Despite its hibernal name, Summit’s newly released Frost Line Rye isn’t intended to be a heavy winter booze bomb of a beer — its press release talked up “a refreshing flavor to break winter’s icy grip and hasten the spring thaw.” The beer in the bottle delivers on that promise.
Flavorwise, Frost Line packs a lively wallop of spicy rye and bright, floral hops. It finishes cleanly, with only a hint of the malty sweetness that its warm brown color promises. In short, it’s a clean drinking, surprisingly light-on-its-feet beer with a truly sparky personality.
On a directly related note, Minnesota-made Just Add Beer Bread mix promises to be dead simple: just pour the mix in a bowl, pour a beer into the mix, agitate with a fork, plop onto a greased pan, and bake. In practice, it’s actually that easy, a pleasant surprise for this once-burned, twice-shy not-as-easy-as-they-look mix reviewer. We sacrificed one of our Frost Lines on the altar of breadmaking.
The loaf that resulted was quite tasty: rustic and dense with bit of hoppy flavor and a crusty exterior that was substantial but yielding. Warm, it took very nicely to a schmear of butter and a drizzle of local honey, which is how we’ve been enjoying it in the days since its creation. It would also make a big-boned but ultimately lovable French toast. The product launched in October of 2013; founder Mitchell Schwartz writes: “2.5 years ago I baked some beer bread and thought – WOW this is so good. Decided to make it with the best ingredients I could find, different flours and make with local craft beer. I wanted to create something that anyone can make and share with family and friends. It’s a great product that once made and fresh out of the oven brings people together, slows things down, and just enjoy life. It’s that easy.”
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