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If anyone has a recipe for Monteiths Summer Ale, made in New Zealand, it is a really good summer beer for grill outs. It is impossible in the States to find, so I am going to give it a go. I can only find out that it is a brend of four different malts, a single hop variety, spice, and honey. Any suggestions?

Here's the info from the website, which it seems you've already found:

Monteith's Summer Ale is a refreshingly different beer. The opportunity to rediscover some flavour highlights of beer styles enjoyed on summer days past, and bring them back to life.

At the end of last century, in England, Europe and the Americas and in New Zealand, there was still an adherence to brew with barley, wholesome grains, hops and other traditional brewing spices.

True to tradition Monteith's Summer Ale is a bright gold beer with great body from four different malts. Spiced with a single hop variety and a touch of history - a little Rata honey. Subtle, but enough to make all the difference. The result is a truly refreshing, herbal spiced summer ale that's a splendid thirst quencher.

Monteith's Summer Ale enjoyed ice-cold with a simple range of fruits, perhaps refreshing wedge of orange or lime. Alternatively, match with summer salads and stir-frys to complement the light flavours.
The Full Facts

Monteith's Summer Ale has an Original Gravity (OG) of 1048 alcohol of 5.0% and a final gravity of 1009+. This combination provides a smoothness from the combination of specialty malts and rata honey.

This unique beer has a mild perceived bitterness of 12.

I'd reckon there would be some wheat malt in there. You could try using a wheat yeast (there's a dried SafWheat available) to give it some spiciness.

I'm not sure what hop would be used, but it is possibly a NZ hop.

Thoughts, anyone?

Oliver

I'm going to have a crack of this... sort of.

I love Summer Ale... and I will try a more faithful replication at a later date - for now, I am going to make a ginger beer/summer ale cross...

Thinking:

Coopers Ginger Beer Kit
Light Malt 1.5kg
2 x Lemons
500g Manuka Honey (I can't find Rata Honey in Australia....)
10x Cloves
2 x Cinnamon Sticks

Anyone think this will go OK? Anyone think this will come out as a good summer quaffer? Anyone think this might come out as something near summer ale? Yes - I havent put any hops in that list... ideas? I have cascade here, but I was thinking of getting something like Pacific Gem or a Bullet hop...

Oliver wrote:<<snip>>
I'd reckon there would be some wheat malt in there. You could try using a wheat yeast (there's a dried SafWheat available) to give it some spiciness.

I'm not sure what hop would be used, but it is possibly a NZ hop.
Thoughts, anyone?

Oliver

Agreed - an all grain version would be to brew a light golden ale - pilsener malt, wheat malt, 500g of Lyles golden syrup or 300g of light crystal and fermented with some T-58 dry yeast. Lightly bittered with either Nelson Sauvin, Chinook, Northern Brewer or Target hops, and you'd have a reasonable beer, IMHO...

Cheers,
TL

MOFO wrote:I'm going to have a crack of this... sort of.

I love Summer Ale... and I will try a more faithful replication at a later date - for now, I am going to make a ginger beer/summer ale cross...

Thinking:

Coopers Ginger Beer Kit
Light Malt 1.5kg
2 x Lemons
500g Manuka Honey (I can't find Rata Honey in Australia....)
10x Cloves
2 x Cinnamon Sticks

Anyone think this will go OK? Anyone think this will come out as a good summer quaffer? Anyone think this might come out as something near summer ale? Yes - I havent put any hops in that list... ideas? I have cascade here, but I was thinking of getting something like Pacific Gem or a Bullet hop...

That looks vaguely familiar....

Have you guys tried this beer? It's available at Camperdown Cellars in Sydney - I hope it gets a showing... I know Montieths is being pushed in Sydney a bit more now...

Its the Cloves, the Rata honey and the citrus kick that make this beer - the hops are for the lightest bittering only... I would probably but in B-Saaz thinking about it more for the spicyness to it.

Drsmurto: Yeah - I saw your amounts for cloves and cinnmon... I liked the idea of it and to be honest, would have no clue as to the level of cloes and cinnamon I would need - so thought your expertise would be better than my trial-by-error.
I don't want a ginger beer per-se though, so hence me wanting the malts, and lemon. I think I will also put in the skin of a couple of oranges too...the Summer Ale as a whole is spicy, and definitely has a ginger base... but the honey helps smooth it out.

MOFO wrote:Have you guys tried this beer? It's available at Camperdown Cellars in Sydney - I hope it gets a showing... I know Montieths is being pushed in Sydney a bit more now...

Its the Cloves, the Rata honey and the citrus kick that make this beer - the hops are for the lightest bittering only... I would probably but in B-Saaz thinking about it more for the spicyness to it.

Drsmurto: Yeah - I saw your amounts for cloves and cinnmon... I liked the idea of it and to be honest, would have no clue as to the level of cloes and cinnamon I would need - so thought your expertise would be better than my trial-by-error.
I don't want a ginger beer per-se though, so hence me wanting the malts, and lemon. I think I will also put in the skin of a couple of oranges too...the Summer Ale as a whole is spicy, and definitely has a ginger base... but the honey helps smooth it out.

actually was referring to my post yesterday...... Linky

will be interesting to compare results in a month or 2

this is a little off topic, but i think the winter ale is better than the summer. I was at Montys in Queenstown last year for the cracking of the first keg of winter ale that season. they had a promotion going, if you brought a log for the fire they gave you a free pint! i was thinking about bringing a whole forest with me.....but turns out only the first one was free.

anyhoo......if anyone had a recipe for the wunter (say it outloud) ale. let us know!!