Summer Mocktails (p 20) - Healthful Elements

Hop TalkSaisonSummer is the perfect season to try a saison.When the weather turnshot in Kansas City it’stime move away from themore substantial beers that taste sonice by the fire on a cold night andmove towards lighter beers that areboth dry and thirst quenching, butstill flavorful. A favorite summer beeris a Belgian style beer called saison.Saison had humble beginnings as abeer brewed at farmhouses to quenchthe thirst of the farmhands duringthe hot summer months. It was oftenbrewed at the beginning of winter andkept to condition for several monthsto be consumed in the summer. Atthat time, sanitation and brewingtechnology was not what it is today, sobrewing in the summer meant almostcertain infection. The style progressedto being crafted at small breweriesin the small towns of the Walloniancountryside and many of the bestexamples are still brewed by smallBelgian breweries, although manyAmerican breweries and brewpubshave embraced the style.A saison will typically be verywell carbonated, with a large, rockyhead atop it. Most saisons tend tobe very dry, very light in color, spicyfrom the yeast or spice contributions,moderately bitter from the hops,fruity, and oftentimes, sour or tart.Notice that’s “most” saisons, that isbecause the beer style is very diverseand ever expanding by both Belgianbrewers of the style like BrasserieFantôme and American brewers suchas Jolly Pumpkin. The beer styleleads itself to creative interpretationsusing varied and unique grains suchas spelt, buckwheat, and oats, variousfruit juices, flowers, spices and byintroducing other types of yeast to thebeer such as brettanomyces, whichwill dry the beer out additionally and,to quote Tomme Arthur, create “theproverbial horse blanket and sweatyflavors found in “nature.” Although itstarted out as a relatively low alcoholbeer, the alcohol content has driftedupwards and it is not unusual to findexamples in the 6.5-7.0% alcohol byvolume range and higher.Traditionally, saisons are sold inlarge format bottles that use thickerglass in order to stand up to thehigh carbonation. The bottles areoften corked, which makes for a nicepresentation. This is a style that iseasily embraced by those beer drinkersthat tend to prefer lighter domesticbeers, so it’s a great beer to take todiner parties or picnics.Chris is a an avid homebrewer and amember of both the Kansas City BierMeisters and The Lawrence BrewersGuild. In addition to craft beer, Chrisloves to cook, travel, and hang out withhis wife and two dogs.Food PairingsSaisons are great with foodand could be paired easily withfresh salads, steamed mussels,various cheeses, including agedgoat cheeses or soft-ripenedtriple crème, and lighter fish andpoultry dishes. I’ve come acrossmenus that pair saisons withsuch dishes as Ahi Tuna Cevichewith Mango and Avocado, HerbCrusted Alaskan Sockeye Salmonand a Micro-Green Salad, andginger, lemongrass, Hennepin(a brand of saison) and honeymarinated scallops, seared andserved over chopped briocheand baby lettuces tossed in alight orange vinaigrette with a filowrapped vegetable bundle.Locally Available SaisonsOmmegang HennepinBrasserie de Blaugies Saisond’Epeautre -- (which is brewedwith Spelt)Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe-MereBoulevard SaisonIf you are feeling adventurousand want to try one that includebrettanomyces, I would go forthe upcoming Boulevard Saisonwith Brett or if you are wantingto try a barrel-aged saison thatincludes not only brettanomyces,but some other bugs, try JollyPumpkin’s excellent Bam Biere.July, 2008 25