What Summit Brewing Company does

Summit Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 1986 by Mark Stutrud in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company produces a portfolio of craft beers including its flagship Extra Pale Ale (EPA), the Sága IPA series, Lager, Light Lager, seasonal offerings, and a non-alcoholic line. Operations are anchored by a four-vessel, fully automated 170 bbl copper brewhouse with 440 bbl and 880 bbl fermentation vessels and ASME pressure-rated brite tanks, supporting stated production capacity of up to 250,000 barrels per year. The facility also includes high-speed KHS canning (400 cpm for 12oz), a Krones Linaflex tunnel pasteurizer, a centrifuge and polish filter, automated hop dosing, an MDS membrane deaeration system, and an on-site quality laboratory with Anton Paar densitometer/Alkolyzer, spectrophotometer, full sensory panel, dedicated packaging lab, and a microbiologist.

The company generates revenue through three streams: wholesale distribution of packaged beer (cans, bottles, kegs) through Minnesota/Midwest liquor stores and third-party distributors; direct-to-consumer revenue from the on-site Ratskeller Beer Hall tasting room and a branded merchandise e-commerce store (apparel, glassware, barware, signage, accessories); and contract/co-pack brewing services for larger beverage brands producing seltzers, THC beverages, and other beers at minimum 100 bbl batches. Pricing is unit-based, with merchandise ranging from $1 vinyl decals to $50+ hoodies, and beer pricing varies by retail channel. Distribution is regional, anchored in Minnesota and the Midwest, while co-pack services position the brewery as a manufacturing partner for brands seeking Midwest capacity.

The business is owner-operated with no disclosed parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investment, and no revenue or ARR figures are publicly disclosed. Two funding rounds are recorded ($2.2M in 2017 and $765K in 2024) for combined disclosed capital of approximately $2.97M. Marketing emphasizes a community-centric, locally rooted brand identity through the Ratskeller tasting room, an active Instagram presence, the Beer Finder tool, and annual artist-led Repeal Day poster collaborations.

Name

Summit Brewing Company

Legal name

Summit Brewing Company

Website

https://summitbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Summit Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 1986 in St. Paul, Minnesota, producing flagship and seasonal craft beers for Midwest wholesale distribution, an on-site Ratskeller tasting room, merchandise e-commerce, and contract co-pack brewing services for other beverage brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Bulk / Private Label Alcohol Production & Brands (CRADAIAJ), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Contract brewing services
• Brewery merchandise
• On-site tasting room
• Canned beer distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer and Beverage Sales: Summit Brewing generates primary revenue through the production and sale of its own craft beers including EPA, Sága IPA, Lager, Light Lager, seasonal varieties, and non-alcoholic beers, sold through distribution to liquor stores, on-tap at the Ratskeller, and potentially as co-pack products for other brands.
2. Merchandise and Apparel Sales: Revenue from the sale of branded merchandise including apparel (T-shirts, hoodies, flannels), hats, glassware/barware, signage/wall décor, accessories, and limited-edition art prints through the online Summit Store and at the on-site Ratskeller gift shop.
3. Contract/Co-Pack Brewing Services: Summit provides contract brewing (co-packing) services to larger beverage companies, producing seltzers, THC beverages, and other beers on a fee-per-batch basis with minimum batch sizes of 100 bbls and annual capacity up to 250,000 bbls.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Summit Brewing Company produces and sells craft beer under its own Summit brand (including Extra Pale Ale, Sága IPA, Summit Lager, seasonal varieties, and non-alcoholic beers) packaged in cans, bottles, and kegs for wholesale distribution across Minnesota and the Midwest. The company also operates the on-site Ratskeller Beer Hall as a direct-to-consumer tasting venue, sells branded apparel and merchandise through an online store, and offers contract/co-pack brewing, canning, and kegging services to other beverage companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SáGA: IPA series including SáGA Imperial (9% ABV), featuring notes of tangerine, pine, sweet stone fruit, and caramel with a honey malt base.
• Summit Ratskeller

