Why Summit Brewing doesn't use locally grown hops (yet)

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Nancy Kuehn | MSPBJ

Summit Brewing CEO Mark Stutrud says the Minnesota hops industry is too young and green for consistent commercial use.

Clare Kennedy

Staff reporter- Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

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Summit Brewing Co. sources its hops from all over the world — New Zealand, Bavaria, England — but so far the company has shied away from hops farmers in its own backyard.

The St. Paul brewer is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward local hops growers, said Mark Stutrud, CEO and founder of Summit, at a Manufacturing Executive Roundtable hosted by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recently.

"We're keeping track of what's going on in Minnesota, but a lot of folks who are starting hop farms in Minnesota don't think of how they're going to measure the quality of their harvest," Stutrud said. "Are they going to have a kiln? Will they pelletize or are they just going to grow the vines and say, 'Come on over and pick them up?' "

"This whole industry is way in its infancy for us to access at this point in time," Stutrud added. "[We need] to ensure consistency of our beers."

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Currently, the company sources about half its hops from growers in Washington state's Yakima Valley.

Summit does source other ingredients from small, regional producers. For instance, Stutrud said the company gets a specific strain of barley — Moravian 37 — from two farmers in North Dakota, one of them his cousin. However, Stutrud stressed that the regional aspect was secondary to other considerations. Moravian 37 is a perfect fit for Summit's pilsners.

"[The source] is very close to home for me and it's a great story, but we wouldn't do that just for the story. There's some quality of flavor characteristics that we're seeking," Stutrud said.

Check back for more industry commentary on Thursday from Stutrud and other brewers from the Business Journal's Business of Beer Panel discussion & Hoppy Hour, which is happening this Wednesday afternoon.

Clare Kennedy writes about food and drink.