We attended a paint and sip event at this brewery and had a great time! The fact that they hold different events in their back event space was cool. The beer options were good and service for those who worked at the brewery were very nice. Plenty of seating in the main brewery area as well. read more

See all

Hundreds of Hops self-guided US Hop Passport Brewery Tour Amazing Brewery Race Stop 1/120 MN This obligatory Stop produced the best coffee blonde ale I've ever had (& a solid Stout on Nitro to boot). I was trying to decide between 2 & the gal gave me samples of both. I can honestly say they were both a hit, with the Bizzy Cold Brew Blode being a solid 5 No hidden fees/ weird charges & excellent service! read more

See all

Once again we stopped by to see our favorite Irish pipe band. I enjoyed a couple of good beers and toasted with several band members. We also enjoyed a burger that was provided by a vendor that was cooking outside of the side door. read more

See all

So I stopped here after I was at the dog park with the hounds. Angry Line Cook brought me in and it was quite enjoyable. Over the years I've had many amazing beers from Summit. I'm big fan of the Oktoberfest, the Winter Ale, and especially the stout. Up until covid, it was the unicorn beer as it been only available via keg at local restaurants and here in the tap room. Plus, this flavor was sometimes available via nitro. So good. This time around they even have a rendition of it barrel aged. So silky smooth! Another one of their popular brews is Saga. They are starting to offer this with other hops and such, but the one thing I really like about it is that one time one of their long time brewers, dry hopped three different casks. It was such a cool way for myself, the casual drinker, a way to experience different hops. Of the three I had, I realized I'm not a fan of Cascadian hops. That pine thing is not me. Mosaic? I like those. The other one? I don't remember. Anyway, tours are offered, you just need to sign-up. The one thing I wish for here, and all breweries in the Twin Cities is that I wish the beers were all a buck or two less since everything is coming straight from the teat. But since the market is letting that happen, I don't see that changing. If you get the chance, I recommend checking it out. Parking is easy and the beer is always delicious. read more

Summit Brewing - Angry Line Cook is happening this day with my Juicy Saga. - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

My wife and I are doing a brews trip from Fargo ND (we are from Austin TX) through the Twin Cities and a couple in WI. Today we stopped at Summit Brewing in St Paul MN. Our hunt is for good beers and Tin Tackers. I don't usually post if a place is "out of tackers" but we enjoyed this stop so much we needed to give them their due. The service was great and the ladies tending bar were great. The beers were amazing too. We didn't try their food truck but it looked good too. The ladies provided us with a list of breweries to try for tackers which was very cool of them. If you're in the Twin Cities stop in and give the folks a chance to show you Minnesota Nice! Nice place for beers, lots of parking and great service. Thank you Summit! read more

Summit Brewing - Nice job on the merch but out of their flagship tacker! - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

See all

I've always enjoyed coming to Summit . I also appreciate that they have several non alcoholic beers to choose from now and they actually taste delicious . I couldn't decide which one I wanted to try so I appreciate the bartender having knowledge and insight . Cheers ! I also think the attention to having a clean bathroom for the ladies to use is nice and it's stocked with any products you may need . It's the little things read more

Summit Brewing - NA beer - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

This place is under appreciated by the brewery, I recently went to New Glarus brewery, where they respect and invest in their taproom atmosphere. Summit has a nice space, but it pains me to see the copper mash tun hasn't been polished in an age (imagine how that could look, see photos of New Glarus' mash tuns), they have two beer engines/cask handles, which haven't been used in years; many of Summit's beers would be great on cask including EPA, ESB, True Brit and the Stout, plus having casks would make beer nerds go out of their way to stop by for some pints. Giving 3 stars, the flagship beers are good but the taproom could be so much more. read more

The original and one of the best tap rooms, yet it still seems undiscovered at times perhaps because of the location. Summit was one of the original craft breweries in the upper Midwest when the craze started in the late eighties/early nineties and it has persevered making quality beer since then. The tap room is spacious, yet still has a cozy feel. With plenty of seating inside and out, it's a year round destination though its hours are more limited than many tap rooms. That may reflect that it's main focus is still brewing beer. They always have their main stays on tap with a seasonal or two. They don't make super trendy beers, but they don't need to. Their beer is good. The atmosphere is cozy. Great place to stop. read more