Products and services

• Summit Extra Pale Ale (EPA) Summit's flagship Extra Pale Ale, a classic American pale ale and longtime favorite among Minnesota craft beer enthusiasts, packaged for wholesale and on-tap sale.
• Sága IPA Series Summit's Sága IPA series including Sága Imperial (9% ABV) with tangerine, pine, sweet stone fruit, and caramel notes on a honey malt base, positioned on the Summit Classics lineup.
• Sága Series Sága series line of brews (an IPA-focused series lineup) introduced in 2023 as part of Summit's Explore by Style offering.
• Non-Alcoholic Beer Series Summit's non-alcoholic beer line featured under the Explore by Style navigation on the homepage.
• Summit Lager Summit Lager, a golden-colored, medium-bodied lager at 4.5% ABV with a crisp, refreshing finish and low-bitterness profile reminiscent of classic American lagers.
• Seasonal Beers
• Summit Ratskeller Beer Hall (On-site Tasting Room) On-site beer hall located inside the St. Paul brewery serving Summit draft beer, hosting trivia nights, live music, food trucks, and seasonal community events; operates as a tasting-room venue with Thursday–Friday 3P–9P and Saturday 12P–9P public hours.
• Summit Branded Merchandise and Apparel Branded merchandise including apparel (T-shirts, hoodies, flannels), hats, glassware and barware, signage and wall décor, accessories, and limited-edition signed art prints, sold through the Summit online store and on-site Ratskeller gift shop with items ranging from $1 vinyl decals to $50+ hoodies.
• Contract / Co-Pack Brewing Services Contract brewing services to other beverage brands producing seltzers, THC beverages, and other beers, with minimum batch sizes starting at 100 bbls and annual capacity up to 250,000 bbls, including brewing, high-speed canning with optional tunnel pasteurization, bottling, and keg racking.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Amy Poburka (Artist)minorOthersAmy Poburka is a Minnesota artist who partnered with Summit Brewing Co. in 2024 to create the annual Repeal Day commemorative screen-print poster. The limited-edition, signed and numbered poster marks the anniversary of Prohibition Repeal Day.
• Noah Lawrence-Holder (Artist)minorOthersNoah Lawrence-Holder, a Minneapolis-based non-binary illustrator and animator, partnered with Summit Brewing in 2022 to create the Repeal Day commemorative poster for the 89th anniversary of Prohibition Repeal. Their work centers on racial justice, equity, intersectionality, and gender identity.
• Jill Kittock (Artist)minorOthersJill Kittock, a Minneapolis-based illustrator and artist with a background in graphic design and art history, partnered with Summit Brewing in 2021 to create the Repeal Day poster for the 88th anniversary of Prohibition Repeal. Her character-driven work is inlaid with symbolism to invoke mood, humor, and nostalgia.
• Hürnerbräu, Ansbach, BavariaminorOthersSummit Brewing purchased a copper brewhouse from Hürnerbräu in Ansbach, Bavaria (Germany) in 1995 as part of a major capacity expansion, increasing production capacity to 34,000 barrels.
• Waggle (Golf Brand)minorOthersSummit Brewing partnered with Waggle (a golf brand) to produce co-branded Summit + Waggle golf hats, available in the Summit online store and Ratskeller gift shop in limited quantities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boulevard Brewing Company: Kansas City craft brewery with regional Midwest distribution, taproom (Boulevard Room), and similar mid-sized craft producer positioning. Closely comparable in regional Midwest distribution model.
• Surly Brewing Company: Minneapolis-based craft brewery founded in 2006 with a similarly strong regional identity, full-service taproom/restaurant (Surly Beer Hall), and distribution across the Midwest. Directly comparable in geography, scale, and channel mix to Summit.
• Deschutes Brewery: Oregon craft brewery founded in 1988 with regional distribution, multiple pub/taproom locations, and a similar mid-sized craft producer profile. Closely matches Summit in age, scale, and brewpub/distribution hybrid model.
• Founders Brewing Co. Michigan craft brewery with comparable Midwest distribution footprint, taproom presence, and broad portfolio of flagship and seasonal beers. Similar mid-sized regional craft positioning with strong brand heritage.
• Bell's Brewery: Michigan craft brewery with comparable age (founded 1985), regional Midwest distribution, flagship pale ale, and Eccentric Café taproom. Closely matched to Summit in brand era, geographic focus, and brewhouse scale.
• Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis-headquartered craft brewery with taproom, Midwest distribution, and contract/collaboration brewing. Comparable size, Minnesota concentration, and DTC taproom strategy to Summit.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest U.S. craft brewers with national distribution, multiple taprooms, and a heritage dating to 1979. Comparable in craft-heritage positioning but operates at materially larger scale and broader geography than Summit.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: California craft brewery (founded 1993) with broad national distribution and taproom presence, now part of Heineken. Comparable IPA-led portfolio and community-event programming, though at substantially larger scale.
• New Belgium Brewing: Colorado craft brewery (founded 1991) with national distribution, sustainability-led brand, and taproom. Comparable in craft heritage, environmental/community positioning, and IPA/pale ale portfolio, though significantly larger than Summit.

Regional players

• August Schell Brewing Company: Minnesota craft brewery founded in 1860 in New Ulm, MN, with brewery taproom and Midwest distribution. Comparable in Minnesota craft positioning, long brand heritage, and taproom-driven experience, though serving primarily southern Minnesota rather than Twin Cities directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/summitbeer
• Xx.com/summitbeer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summit Brewing Company