‘New’ Minnesota Beer Isn’t Actually New At All
As a big fan of Minnesota craft beer, I can't believe I didn't realize this 'new' beer isn't actually new-- it's just once again being sold with a new name.
There are SO many great beers and breweries here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes that it's almost tough to keep track of them all. One Minnesota beer, though, has been around a wee bit longer than most-- Summit Brewing in St. Paul. They brewed their first beer all the way back in 1986, and I've enjoyed their Summit EPA for years. So I was surprised to learn that what I thought was a new beer of theirs last year wasn't actually new at all.
I'd noticed that Summit, which is a proud partner of the Minnesota Twins and is featured prominently at Target Field again this season, has once again been featuring their beer called 'Twins Pilsner.'
You might have seen it; it's actually been available on tap and at liquor stores across the North Star State since LAST March. It made its official debut right before the Twins season started last year.
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You can't miss it-- the packaging features the Twins' logo and the light blue color found on the team's throwback jerseys. But it's not actually a new beer. (Or even a year-old beer.)
According to the Summit Brewing website, the new 'Twins Pilsner' is actually just a rebrand of Summit's Keller Pilsner, which was first brewed in 2016 in honor of the brewery's 30th anniversary. It was just repackaged and comes in some new, Twins-inspired packing and colors. (Which are still pretty cool, btw.)
As the Official Hometown Craft Beer of the Minnesota Twins, this new, now-year-old packaging makes total sense. Plus, the product itself is great-- and is the same beer I've already been enjoying for several years. I'm a little embarrassed I didn't make the connection earlier-- even after having had a pint several pints of the 'new' brew!
And the rebrand made sense for Summit-- and dollars, too. This Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal story said that the 'new' Twins Pilsner has now become Summit's third-best-selling beer, behind Summit Saga IPA and their flagship beer, Summit EPA, and if trends continue, could move up to second place this year!
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