Went on a tour during our visit and were very pleased! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, especially since it was her first-ever tour she's guided! Afterword she left us select which beers we wanted to try for our flight since it was our anniversary, which was very nice of her. The taproom (ratskellar) was filled with history and awards all around that were fun to look at, would definitely recommend! read more

Summit Brewing - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

My buddies and I were on a bus tour of the history of St. Paul Brewing put on by the Minnesota Historical Museum. Super cool bus tour and fun. The first stop was the newer Summit brewery.I have been here before when they used to host our homebrew club's awards ceremony. I have met the owner multiple times and he is always super cool. They give you 4 chips for 4 7 oz brews, I got a specialty Australian lager for the tour, which was awesome. They showed us the boiling kettles, the bottling line, the fridge, basically everything in a brewery. They also have great food trucks that show up to soak up the booze for when the tap room opens. Gotta love good food and beer and they have some outside seating when it is a nice day outside. The owner's kid gave the tour and she was super nice and had a lot of good levity on the tour. At least I think it was the owner's kid. The beers were fantastic and I really enjoyed the slide show showing the history of the brewery from where I remembered them on Summit Ave. in St. Paul. read more

Summit Brewing - History bus tour of St Paul breweries - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

I stopped by Summit Brewing since we were nearby. We weren't particularly knowledgeable about Summit due to visiting MN/Saint Paul for the first time. Upon going in, the inside reminded me of a German beer hall with tall ceilings, communal bench seating, and a bar on one side of the room. I got a beer sampler of four of their brews for only $8 which was a steal. I've never had a beer flight so cheap. I also got pints for others with me for $5-$6 each which was also a steal. The beer was pretty good as well as refreshing. They didn't have a kitchen on site but they do have a food truck outside. The merchandise area was a bit lacking. Not a lot of sizes and variety for of their designs. The store was way too small as they had to display some clothes on an outside rack. All in all, a good visit to a very comfortable place to drink that is set far away from the hustle/bustle of the traffic nearby. read more

Great brewery tour into the production floors of the brewery and bottling/canning rooms, as well as the cooler. You get to see a lot of things you wouldn't on a normal brewery tour. Also, they have special beers in the taproom that aren't distributed so you have the chance to try rare brews. The taproom is very big and has all types of games to keep you busy. One of the best brewery experiences I've ever had! read more

Summit Brewing - In the cooler where everything is stored before distribution - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

See all

Good brews, friendly atmosphere, free entertainment (the day we were there-bagpipes!), clean, great store of Summit items, friendly staff...what's more to want? On this visit I was the designated driver...so no beer for me. I still had a GREAT time! I went to check out their Summit store of clothing and things you never knew you needed with the Summit logo on it. The super nice staff in the tiny store was interesting to talk to-we chatted about the vinyl albums he had playing. No pressure to buy something, he even pointed out to other shoppers the sales rack (and great deals). We played one of the games with new friends we met there. Making new friends, right? I love that they also have games & puzzles for the kids. I'm looking forward to visiting again in bicycling weather! They have a nice outdoors area that we can bike to! read more

See all

All-in-all a pretty fun tour once things got rolling and we branched away from our initial tour guide to another that was much more knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour itself lasts roughly 45 minutes to an hour and is engaging and informational - even for those that have been on a number of brewery tours. At the end of said tour you get to sample 3 beers of your choosing and at your leisure. Of course, this is always the best part of any brewery tour - though it would be nice if you could use one of your beer tokens prior to or during the tour. I'm not saying I would have learnt anything more on the tour, but I would have been happier (though I don't blame Summit for not wanting inebriated masses running through their brewery). As an aside, my rating is also representative of my preference for Summit, or somewhat lack thereof. They make a consistent product and are the biggest game in town, but there are better and more innovative breweries that will usually be getting my greenbacks (though I hope they keep up the unchained series). Also, if you want to go on the tour on a weekend be sure to make your reservation far in advance of when you want to go. read more

