The Summit Brewing Co.

The Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul, MN, has announced the seventh annual release of its Heimertingen Maibock, or "May Beer." One of four seasonal beers the brewery produces each year, the Heimertingen pays tribute to the little village in Bavaria from which summit's original brewhouse equipment was imported. "This Maibock is a hearty lager that we craft according to centuries old brewing methods," says Summit president Mark Stutrud, "We use German lager yeast, Munich malt and Czechoslovakian Saaz hops. The result is a very malty, warming beer with gentle hops character." Stutrud says that the Maibock requires 24 days of lagering, as opposed to the 10-12 weeks required for the company's extra pale ale. With the recent construction of a 58,000-square-foot brewery on the banks of the Mississippi, the company can now produce 900 barrels of Maibock for the season, as opposed to the 500 barrels brewed in year past, welcome news for local consumers. "Heimertingen enjoys a fierce local following," Stutrud notes, "an d many beer enthusiasts regard its release as one of the first signs of spring."