My Favorite Beer

Today I’m going to talk about my favorite beer: Summit EPA.

I love IPAs. Like, really love them. When I first discovered them, it felt like I’d been let out of beer jail. I was so burned out on the American lagers I grew up with—bland at best, downright bad at worst. For years, my Sunday dinner beer was a plain Budweiser. On hot days I leaned toward Corona. Miller Genuine Draft was my everyday go-to, and Budweiser somehow became the “special winter day” beer. None of it was great, just… familiar.

Before IPAs, I flirted with Guinness and Newcastle Brown Ale. They had more flavor and felt like a step up. But the real turning point came on a work trip when someone introduced me to Lagunitas IPA. It was intense and interesting, and at first I didn’t think it was something I could drink very much of. Turns out, I was wrong. I drank plenty of it. The higher ABV definitely caught up with me faster than expected, but I liked that I didn’t have to plow through a six-pack just to feel like I’d had a beer. That always felt like such a waste. Finally, beer was something I could enjoy the way I enjoyed wine.

After several years of trying all kinds of beers, Summit EPA quietly became my favorite across all styles. It hits a sweet spot: hoppy enough to be interesting, smooth enough that it doesn’t snap your head back on the first sip, and low enough in ABV that you can comfortably have a few. It’s balanced in a way that feels intentional, not flashy.

Summit has been around long enough that they’re not exactly hip anymore in Minnesota—kind of our local Sam Adams—but that’s part of the appeal. In Minnesota, it’s common enough that I can find it almost anywhere, which means there’s usually a reliably good beer within reach. Summit EPA is technically an English Pale Ale (or Extra Pale Ale as it says on the can), though it often gets lumped in with IPAs. That distinction matters: it’s more restrained, more drinkable, and less about blowing out your palate. I drank it in the bottle for a long time, but warmed up to the ideas of cans again and now drink it in a can but it’s always best at the bar on draft.

In terms of true IPAs, Surly makes my favorite local ones, and for a long time Lagunitas was a staple. Eventually, I found myself gravitating toward East Coast breweries for the styles I liked most. But that’s a review for another day. This one is about Summit. I’m getting so into Hazy IPAs though lately.

But when I want a reliable everyday beer I know I’ll enjoy, one that never feels like the wrong choice, Summit EPA is it.

I’m reviewing on the BeerAdvocate.com scales.

4.0 – Look
Pours a clear golden color, one finger eggshell colored head, some nice lacing. Always a great looking head!

4.5 – Smell
Love the smell. Some sweet malts, bread and some floral hops.

5.0 – Taste
Cracker, some toffee, some hops but not too much.

5.0 – Feel
Perfect level of carbonation.

5.0 – Overall
So well balanced, and fits all the times and occasions from a sunny summer afternoon in the backyard, at a Twins game, basically anywhere.

So a 4.7 average rating!

More Ratings on the Beer Ratings Page, here’s an embed of the full table below