Summit Brewing - Fermentation tanks. - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

This place is right in the middle of the pack - that's not a bad thing, it's just got a lot of competition. We were excited to go here since they do advertise their food truck visitors, but the truck had actually canceled on them... would have been nice to get a head's up, but still a fun place! Pros: - Dog friendly patio - Good beer - Plenty of indoor seating Cons: - Relatively limited patio seating - I didn't see anything for their "brewery exclusive" beers on the board... would have liked to try that! The only reason I'd avoid stopping by again is because Summit is available in so many places. Not necessarily a bad thing, but if I'm going to drink in public it's gotta be something special. read more

I don't know squat about beer. I love this location and how community minded and all the events they engage in. Yesterday I was here because this was where Books and Brews was held. The authors were lined up all along the edges. I ran into 4 author friends and they seem to like it there. The atmosphere and vibe is really pleasing. Gotta get here more often now that I know where it is. read more

Summit sponsored the half marathon I ran and I had to pick up my race packet there. We were really impressed. I good sized bar area and a patio as well. We both got ice-cold pints of Skip Rock and sat on a table outside with our dog (bonus: they are dog friendly) I think the downside for us was the lack of umbrellas on the patio. We would have stayed much longer if we had some shade from the blazing sun. read more

Summit definitely has an interesting selection of beer and a pretty good sized tap room. The beer wasn't really my style, but I liked trying their offerings and the brewtenders were enthusiastic and helpful. I had high hopes for this place and was super excited about the winter ale in particular. The beers were a little hoppier here than I care for and less malty. The winter ale was a little more bitter than expected and less toasty tasting as the description implied. The pilsner was surprisingly more bitter than expected as well, so it seemed a little unbalanced. In general, I tend to really like porters but the Great Northern Porter was a little on the sweet side and the coffee flavor was a little overwhelming. Dakota Soul was probably the best of the beers we tried, but I'm not a huge fan of pilsners so it wasn't my favorite. We had a few other beers we tried but I don't remember much other than thinking they were too hoppy. If hoppy beers are your jam, you would probably appreciate this place more than I did. That being said, the space here is pretty big and they have a good amount of seating, although I suspect it fills up pretty quickly on the weekends. The brewtenders were very enthusiastic and were willing to make recommendations. It made me wish I was as excited about their beer as they were. They have a wide selection of offerings to appeal to different palates, so I wouldn't mind trying some different things to see if I found something more to my style. read more

As far as tap rooms go, I really enjoyed this one! They had a very interesting selection of tap beers, including their usual suspects in a different form, including nitro and cask-aged. The beers were really excellent, which surprised me. I was expecting to get their typical beers as a tap selection. The space was really inviting. It's a large space, and it isn't stuffed full of tables, which is a common mistake in a tap room! The tap room itself is wide, with a high ceiling. As for the location itself, it is not bad. We got the last parking space, so someone going at a popular time might have parking issues. I would definitely go back! read more

Tour = 2.5-3 stars Staff = 5 stars Bottom line: skip the tour, go for the beer hall Given how nice the folks at Summit are and what they do to give back to the community, it saddens me to say that the tour was a letdown. We arrived a bit early for the tour and were warmly greeted by the staff. Your tour gets you 4 samples and they let us get started on ours while we waited in the beer hall. They have a stash of games to pass the time. The brewery is big and very nice, it looks much newer than it is. When compared to Surly, Surly feels like an adult playground and Summit feels industrial, like the area it's situated in. That's not a bad thing, there's just a very different vibe. Things to note when coming for a tour: 1) You have to wear closed toe shoes, no exception 2) You can't buy beer onsite, unless the beer hall is serving that evening 3) Bring some food to donate The website is really good about breaking down all of these details for you. Our tour started out with an explanation of Summit's history and how they came to reside at their current location; the talk was supplemented by a PowerPoint. Personally, I think they could jazz this part up a little; Milwaukee Brewing Company is an example of a brewery that has made their video portion quite entertaining. After the talk we learned that we couldn't see much of brewery since they were brewing. I thought this was really odd since (1) breweries are almost always brewing and (2) I've been on at least a dozen tours and this has never been an issue. We donned our safety googles and went behind the scenes, but we really just stood in one loud room straining to hear and then moved into the bottling/kegging area to see how that was done. In other words, if you really want to get a birdseye view of their process, this tour will leave you wanting more. If I could do it over again, I would've booked our tour on a day when the beer hall was open. We really enjoyed the knowledge and kindness of the staff and Summit's ongoing commitment to St. Paul*, but felt the tour fell short. * In addition to accepting food donations, they let local non-profits use the beer hall for events. read more

