Zommerfest Brewed by August Schell Brewing Company - New Ulm, MN
Zommerfest was Introduced on Memorial Weekend, 1998, and only available in
the summer, Zommerfest is brewed in a 'Kölsch' style, which originates from
Cologne, Germany. Its characteristics are fairly light—in color and in
flavor. It is a pale gold color, low in hop flavor and aroma, with a light
body and a somewhat dry finish. This is a pleasant, light-flavored beverage
that goes well with any summer activity. Beer Style: Kölsch Style Ale.
Alcohol by Volume: 5%.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate:
I'm really starting to gain an appreciation for the simplicity of balanced
German beer styles, in no small thanks to Schell's offerings. Recently loved
their pils, and now their Kolsch-style beer.
It's pale yellow hue and perfect clarity are the stuff summers are for (even
though I find myself reviewing this beer in mid-autumn).
The aroma presents malt and slightly spicy hops, initially, with the malt
dominating as my time with the beer elapses. The taste is also a delicate
balance. The malt has slight sweetness, but the beer finishes bitter and dry.
This is the kind of beer meant to be consumed leisurely throughout the day,
which is what I find myself doing now.
August Schell Brewing
The August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It
was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the
possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned
brewery in America after D. G. Yuengling & Son and became the oldest and largest
brewery in Minnesota when the company bought the Grain Belt rights in 2002. In
September 2010, it celebrated its 150th Anniversary with a two-day festival.
The History of August Schell Brewery
In the fall of 1860, August Schell partnered up with Jacob Bernhardt, a former
brewmaster at the Benzberg Brewery in St. Paul, MN (what today was known as the
Minnesota Brewing Company). They erected a small brewery just two miles from
town along the banks of the Cottonwood River. During their first year of
operation they produced 200 barrels of beer, a very small amount based on
today’s standards.
The location of the brewery was ideal. Aside from the beauty of its natural
surroundings (August was especially fond of his hikes into the woods), the
brewery was located next to an artesian spring, providing exceptionally pure
water for brewing. Its proximity to the Cottonwood River gave the brewery a
means of transporting beer and supplies, and the river also became essential to
the refrigeration process. Each winter, large blocks of ice would be harvested
and hauled up the hill where they would be stored in underground caves. The ice
would keep the caves cool throughout the spring and early summer in order to
allow proper aging and fermentation of the beer.
