Summit Collaborating With Old Chicago Taproom & Pizza On Cracking Wit Coming 5/20
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MyBeer Buzz
From Summit:
We’ve got a bit of cracking news for beer lovers! Summit is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Cracking Wit, a beer brewed exclusively with and for Old Chicago Taproom & Pizza as part of the restaurant’s craft beer Explorer Series. Brewed with ingredients from around the world, head brewer Damian McConn describes Cracking Wit as an American take on a Belgian classic witbier. The malts are those you might find in a more traditional Belgian witbier (“white beer”):
- Pilsener (North Dakota)
- White Wheat (Rahr Malting, Shakopee, MN)
- Torrified White (UK)
- Acidulated Malt (Germany)
- Rolled Oats (Scotland)
The twist to the tradition comes with the American hops – single-hopped with Equinox variety from the Pacific Northwest. The spices we used added some nice flair to the beer. Again the traditional use of coriander was complemented by the somewhat unorthodox addition of organic lemon peel (opposed to a more traditional recipe with orange peel). Cracking Wit was fermented with Wyeast Labs Forbidden Fruit yeast strain, lends a less phenolic profile than many Belgian strains.
The name Cracking Wit reflects the beer style as well as the cracking of the coriander seeds. But it’s also a tongue-and-cheek reference to UK slang, which Irish head brewer (and damn fine hooligan) Damian McConn speaks fluently. On the streets of Dublin or London ‘cracking’ means ‘good,’ ‘excellent’ or ‘superb.’ As in: “This here is a cracking pint of witbier!”
Cracking Wit will be released May 20, 2015 at Old Chicago Taproom & Pizza locations in states where Summit is distributed including AR, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD, and WI. In addition to Cracking Wit, you’ll also find the following Summit beers on tap at these OC locations during the Explorer Series event:
- Extra Pale Ale – Summit’s flagship beer, a classic English-Style Pale Ale with caramel malt notes and a bit of citrus from American hops
- Sága IPA – American IPA with tropical fruit aromas and flavors from New Zealand hops
- Hopvale Organic Ale – brand new session ale brewed with all-organic malt, hops and lemon peel, USDA Certified Organic
For more information on Cracking Wit and to experience the excellent brew day with folks from Summit and Old Chicago, see the video below:
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