I know this is regarded as probably the most well-known St. Paul brewery, I've seen their bottles down in Chicago. The main bar area is real big and spacious, we saw a group having a party there, they were allowed to bring their own food. It looks almost like a lodge, with all the wood based design.They also had a bean bag game set up. We ended up doing the tour, which comes with 4 samples. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. They also have a gift shop and I know several events are held there. I tried most all the beers by the end, and enjoyed them all. I definitely enjoyed hanging there and would gladly go back. read more

Local or from out-of-state, this one's not to be missed! What's to say...Summit is one of thee pioneers in the upper-Midwest Bert scene! And a recent stop, one of many in subsequent years, to try a flight of Barleywine Ales did not disappoint! If you're there on a Friday (or even a weekend day) afternoon, you're likely to find a bespectacled and steely gray-haired suave gentlemen chattily roaming the "Ratskeller" beer hall tables...and it'll be none other than legendary ND-born Summit founder himself, Mark Stutrud! Whether you're looking for a an upper-Midwest staple German lager or a malt-forward yet still hopped-up Belgian or Czech ale, Summit has nailed the styles they brew. In a state where're the number of craft breweries has quadrupled in less than 5-years, there are still very few places to make a purposeful trip to...and Summit is still one of them! read more

I love Summit Brewing. Have taken the tour a few times (great place to take out of town visitors and kill an hour or two) and it never disappoints. They weren't bottling on the day we went so we had the opportunity to access areas of the brewery that we hadn't seen before. You hear about the history and given four tokens to use for samples. Your range from the extremely hoppy all the way to darker beers like porter and stout. Try something you know you might like but take the chance to sample something that might be outside our comfort zone. There is a regular schedule of events and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings there is usually a food truck available to. Lots of games to break out and make use of as well. Very big taproom and great atmosphere. There is a large outdoor area too. Its all tucked away in a business park and at the right times of the day is away from all the hustle and bustle even though its almost right next to 35E. Summit has been around for so long that I tend to lose track of it with all the newer options on the market. Its nice to know that the ones that started the brewery boom back in the 80s still makes arguably the best quality beer in town. read more

See all

I suppose I'm naturally bias as I'm not a beer lover, but I was still open to being impressed, and was left with a very nonchalant "Eh." I was in Monica's group, and thus also had a backwards tour. The number of people interested in the tour yesterday was apparently high; thus they divided us into two groups - one got the tour from start to end, and we got stuck with an end to start tour with a guide that seemed experienced but was easily flustered, and not very engaging. I did like that this tour IS free (though non-perishable donation recommended) and comes with 3 beers. For DDs or non-beer drinkers, they do serve an AMAZING root beer brewed by a local company down the street. Some fun takeaways: - 4 ingredients to making beer: Barley, Hop, Water, Yeast - Keg bottling process: fills about 80 barrels an hour (~175lb/barrel). Counters the foam with CO2 presure - Walk-in freezer is kept at 40 degrees F - When you get your beer, it's normally at least 2 weeks old - Bottling process: between 500-600 bottles a minute! - Offsite lab that keeps pure strain of the yeast they use. Can be reused 6-7 times before contaminates enter in and new strain is needed Tip: Pay attention to the tour as there's a quiz at the end with cool prizes! Don't forget to stop by the little gift shop at the end! read more

See all

Can you call yourself a fan of the Minnesota's brewery scene if you haven't visited Summit? Probably no, but I did before coming here. Now I truly feel worthy of holding a "brewery fan" title. The Nitro Oatmeal Stout was my poison of choice for tonight, and I enjoyed it on the big patio area Summit has outside. This brewery is a gem in the sense it's tucked away so besides the people around you and the music, you aren't going to hear a bunch of street traffic. Just wind blowing through the trees. On a not-so-great weather day, there's plenty of seating inside and a couch! On a warm Thursday night, there weren't so many people so I'm looking forward to coming back over the weekend and seeing if it's more lively! read more

Summit Brewing - Nitro Oatmeal Stout - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

Worth a try. Beer was just ok tho. I liked the German beerhall style with live music.

