on local gossip, and stay out of the cold night air. We’ve brewed our version in the tradition of those winter warmer ales, with a robust, full-bodied flavor. We invite you to share it with your family and friends all season long.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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