Saison
After a week’s waylay it’s
straight back into our wonderful Wednesday wanders through the walk-in wardrobe
of beer styles.
So far we have covered
the classic German hefe-weissbier, Belgian kriek lambic ale and the bold but
beautiful American amber ale. This week it’s back to Belgium to explore a beer
style whose real history totally belies the fashionable on as well as the
understated finery of the style. We’re talking about saison.
Saison’s history isn’t the
only beguiling aspect of the style. Those who are anything but new to beer
exploration have watched saisons go in and out of fashion like literary fiction
and thigh-high stilettos. We’re here to quite literally reverse the trends,
which is to say remove trend-driven
decision-making while perusing the shelves at the liquor store, so that
way saisons may find their way into your glass once again.
My own fridge feels
particularly empty when there is no saison to be found, for it is a beer style
that wears many hats, not just the hat of the storytelling grifter.
And we all know hats
never go out of style!
 | |
| La Sirene Saison, brewed in Melbourne, Australia is a fine modern example of the saison style. Image shows a tulip glass of saison with its head almost erupting over the rim, and to its right-hand side is its now empty bottle. In the background table decorations. |
Saison: What You Need To
Know
Origin: Liege, Belgium.
Not Wallonia! See below. Now brewed all over the world.
Etymology: Saison
translates to “season.” It denoted either a specific style or, when used as a
suffix, any beer brewed in winter for keeping in readiness for summer.
Where to find them:
Independent bottleshops, specialty bars and brewpubs.
ABV: 3.5-5% (table),
5-7% (standard), 7-9.5% (super).
Approachability: Very
approachable. Complexities are nuanced and bitterness is restrained.
Glassware: Belgian
tulip.
Seasonality: Any time of year.
A (not so brief) history
of saison
First and foremost, I
implore you to abandon the hopelessly romantic notion that saison originated in
farmhouses in the idyllic Wallonian countryside. And I ask you, dear reader
looking to reconnect with the modern saison style, please do not shoot the
messenger.
Findings by the likes of
beer historians Roel Mulder and Yvan de Baets over at Lostbeer.com paint a much grittier picture. You can read more in the links below.
Much like parts of
Britain and cities along Germany’s Rhine river, the Belgian city of Liege is at
the country’s industrial and mining heart. It is here the very first historical
mentioning of saison Mulder could find, dating back to 1823. Indeed the first
mentioning of saison within the Hainaut province dates back to 1858 and from
the city of Charleroi. Much like Liege, Charleroi is an industrial town, thus
putting the myth to bed that saison was brewed in winter when life on the farm
slowed down before being stored in readiness for summer refreshment.
Ultimately what this
suggests is that early saison, a pale, clear beer often brewed in Liege with
malted spelt and unmalted wheat, was brewed to slake the thirsts of industrial,
not rural, labourers. Meanwhile across the remainder of Belgium the suffix “de
saison” did in fact denote a
beer meant for storage, however this did not in any way announce a specific
beer style.
I’m sad to say these
home truths about saison will doubtless get in the way of its fashionably
fantastical story. Moreover it can’t be understated these stories helped see in
saison’s recent commercial renaissance. Above all else the real truth of the
matter is saison emerged from humble beginnings to become one of the beer world’s
all-round classiest acts.
Saison: A beer for all
seasons
Modern technologies,
namely refrigeration, mean that any beer style can be brewed and enjoyed all
year round, which means that the traditionally interpreted meaning of saison is essentially now redundant. This is especially true when one considers saison,can be brewed in
hot weather (up to 28°C thanks to its resilient yeast strain). Above all, it also somehow
straddles the line between refreshing and warming, making t fit for any time of year. Think of your favourite item
of clothing that‘s equally as appropriate in January as it is June and you get
the idea.
Moreover, the style is
as broad as it is versatile. There are delicate table saisons, the middle of
the road "standard" saisons and the bigger super saisons are great for
celebrations. Reach for the latter when the season calls for festive Santa hats
(hey not all hats are fashionable per se). They are sometimes darker in colour,
much higher in ABV and full of nuanced spicy aromatics, warming alcohol and
complex malt character.
What is truly remarkable
is how drinkable saisons are. Complex but stripped back, raw but refined, yet
always balanced. And with their golden hue, scintillating showiness and
luscious white head they look damn good while doing it too.
Saison Dupont, brewed in
Tourpes (almost incongruously in the Hainaut province, Wallonia) ticks every
box and then some. Bottles are corked and caged for added sex appeal, as if the beer itself didn't have enough of that already...
Bumper edition: Saison
is better than wine with...
Almost anything you care
to mention. The style that wears many hats is also polite enough to take its
hat off at the dinner table. It’s here saison shines with elegance, grace and
aplomb.
You could start the meal
by serving saison as an aparatiff. Carefully pour your favourite saison into
Champagne flutes and enjoy the reaction from your guests. The high carbonation
of the beer completes the experience while the grainy malt profile will inspire
hearty conversation over the merits of Belgium and France’s finest exports.
Champagne is said to be
versatile at the dinner table and its saison’s aforesaid grainy-bready
character that echoes Champagne’s agility (and catwalk good looks). Truth be
known, saison can do so much more, with or without consideration of the higher
and lower extremities of its ABV range.
Seafood entrees (salt
& pepper calamari in particular) and main courses (think seafood chowder)
latch on to saison’s peppery character and fruity esters while the beer’s
bready quality plays off the batter or bread, respectively. There’s enough
racey acidity to cut like a knife through the fat as well.
Saison Dupont is perhaps
the most sharply dressed and dynamic contender at the dinner table due to its
yeast strain being said to be a very close relative to red wine yeast. Indeed
for such a generally pale coloured beer saison will more than match the dark
flavours of steak, mushrooms or even a hearty roast lamb thanks to its peppery
phenols.
Saison Dupont in
particular takes a shining to the robust dish of toasted Turkish bread topped with hummus and
mushrooms cooked in ginger, garlic, spices and tamari kepap mania soy sauce.
This intriguing Middle Eastern meets Asian flavour explosion fits Saison Dupont
like a glove. (Are gloves still in fashion?)
The beer’s
bready-graininess adds depth to the Turkish bread and its subtle sweetness. The
hummus’s tang and bright citrus flavours meet saison’s orange-lemon citrus
esters. The peppery phenols - imparted by Saison Dupont’s peppery qualities
match the mushrooms’ earthy flavours and soy sauce’s umami. The whole
experience then becomes something so much more than the sum of its parts as the
spices and dynamic elements of the beer and meal reach their crescendo. All of
a sudden it’s time for another bite as the beer’s acidity, vigorous carbonation
and dry finish sweep the palate clean.
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