Summit Brewing Company is a Minnesota staple. Originally founded in Saint Paul’s Midway neighborhood, it relocated out to the bluffs of the Mississippi on Montreal Circle. I would call it a regional brewery with distribution through five states. The craft beer revolution has eliminated some market share for this oversized competitor, forcing them to retreat to only Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. 

A recent development to compete with other companies has been the Bier Hall. Long tables line the room like those halls in Germany. Seasonal and year-round taps are both available in the Bier Hall.

A few facts I learned on my tour: 

1. 1. On a good day, the brewery can bottle 8,000 cases of beer. That’s 192,000 bottles/day.
   2. 50% of their volume is bottles, 40% is kegs, and 10% is cans.
   3. When they moved out of the Midway neighborhood, they purchased their new land from the City of Saint Paul for $1 if they promised to create jobs. They now have 95 employees.
   4. Non-profit groups can reserve the Bier Hall at no charge. Private citizens cannot reserve it at any time. 
   5. Finnegan’s Dead Irish Poet is a beer contract manufactured by Summit, partnering with another Minnesota brewery to donate all proceeds from this beer to stock local food shelves.

Summary:

Price: $0 

Tours offered: 

1. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,  Friday: 3pm Reservations are required! RSVP Here
2. Saturday: 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45pm Reservations are required! RSVP Here

History: Began in 1986. Established. Traditional.

Three Words to Describe This Brewery: Altruistic, Minnesotan, Authentic

My personal 3P Score (Price, Pours, and Pleasantness): 4.2/5