Why no listing for Grisette?

This has been debated quite a bit. Perhaps it should be listed separately, perhaps not. But the grisette is essentially a saison/farmhouse ale, so that's what it's considered.

 

That's fair, and that's why this has been debated often. Haha. Personally I wouldn't mind if they listed it because I enjoy pretty precise style descriptions, but that's just my opinion. I see the point of the other crowd that wants to keep styles more simplistic.

 

Agreed, every one I have had I thoroughly enjoyed, when they are segregated off it makes it easy to trace them down when I am traveling

 

I started the same exact thread a while back: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/should-grisette-be-its-own-style.579034/
Is there a way to merge these together?
I’m beginning to think it should be it’s own style considering that since I started that thread, they have added various sub styles notably including NEIPA and Brut IPA.

 

It fits neatly into Saison territory. Just enjoy the beer and don't worry about the classification.

 

Yes, but what about when you're drinking a French saison that's actually made in France and you have to list it under "Belgian Saison"? That's a little weird, huh? Especially since we know historically that there really was no border where "saison" was made or not made - it was brewed on farms all across Europe, but definitely in Northern France as well as southern Belgium.

I personally think "Saison/Farmhouse Ale" would be the best way to cover it, but simply "Saison" would work as well. As for grisette, it's just a sub category of saison in my opinion.

 

That is 4 and 10 to many IMO.

 

I guess, if this sort of shit bothers you.

 

Just after the new categories were added I stopped at a brewery and got a Brut IPL. There's no IPL category let alone a Brut IPL,but I wouldn't want to see pilsners turn in a dozen categories either.

 

Don't even get me started on the four varieties of what are essentially "bitter" (namely English Bitter, Extra Strong Bitter, English IPA and English Pale Ale) which are not only hair splitting, but hair splitting along lines that almost no-one who actually drinks English beer in England would recognize.

In any case, I can see the argument for grisette as basically "clean, low-gravity saison" in that it doesn't really make sense to compare a light, drinkable 4% ABV beer to one that's twice as strong and aged in wine casks on brett. OTOH I don't know whether they're common enough for it to be worth making the system more complex for.

 

Kind of like session IPAs.
It's in a no-man's land of style, best thought of as Saison lite.

 

Session IPAs don't have their own listing. There's no need for a separate listing for Grissette, since it's a low ABV (Session) Saison.

 

To be clear, traditional farmhouse saisons were actually low in alcohol, 1.5% - 4%, with 4% being more of a specialty beer. The saisons were brewed for the saisoners, or seasonal farmhands. Modern day strong saisons weren't developed until the mid 1900's.

Grisettes weren't really a different style, but more of an advertising term. They were brewed for miners once larger breweries came about. In my mind they're just another form of saison.

Of course you can look all of this up and read the book "Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition" by Phil Markowski

 

Thanks for the feedback. FYI, we still intend to make further improvements/adjustments/additions to Beer Styles before the end of the year.

 

11 listings for pale lagers. I think the database can spare the space. The new(er) Beer Styles main page is absolute pants, btw.

 

Hey, quit moving my cheese! I'm on a quest to try/review a beer from each style, and was at 102 out of 104 until the recent reshuffling left me at 105 of 111. I've clawed my way to 108 and the end is in sight...

 

I ran across an article on draftmag.com indicating that grisettes used malted wheat in the grain bill for body and texture. Do you know if this is a modern interpretation of the style, or was it used in the more traditional recipes?

I think it's a very interesting style regardless. And delicious, too.

 

Just sharing my opinion...

Get rid of all "German", except in "German Pilsner". "Leipzig" has to go. Get rid of "American" or "Robust Porter". "Kvass" is not a beer, and doesn't belong on here. If not, then you can create a new category "Other Fermented Beverages" and add Kombucha, Cider, Mead and Sake as well. And the worst one by far...please change "British Barleywine" back to "English". Especially when the rest is "English", not "British".

Cheers!