E-Malt.com News article: USA, MN: Summit Brewing announces rebranding and new beer series

Summit Brewing Company, which is in the midst of a $6 mln facility expansion and is on track for another year of production growth, unveiled a new look and a new product line, tcbmag.com reported on February, 21.

The company’s new logo will debut in liquor stores April, 15 with the release of Summit’s new Meridian Session Ale. Meridian is the first beer from Summit’s new “Union Series,” which will feature limited-run beers that highlight “new raw materials and ingredients appearing on the brewing scene.”

Unlike Summit’s Unchained Series, which allows individual brewers to explore a style of their choice and is released three times a year, the Union Series will not operate on a set schedule. The number of beers released each year will be dictated by the availability of new products that the company’s brewers choose to explore, Matthews said.

As part of its rebranding, Summit will also redesign the packaging for its seven year-round and four seasonal beers. The redesign for those products will roll out in the fall, and “everything is going to look new,” Matthews said.

Summit has seen consistent growth in recent years and is nearing capacity at its St. Paul brewery. In November, the company expedited plans for a $6 mln expansion, which will double capacity. That upgrade is expected to be completed in June.

Summit brewed 112,451 barrels in 2012, up from about 104,535 the previous year, making it the state’s second-largest brewery. It expects to boost production by between 8 and 12 percent this year, according to Matthews.


22 February, 2013