Sometimes beer can tell a story. A Coors Light can transport you back to that game-winning squibber at your D-League Softball game. A cloudy NE-Style IPA can make you feel like you are back out on the East Coast attempting to see if oysters really do give you gout. In the case of Summit’s Unchained 25: Vienna-Style Lager, this beer gives a history lesson.

Summit Unchained 25: Vienna-Style Lager

The inspiration behind the Vienna-Style Lager stems from Summit brewer, Tom Mondor’s travels through Germany. Don’t be alarmed, I busted out the Encyclopedia Brittanica and know that Vienna is not in Germany. The style was first brewed in Vienna. Eventually, Vienna Lagers became a popular style enjoyed by many; even in Germany. It was first brewed by an Austrian brewer using English roasting techniques on German malts. Today, this style is everywhere in Mexico, although most of today’s versions use more adjuncts like rice and corn. Why Mexico? Well, there were a lot of Austrians who emigrated there in the 1860’s.

The beer utilizes German ingredients as masterfully as Edward Scissorhands trims a hedge. Thanks to the Hallertau Mittlefruh and German Perle hops, this beer’s aroma is spicy and herbal. The malt is where this beer impresses the hell out of me. Think caramel, perfectly toasted bread, with a crisp dry finish that is almost a tad smoky. The Weyermann Barke Vienna and CaraFoam malts make this beer desirable in the summertime because there isn’t a ton of residual sweetness in the beer.

I am sure most people will pour this into a stein, but to enjoy the grandeur of this dark amber, almost reddish beauty, I suggest a flute or a pilsner glass. Why a flute or a pilsner glass? Well, it deftly showcases the beauty of this beer. Plus, when your neighbors call the cops because a person is openly weeping tears of joy on their patio, you will have a fun story to tell about how viewing beer in fancy glassware gets your waterworks going.

Seek this beer out, you won’t be sorry. It is available on draft around town. In the liquor stores, you will find 12oz. 6-packs of this beauty just beckoning to you from the shelf. Maybe in your head, the 6-pack’s voice is that of a calm Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop, “Who is your daddy and how many sixers are you going to buy?” Maybe that will be the story that this beer tells for you?

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