Saison - History

History

The origin of saison is Belgian farmhouse beers brewed in the autumn or winter for consumption during the summer for the farm workers, who were entitled to up to five litres each workday. 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. After brewing, the ale was stored until the summer when the main consumers would be the seasonal workers ("les saisonniers").

Historically, saisons did not share identifiable characteristics to pin them down as a style, but rather were a group of refreshing summer ales. Each farm brewer would make his own distinctive version. 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%. Because of the lack of potable water, saisons would give the farm hands the hydration they needed without the threat of illness.

The ale had to be strong to prevent spoilage during the long storage, but at the same time could not be so strong as to incapacitate the workers. Additionally, these beers were strongly hopped, as hops act as a preservative and have antiseptic properties. Saisons brewed in early Spring would often be blended with saisons brewed the previous Autumn, or even blended with lambic beers to increase the refreshing acidity of these beers. Blending also occurred to reduce the abv, and thus increase its refreshment value.

Although saison has been described as an endangered style, 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.

Modern saisons are generally highly carbonated, fruity and spicy - sometimes from the addition of spices -, and are influenced by Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, the flagship beer of the Dupont Brewery, a 6.5% golden coloured pale ale with noticeable yeast character. 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.