Dear Summit Fans,

We have decided not to have a sneak peek of the new Horizon Red Ale at the Four Firkins on Monday, April 13. We didn’t realize we would create such a stir by planning a soft release in advance of the official package beer release date of April 20. Alvey at the Four Firkins had been expressing a strong interest in the new ale for some time and we didn’t see the harm in premiering it at his store. After talking with other liquor stores and our distributors, we now understand we were wrong to make this assumption. Alvey also does not want to create any riffs with his colleagues, so we have decided to postpone the sampling at his store to the evening of April 20. Please accept our apologies.

Sincerely,

Mark O. Stutrud

P.S.-The bar and restaurant sneak peeks planned for April 16 are still on as scheduled. We hope to see you out there!

Can’t wait, on Thursday, April 16, the following bars will have Summit Horizon Red Ale: Groveland Tap, Longfellow Grill, Edina Grill, Highland Grill, Grumpy’s NE, Mackenzies, Muddy Pig, Sweeney’s, Tiffany’s

Mark will be at the Groveland Tap around 8pm that night (as will the rest of the Summit crew).

Here’s the official info on Summit’s new beer, Horizon Red Ale.

ST. PAUL, MN – (April 7, 2009) – Summit Brewing Company is proud to present Horizon Red Ale, an emerging American hybrid ale that crosses the boundaries of styles. This red-hued ale projects an intensity of complex hops – yet allows the drinker to experience the character of the malt with notes of apricot, pine, and grapefruit. Beautifully dry hopped, Horizon Red Ale will be considered a classic!

The Horizon name stems from the use of the Horizon hop, a rare hop much revered by brewers and cherished for its pungent, spicy, bittering qualities. Cascade and Amarillo hops, rich with flavor and aroma for a bright, citrus profile, are also used in this formulation. Horizon Red is hopped at 6 different points in the brewing process, more frequency than any other Summit beer.

The Horizon Red Ale will also be the first Summit tap handle to feature bamboo, a sustainable and earth friendly material. The entire Summit tap handle line will eventually feature bamboo as the brewery continues to be stewards of green business practices.

“The development of the Horizon Red Ale is truly a collaborative effort. As this new ale crosses boundaries of style, it also possesses the passion, commitment, and expertise of all disciplines of the brewery. We’re very excited to present this beer for our devoted fans as well as new Summit drinkers,” said Mark Stutrud, Brewmaster and Founder of Summit Brewing Company.

Horizon Red Ale is officially available April 20, with a select number of establishments pouring it April 16. The beer will be available year-round, but the initial release will be at limited locations throughout the greater metro area.