I've been here for private events and for tours. The most recent was for a tour. We took advantage of family in town to show off one of the infamous local breweries. I always enjoy getting to see the behind-the-scenes action. It's so impressive to see the copper kettles, massive tanks, and overwhelming inventory in the refrigerated warehouse (not to mention how quickly they turn the inventory around), and their bottling process. Reservations are required. I'm not sure how far in advance my husband reserved it but certainly recommend making one in advance. The tour is free however don't forget to bring some canned goods for their ongoing food drive! You receive four tokens for beer for taking the tour (2 oz. each approx). If you get there early enough you can enjoy a beverage before the tour but no glass ON the tour, so usually you wait until after. They also say no open toed shoes on the tour. I will drink the hoppy beers but I'm more of a spicy notes/Belgian style/saison or dark beer (porter or a stout) kinda gal. I had the Oktoberfest, a lime flavored seasonal, and porter and did a repeat on the seasonal this time around! Good stuff! read more

See all

Puppers and a patio... you're going to have to work real hard to lose a star with that! Summit oatmeal stout on tap is just SO delicious. Bags outside, Trivia inside. Tucked into a cute little corner of the city. Can't go wrong here! read more

Summit Brewing - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

Super good beer and the staff knows all about how to make it . They will give you a great tour if you want or just sit and relax in the lobby and sample their craft. Its a must do stop for any beer lover. read more

This is a review of the taproom. As all long time Twin Cities craft beer drinkers know, these guys are the first. Despite the fact that I have been drinking their brews for 20 years, I have never visited the brewery. A Friday evening out with my brother was reason enough to visit their tap room/beer hall. It was fairly crowded as we arrived at 6:30pm and slowly faded as we approached the 9pm close. 9pm? Well it is St Paul and it was actually great to be home by 10. The beer assortment was good, all of their regular beers and a couple of unchained series as well. My brother and I have been a big fans of their unchanged series which has created several outstanding efforts. When I told my brother that I was going to yelp the taproom, I asked what rating he would give it. He said 3.5. I agreed but said I was going to round up to 4 because it has a nice atmosphere, has a food truck outside, and plenty of variety. They cover the spectrum of malty to hoppy and lager to ales. They are really only missing the Belgian niche. Far better beer than 612, better variety and atmosphere than Indeed, but not quite as cool as Dangerous Man. More taprooms to go. read more

Summit Brewing - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

See all

Good place, very good beer, worth a visit when they reopen. I really appreciate the low key vibe and cheerfulness of the folks who work their. read more

The Extra Pale Ale is the flagship brew here. Just a stone's throw from Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, this brewery offers a quick reprieve for those with enough time to kill. The Pale Ale has a copper taste to it.... that's how I describe it at least. There are similarities to a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but the Midwest approach has taken the hoppiness out. It's better than a Miller Light, right? read more

Summit Brewing - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

This place is perfect - if you aren't looking for something else. If you are looking for a place to hang out and have a beer, it's great. They have lots of options and usually a couple that are only available at the brewery. The tour is free if you bring in a can of food to donate. You get four free samples too. If you are looking for a bar or restaurant, Summit isn't right for you. I would say, they could update their indoor seating. They just have cafeteria style seating with no backs. UPDATE: the tour now costs $5. read more

Decent beer and a very nice quiet patio. Dog friendly and it has a cool vibe inside. Not a ton of choices but I had flight , every beer I tried was delicious read more

