The Beers of Summer (Part 2)

Don't do it

No time for cheesy Don Henley lyrics this week… let’s get to it.

Unlike last week’s style du joir, this week’s summery style of beer is one more and more people have actually heard of… the saison. You may see that word and allow your pretentiousness to get the best of you… don’t do it. If you walk into a bar and pronounce that word with a thick French accent, you will quickly and remorselessly be ridiculed. The only two accepted pronunciations on this side of the pond are (SI-zon) or (SAY-zon). Notice that the emphasis is on the first syllable, and notice that the second syllable begins with a “z” and not an “s.” You can accuse me of bullying if you want to, but I’m only trying to help. It is hilarious to those of us “regulars” when someone comes into a brewery tap room and asks for the saison, while pronouncing it with a pretentious French accent. I’m just trying to save you from being that guy.

Okay… now down to business.

Saison literally means “season” in French, and is broadly defined as a pale ale that is highly carbonated, fruity, spicy, and generally weighs in at around 7% ABV. The style originated in Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium, where it was originally brewed in farmhouses during the winter months and then drank by the farm hands during the summer months. It had to be brewed in the winter due to the lack of refrigeration and lack of yeast control in hot temperatures. Not to mention, it gave the farm hands something to do during the non-farming cold time of year. It is believed that the original saisons were lower in ABV, and were provided to the workers as an alternative to water, which wasn’t safe to drink.

étalon-or

And these workers were referred to as “les saisonniers” or “seasonal workers,” so calling the beer saison seems to fit nicely. I wonder which came first, the saison or the saisonniers?

The global gold standard for saisons is the Saison Dupont, which is brewed at the Dupont Brewery (or Brasserie Dupont in French) in Tourpes (Leuze-en-Hainaut), in the center of West-Hainaut, Belgium. The current brewery has only been open since 1950, but the farm it sits on has been in operations and brewing Belgian beers since 1759. The farm also contains a bread bakery and cheese-making facility.

Not too long ago, Saison was close to becoming an endangered style, but has been saved due to a massive revival in the United States. ‘Murica!

Modern saisons, brewed primarily in Belgium and the United States, are exceedingly popular and usually have more kick than their ancient brothers. In the U.S., we tend to copy the yeast used by the Dupont Brewery when we make our saisons. This yeast ferments at warmer temperatures (84 to 95 degrees) than the standard 64 to 75 degrees used by other Belgian saison brewers.

As for the beer itself, the type of malt will determine the color of the saison. Most saisons are made with pale or pilsner malt, which give the beer a cloudy golden color, however many brewers elect to use darker malts to give their saisons a reddish-amber hue, just to be different. Some brewers have even been known to use wheat in addition to barley, which will cloud the beer up even more and give it a lighter complexion.

Golden and cloudy, crisp and refreshing, everything you want and nothing you don't

Saisons are not known for their hop profiles, but they are typically very flavorful. The flavor, other than what is imparted by grain, comes from spices such as orange zest, coriander, and ginger. Some spice character also comes from the production of esters during fermentation at warm temperatures. Saisons tend to be semi-dry with many only having a touch of sweetness to them.

Some of the best beers of summer fit into this style of beer, and here are some recommendations to get you started: (Note – these are commercial descriptions and not my reviews. In order to properly review these beers, I would either have to reacquire them and drink them all to give you notes, or recall back to when I last had them all and remember what I thought at the time. Neither of those scenarios is going to happen here, so I’ll give you the commercial tasting notes and descriptions, which are the intellectual property of the brewery they’re attached to.)

Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) – Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY: A moderately hoppy, farmhouse-style ale with a champagne-like effervescence, Hennepin has a crisp start followed by malt sweetness balanced with a firm bitterness. Hennepin has a bounty of great flavors: ginger, spice, orange and toasted grain. Pouring a bright golden color with a spicy-sweet balance of orange peel, sweet malt, hops and ginger, Hennepin makes way for a dry finish with a slight bite of ginger.

Saison Rue – The Bruery, Orange County, CA: Saison Rue is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned, Belgian/French-style farmhouse ale. This is a beer of subtlety and complexity, with malted rye, spicy, fruity yeast notes, biscuit-like malt backbone and a slight citrus hop character. With age, this beer will dry out and will become more complex with rustic notes of leather and earth from the contribution of a wild yeast strain. Being a saison, Saison Rue is ambiguous unto itself as it is a different beer when fresh and when aged.

Saison Du BUFF – Stone Brewing Co, Escondido, CA; Dogfish Head Brewery, Dover, DE; Victory Brewing Co, Downingtown, PA: Saison du BUFF is a 6.8% ABV Saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The beer is brewed three times, once at each brewery using the same recipe.

Colette Farmhouse Ale – Great Divide Brewing Co, Denver, CO: Colette is a homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast strains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats — a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

Red Sky at Night (Saison Ale) – Heavy Seas Beer, Baltimore, MD: This rustic farmhouse ale is crafted with an eye for tradition: Belgian yeast and candi sugar shape the aroma and taste of Red Sky at Night. Fruity and bright, the straw-colored saison has a dry, somewhat tart finish from Strisselspalt hops. Notes of banana, apricot, clove, and allspice make this a slightly honeyed, herbaceous beer. The authentic candi sugar gives Red Sky lightness and robustness.

…and of course…

Saison Dupont - Brasserie Dupont, West-Hainaut, Belgium: Saison Dupont is a classic Belgian farmhouse ale. This is a beautifully balanced, complex beer that has a refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish. It is bottled unfiltered so it may be cloudy or have a slight sediment but this is normal and perfectly natural.

That should be enough to get you started, as far as your shopping list is concerned, but most of your local breweries will be offering this style this time of year as well. I highly recommend you take this beautiful Saturday and visit your local brewers, and order a saison (please don’t pronounce it the French way). The results are magical.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!