The short version? Look for Summit Brewing Co.’s 15th Unchained beer, Fest Bier starting next week with a kickoff at Black Forest Inn on Monday the 10th at 5pm. Fest Bier is the first lager of the Unchained and draws inspiration from Brewer Nate Siats love of German beer.“This beer is modeled after a cross between an Oktoberfest bier and a Wiesn bier,” says Brewer Nate Siats. “After making more robust brews for my first two Unchained beers, I wanted to make a light, clean, crisp, refreshing beer that still had plenty of flavor and a good aroma.”
Full press release below:
ST. PAUL, Minn. – (March 5, 2013) – Summit Brewing Company today announces the release of Fest Bier, the fifteenth beer produced in its limited release Unchained Series. Fest Bier is Nate Siats’ third Unchained brew. It will be available in draught and bottles the week of March 10.
“My inspiration behind Fest Bier is tradition meets hybridization. Over the past year or so I’ve fallen in love all over again with pretty much every style of German beer. This beer is modeled after a cross between an Oktoberfest bier and a Wiesn bier,” says Brewer Nate Siats. “After making more robust brews for my first two Unchained beers, I wanted to make a light, clean, crisp, refreshing beer that still had plenty of flavor and a good aroma.”
The hops are alpha/aroma hybrids of their respective traditional varieties, providing extra aroma and flavor. Since the Unchained Series allows Summit brewers to select ingredients from anywhere in the world without restraint, Siats decided to import the base malts, Pils and Munich, from a small maltster in the Czech Republic. The Cara Munich malt was imported from Weyermann in Bamberg, Germany.
This is the first lager brewed in the Unchained Series. All four brews of Fest Bier were fermented and lagered in one of the new large-capacity fermentation tanks in the brewery’s cellar addition. The lagering time was doubled to eight weeks as compared to Summit’s other year-round and seasonal lagers, which get four weeks.
Ideally, Fest Bier should be poured into the traditional 1 litre Maß. The beer pairs well with brats, sausage, cheese, cheese curds, string cheese, pretzels, red cabbage, sauerkraut, warm potato salad, cold potato salad and chips.
Since Fest Bier turns any occasion into a festival, beer lovers are encouraged to take photos and videos of everyday situations being transformed into fests with the help of Fest Bier, tagging them with #Unchained15. View this video for an example.
Fest Bier
Malts: Czech Pils, Czech Munich, Cara Munich
Hops: Saphir, Sladek
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 30
Yeast: Munich Lager
There will be a series of special kick-off events for Fest Bier in the coming weeks, including:·
- Black Forest Inn
- Monday, March 10 at 5pm
- Fest Bier kickoff event! Meet Brewer Nate and enjoy food pairings and prizes.
- Cherokee Tavern (West St. Paul)
- Tuesday, March 11 from 4-6pm
- Keep the Unchained Glass plus $3 Fest Bier, EPA & Seasonal pints.
- Thursday, March 13 from 4-7pm
- Summit beer brats and tap invasion, $1 off pints 4-6pm.
- Blue Door Pub (St. Paul)
- Friday, March 14 from 2-5pm
- $2 Summit pints with 11 varieties on tap. Meet Brewer Nate Siats from 3-5pm.
- Tuesday, March 25
- 5-course Summit beer dinner, 6pm.