I often run east on Shepard Road in St. Paul and when I do this in the warmer months, I hear music and laughter and what sounds like an awesome party, drifting out from somewhere behind the trees to the north of me. Many times I just wanted to leave my running path to go find out where the party was. When Matt G. and I went to Summit Brewery, I finally figured out the source of this merriment. Summit Brewery is located off of 7th street and everyone is welcome. The interior of the Brew Hall is spacious and open with long bench style seating. We went when it was 8 degrees outside, yet the Beer Hall was warm and cozy. For your entertainment, a variety of board games can be found on one wall. The ordering counter is easily accessible and the staff is friendly. I love Summit EPA and was excited to try a flight of other of its brews. I opted for a 4 flight (7 oz. pours) for $7, which was a great price. The only downside is the payment system which doesn't allow for an open tab and you have to pay each time you order. They do have tokens for purchase to try to help out, but we didn't explore that option. Be sure and ask about it if you HATE multiple receipts though. The Summit Beer Hall is open Thursdays (4-8PM), Fridays (4-10PM), and Saturdays (12-10PM). The brewery offers a variety of activities and special events including food trucks; free, 1 hour long, brewery tours on most days; live music; stand-up comedians; movie screenings, Trivia Night and more. For information on any of the above, visit the Summit website which provides great detail and is very user friendly. Now that I know where the party sounds are coming from on Shepard, I am really looking forward to rewarding myself with a stop at Summit after my long runs this summer. Note: Not a place for those who are opposed to children in Brew Halls. There were plenty in there and they were all having a blast. read more

Did the tour and hung out in the beer hall for awhile. The tour was simple but nice, nothing too special. It was nice to learn about the history of Summit. Tap room was under renovation, but we enjoyed our 4 7oz pours that came with each tour ticket (only 5 bucks a person so it was a good deal). Overall beers were decent but not wonderful. I would still recommend visiting at least once! read more

See all

Guys...this is a NO BRAINER. Summit Brewery is just off the bike trails that run throughout the city, tours are FREE, and with the tour you get 4 samples -- FREE. Beers are tasty. Definitely go with the later tour option (we did 3 or 3:30PM) so when you're done, the tasting room is open. Tasting room opens around 4PM on saturdays, depending on how heavily they are staffed (possibly a little earlier). Otherwise you finish your samples and have to leave (lame). Of the beers I tasted - Loved the red IPA, the Summit EPA, and the oatmeal stout. I had to get back on my bike, so three samples was about all I could ingest and not topple over (lightweight!!). Overall - a great place to go with friends -- beer hall is large, good for groups. There are outdoor tables as you ride/drive/walk up. Also plentiful bike racks if you bike with a group. We will be back this summer to enjoy again! read more

I checked out the Summit Brewery last Saturday with a buddy of mine and I found it to be a fantastic experience. I've only come to appreciate and enjoy craft brews in the last few years and so far Summit is definitely a favorite of mine. The tour was about an hour long and we were shown all the different areas where the malt is mashed, the hops is mixed in and where the beer is fermented. All very fascinating and informative. Plus, at the end of the tour, you get three free 10 oz pours of Summit beer. When we were there they had just got done brewing the first batch of Ocktoberfest for the fall. Yummy in my tummy. As if the experience wasn't already top notch, everything in the gift shop was on sale. I bought a book on the history of brewing in MN. read more

They have a rather huge tap room. It is the size of some of the breweries I have been to. I like how it is set up with big windows and large tables to sit at. They have games and puzzles you can do while you sip on a beer or two. Outdoor setting is really nice and the food truck was awesome they had there that day. Bathrooms were clean and the gift shop is reasonable priced and well organized. I would love to come back for a tour sometime. read more

Summit Brewing - Havana pub mojito ale. - Breweries Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

See all

Free beer. Free tour. Free games. Patio. SOLD. The tour is a good activity for groups and one of the only breweries to offer tours during the day on weekdays in the Twin Cities (obviously due to its size). Summit really came in handy for my midweek staycation with out of towners. Tour wise - lots of powerpoint and sitting around for the majority of it. On the other hand, this was my first time seeing beer being kegged and a bottle line. My group ended up playing a nice game of bags outside afterwards while drinking our 3 beer tokens. Note: There is no food in sight besides the canned good donations and you cannot purchase beer on the premises. read more