Saint Arnold Summer Pils Returns After Being Judged Among the Best
HOUSTON, March 13, 2006 – Texas beer drinkers will soon have their first chance to taste Saint Arnold Summer Pils since it won the Silver Medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, expects to have the 2006 batch of Saint Arnold Summer Pils – one of five seasonal beers in the brewery’s rotation – on store shelves and on tap across the Lone Star State by late March.
To the chagrin of Texans who appreciate flavorful, quality beer, the 2005 batch of the Bohemian-style pilsner sold quickly and was long gone by the time GABF medals were handed out. Anticipating strong demand, Saint Arnold Brewing will boost production by 50 percent, brewing 1,000 barrels, which translate to more than 13,500 cases.
True to tradition, Saint Arnold Summer Pils is a crisp, delicately flavored golden lager that features fine German pils malt and two central European noble hop varieties: Czech Saaz and Tettnanger. It pays tribute to the classic pilsners that were first brewed in the 1840s in what is now the Czech Republic, by featuring the same strong hop bitterness and floral, spicy hop notes as the original.
“This beer is a labor of love and we’ve worked hard to capture the brilliant clarity, golden color, and light but flavorful body of the original,” said Brock Wagner, founder of Saint Arnold Brewing Company.
Summer traditionally marks a high point for beer sales in Texas. According to data from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas retail outlets purchased more than 47 million barrels (more than 146.5 million gallons) of beer from distributors between June and August last year, far more than during any other season.
Below are the specifications for Saint Arnold Summer Pils:
- Original Gravity: 1.046 (11.7° Plato)
- Color: Golden
- Bitterness: 33 IBU
- Alcohol Content: By weight - 3.9%; By volume - 4.9%
- Food Pairing: Pasta with a white clam sauce
The 2005 GABF was the latest award – but not the first – for Saint Arnold Summer Pils. It won the Silver Medal at the 2003 GABF in the Münchner-Style Helles category. It also took first place at the 1997 Colorado State Fair in the European Pilsner category.
Editor’s Note: A photo of Brock Wagner is available for download here. Please credit Matthew Mahon.
About Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Saint Arnold Brewing’s 11 brews are made and sold by the company''s staff of 16 dedicated employees. The brewery is located at 2522 Fairway Park Drive and its weekly brewery tour and tasting is offered Saturdays at 1:00 P.M. For more information on Saint Arnold’s beers as well as root beer, log on to http://www.saintarnold.com.
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