Saison

For other uses, see Saison (disambiguation).
Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, the template for modern saisons

Saison (French, "season," French pronunciation: ​[sɛ.zɔ̃]) is a broadly defined pale ale that, in modern versions, is generally around 7% abv, highly carbonated, fruity, spicy (sometimes from the addition of spices), and is influenced by Saison Dupont Vieille Provision.[1] Saisons are currently brewed in a range of countries, particularly the United States, and are often bottle conditioned.[2]

History

As a beer style, the saison originated from ales brewed during the cooler and less active months in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, and then stored for drinking by the farm workers during the summer months.[1] It is believed that these farmhouse beers would have been of a lower abv than modern saisons—probably initially around 3 to 3.5% abv on average, rising in the early 20th century to between 4.5 and 6.5% abv.[3] As these beers were intended to be served to workers on the job, they were entitled to up to five litres each workday.[1] Brewing outside the summer months was common for all brewers before the discovery of refrigeration, due to the likelihood of the beer spoiling while fermenting in the summer, which is the height of airborne bacteria activity. Farmers possibly also brewed during the cooler months to provide work for their permanent staff during the quieter period.[4] After brewing, the ale was stored until the summer when the main consumers would be the seasonal workers ("les saisonniers").[5]

Historically, saisons did not share enough identifiable characteristics to pin them down as a specific style, but rather were a group of refreshing summer ales made by farmers. Each farm brewer would make his own distinctive version.[4] Although now most commercial examples range from 5 to 8% abv, originally saisons were meant to be refreshing and it is thought they had alcohol levels ranging from 3 to 3.5%.[3]

Although saison has been described as an endangered style,[6] there has been a rise in interest in this style in recent years, with Saison Dupont being named "the Best Beer in the World" by the magazine Men's Journal in July 2005.[7]

Modern saisons are generally highly carbonated, fruity and spicy—sometimes from the addition of spices—and are influenced by Saison Dupont Vieille Provision,[1] the flagship beer of the Dupont Brewery,[8] a 6.5% golden coloured pale ale with noticeable yeast character.[9] They are brewed in a range of countries, particularly the USA, and are generally bottle conditioned with an average abv range of 5 to 8% abv.[10][11][12]

Composition

The type of malt determines the colour of the saison, and although most saisons are of a cloudy golden colour as result of the grist being mostly pale or pilsner malt, the use of darker malts results in some saisons being reddish-amber. Some recipes also use wheat. Spices such as orange zest, coriander, and ginger may be used. Some spice character may come through due to the production of esters during fermentation at warm temperatures.[13] Modern examples brewed in the US tend to copy the yeast used by the Dupont Brewery, which ferments better at warmer temperatures—29 to 35 °C (84 to 95 °F)—than the standard 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) fermenting temperature used by other Belgian ales.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Phil Markowski (9 Sep 2011). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. p. 711. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  2. ↑ Michael Jackson. "Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Beer Styles: Saison". www.beerhunter.com. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yvan de Baets (25 Dec 2004). Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition. Brewers Publications. p. 120. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yvan de Baets (25 Dec 2004). Farmhouse ales: culture and craftsmanship in the Belgian tradition. Brewers Publications. p. 98.
  5. ↑ Yvan de Baets (25 Dec 2004). Farmhouse ales: culture and craftsmanship in the Belgian tradition. Brewers Publications. p. 99.
  6. ↑ "Saison". www.allaboutbeer.com. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  7. ↑ "MJ FEATURE: Best Beers in the World". www.mensjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  8. ↑ Phil Markowski (9 Sep 201). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. p. 312. Retrieved 27 November 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ↑ Ben McFarland (6 Oct 2009). World's Best Beers: One Thousand Craft Brews from Cask to Glass. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 103. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  10. ↑ Andy Crouch (2010). Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation's Finest Beers and Breweries. Running Press. p. 223.
  11. ↑ Adrian Tierney-Jones (1 March 2010). "SAISON: FLAVORS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE". All About Beer.
  12. ↑ Michael Jackson. "Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Beer Styles: Saison". www.beerhunter.com. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  13. ↑ Phil Markowski (2004). Farmhouse ales. Brewers Publications. p. 166. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  14. ↑ Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the European Tradition, pages 168–173, Phil Markowski, Brewers Publications (2004), ISBN 0-937381-84-5
Bibliography

External links

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