Engage! Summit Brewing goes boldly to market with an ESB brewed with Earl Grey Tea

I’m going to apologize in advance: I’m about to nerd out hard. I blame Summit Brewing Co. You see, the brewery just announced the release of Make It So, an Extra Special Bitter (ESB) brewed with Earl Grey Tea. The 19th beer in the limited release Unchained Series will be available on draft and in 12-ounce can 6-packs the first week of August.

Make It So is brewer Nick Hempfer’s first Unchained beer. Inspired by his favorite sci-fi show, Nick’s beer utilizes Earl Grey tea, a first for Summit. Nick partnered with Twin Cities tea company TeaSource to procure the right tea for his ale. Make It So is a traditional ESB with woody, herbal and citrus notes from the hops, and nutty, bready, with a hint of honey notes from the malt. This ale has a moderate bitterness associated with English ales. Earl Grey tea brings an orange aroma and a bright, citrus, herbal taste.

“With my first Unchained [my ‘number 1,’ as it were] I wanted to boldly brew something I hadn’t brewed before,” said Brewer Nick Hempfer. “Make It So is an assimilation of two traditional English beverages: beer and tea.”

The Unchained Series, which saw its first batch in 2009, allows each of Summit’s individual brewers to showcase their creativity by allowing them to break free from the norm and create their own beer.

“We’re fortunate to have nine phenomenal brewers at Summit,” said Mark Stutrud, founder and president of Summit Brewing Co. “The Unchained Series is a way for our brewers to showcase their artistry. There are no budgetary restraints, no outside influences from a sales team, and the brewers are free to collect ingredients from anywhere in the world. As long as it’s legal, they have complete autonomy.”

Summit Brewing held an intergalactic party, inviting humans, Klingons, Ferengi, Vulcans and beyond to celebrate the release at the brewery’s beer hall on Aug. 1. Guests even dressed up to compete in a Star Trek-themed costume contest at Summit’s Beer Hall and visit with the folks from TeaSource who were hosting tea education/demonstrations. USS Nokomis, a Twin Cities Star Trek fan club, also hung out and showed off their interactive Star Trek props.

And if you’re not already a trekkie, just check out this scene, and welcome aboard: