Concentrated hop products like Cryo Hops and Hop Hash from Yakima Chief Hops deliver on their promise of more aroma and flavor, but what of the subtler side of things? What about all of the other hop material that falls by the wayside in the pursuit of concentration?
In the spirit of the New Year, here’s a fresh look at an old homebrew recipe—one that improves on a Saison by ditching the spices and adding Brettanomyces.
If you’re looking for a near perfect example of the style, hunt this Saison down or run through the rest of Blackberry Farm’s portfolio, which is loaded with similar beers and other Belgian-influenced offerings.
The ever-changing menu at Salt & Smoke, a food truck on the patio of Burial Beer Co., explores the link between Old World European traditions and the chef’s Southern roots in eats that pair well with beer.
As brewery-band collaboration projects become more commonplace, new research suggests that neurological connections between how we process taste and sound could exist—potentially taking musically-inspired beers to a new level.
As Taylor Ziebarth relaunches Oddwood Ales, originally a side label of the Austin brewery Adelbert’s, as a standalone business with its own brewery and taproom, distinctive microorganisms remain front and center.
Session beers aren’t limited to British styles—Grisette, the lesser-brewed cousin of Belgian Saison, is a refreshing thirst quencher at just 4 percent ABV.
In search of a new flavor profile, brewers turn to gin barrels, which can add herbal citrus, botanical notes, vanilla sweetness, and oaky depth to certain beers.
The remote Estonian islands, an hours-long journey from the capital of Tallinn, have preserved many of the country’s cultural traditions, including brewing the rustic farmhouse ale Koduõlu.
Trading sprawling fields for rooftop gardens, urban farm breweries from Los Angeles to Chicago and New York bring a new kind of authenticity to farmhouse-style beers.
Nick VanCourt brews beer in Michigan, which means his peers are some of the best the US has to offer. He’s stood out by keeping his beers grounded in a sensibility that’s more European than brawling American.
This gin-based cocktail is all earth on the nose, the mouth is grassy, floral and spicy, and the finish is dry. It really encapsulates what Utah’s herbs are about.
Many of us treat brewing like a solitary act and can’t see intruding on someone else’s session. Remember though, for most of history, brewing was taught through apprenticeship. Showing is a massively effective way to teach the craft.
The story of the world’s first Leafcutter Ant Saison starts in the days leading up to São Paulo, Brazil’s O Mercado, an epic gastronomy fair that brings together more than 20,000 foodies, chefs, restaurateurs and a handful of brewers.
Poke is a local Hawaiian dish; the word means “to slice or cut into cubes.” Think sashimi-quality raw tuna made into a fresh salad. The addition of Kona Brewing’s Big Swell IPA or Lemongrass Saison to the marinade adds a citrusy brightness to the fish.
On Memorial Day, we honor the brave soldiers who have died serving in the US military. But the holiday has also come to mark the start of a new season, which we might boil down to the three S’s: sun, seersucker and Saison.
I first encountered Saison around 1997 at my local brewpub, and I’ve been deeply obsessed ever since. There isn’t nearly enough space in this column for all my thoughts on the style, but hopefully these notes on my brewing process will help make those notorious yeast strains work for you.
