‘Tis the Saison Continued from Page 1


Here are 5 must-try saisons. For more reviews, go to westcoastersd.com and


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Sierra Nevada / Abbey of New Clairvaux Ovila Abbey Saison This new offering, born of the collaboration between the Abbey of New Clairvaux and Sierra Nevada, is the second in the Ovila line after their Dubbel, which was released this past spring. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the Saison, Dubbel, and the Quad (to be released November 2011) will help restore the Oliva chapter house on the grounds of the Ab- bey of New Clairvaux just north of Sierra Nevada HQ in Chico. We were impressed with the Dubbel and are eagerly awaiting the upcoming release of Ovila Saison. Look for it in bottles and on draft by the middle of the month.


Saison Dupont Saison Dupont Vieille Provision is considered by


many to be the classic modern saison. Brasserie Dupont is the real deal: a Belgian farmhouse brew- ery that carried this former drink of farm hands into the new era. Brewed with only pilsner malt


In With The New Continued from Page 1


in SoCal and Hawaii and it’s meant to be shared with good friends at backyard barbeques or off a cold tap with the crew at your local joint.”


That simplicity is as much the trademark of Butcher’s Brewing as their pig-and- cleaver-adorned logo. Upcoming beer styles from the rookie company include pale ales, single and double IPAs, a stout and a porter dubbed The Entire Butt. Then there’s Pigs Premium Nut Brown, which will be brewed later this month and dis- tributed the first week of August. Knight’s goal is to brew 500 barrels in his first year and roll them out in a two-tiered system much like Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey. “In a nutshell, our Mucho beers are our core sessionable beers that will be enjoyed by everyone. The Butcher’s beers are go- ing to be an outlet for my creative and not always conventional brewing,” says Rey. “I envision doing firkins and cask ales un- der Butcher’s, fermentations with bacterial inoculations and beers brewed with herbs, spices and non-traditional fermentables.”


P


roving intensely unorthodox and experimental methodologies aren’t necessary to open a brewery is Aztec


Brewing Company. For the quartet of SDSU graduates behind this new business, the idea of reviving an ancient regional brand was as easy as ABC.


“Aztec Brewing Company was started in Mexicali during prohibition and moved to San Diego after prohibition ended. It actu- ally grew to be a fairly big local brewery, producing over 100,000 barrels per year,” says Claudia Falk, the company’s Market- ing Director. “During the consolidation of breweries that happened in the 40s and 50s, a Midwest brewer bought it out and the original Aztec brand was retired, but there are still ABC signs, bottles and cans floating around.”


The aim for this business will be to blend the traditions of fine German and Mexican brewing with fresh, modern craft brewing attitude, energy and techniques. Leading that charge is head brewer Rob Esposito, a BJCP-certified beer judge


and the former head of the North County Homebrewers Association. Rob will be in charge of managing Aztec’s familiar base of operations, a 4,500 square foot facility in Vista that housed Green Flash Brewing Company before their move to a new facil- ity in Mira Mesa last month.


agave nectar), Chocolate Porter (brewed with cocoa nibs) and Sacrifice Red Impe- rial IPA. “We are developing unique flavors based on ingredients indigenous to California and Mexico. Bringing back old California-style flavors and marrying the spices and flavors of Latin food with beer. We are explor- ing an overlooked niche with a genre of beers uniquely suited for the culture of San Diego,” says Claudia. “Our beers will pair well with Mexican food. Until you have our Chipotle IPA with a California burrito, you haven’t lived.”


Aztec will sell their beers strictly in kegs for the first six months before starting to bottle 22-ouncers. Down the line are plans for 12-ounce bottles as well. Their target production in year one is 1,000 barrels with goals of getting up to 8,000 barrels


by the end of year three and 15,000 barrels five years in.


Though quite different from each other, both Butcher’s and Aztec note that opening their own brewing operations would be ex- tremely difficult without the help provided by their fellow San Diegans.


“One of the things we like is how sup- portive all of the breweries are of each other,” says Claudia. “What other industry is like that? Thank you to Mark Purciel from Oceanside Ale Works, Dan Love at Mother Earth, Peter Zien at AleSmith, Karl Zappa from Bayhawk and now the people at Green Flash, who all took time from their busy schedules to help us, answer questions and offer advice. We are very grateful and thank the local big boys for leading the way. What an amazing industry to join.”


and goldings hops, Saison Dupont shows just how immensely complex a beer can be made through an exceptional fermentation. When poured into the glass, it exhibits a glowing golden hue and a massive white head that is as thick as meringue. The aroma bursts with a mix of tropical fruits, white pepper, herbaceous hops, and vanilla frosting. The flavor is dry and refreshing, but initially hits your palate with an almost candied fruit sweetness that quickly moves into a leafy hop bitterness. Highly carbonated and light in body but not thin or watery, this may be the ultimate summer refresher and pairs with almost every kind of summer cooking, from barbecue to tangy salads.


Fantome Saison Brewer Dany Prignon crafts some of the most in-


teresting and complex beers in the world at his tiny farmhouse brewery in the Belgian Ardennes forest. Taking the saison idea to the next level, he brews a unique recipe for each season, as well as sev- eral specialties including Pissenlit, which is brewed with dandelions. His most consistent product may be the flagship Fantome Saison, though it is ru- mored that he also changes that recipe from time


to time as well. A stronger and funkier take on the style, it comes in at 8% ABV and sometimes dis- plays an ample sourness and fruity complexity that can sometimes smell just like fresh strawberries. Fantome isn’t about consistency—you never know exactly what you are going to get when you open a bottle—most of the time though, it’s a delicious and complex experience.


Green Flash Summer Saison Green Flash throws their hat in the ring with this


golden, lower-alcohol summer seasonal. Brewed with orange peel, ginger, and grains of paradise, Summer Saison manages a complex balance be- tween spices and expressive yeast character. It is one of the lighter beers that you’ll find in the style, but make no mistake, there’s a lot of flavor and complexity packed in this easy-drinking package.


Coronado Saison by the Sea Coronado’s spicy saison offers hints of citrus and fruit, ginger, chamomile, spearmint, and a bit of sweetness from the malt. All in all, it’s a very inter- esting interpretation of the style even though it may stray a bit from tradition.


Vintage ABC beer can. Photo courtesy of Aztec Brewing Company


“We plan on making big changes,” says Claudia. “Adding a real tasting bar and an extra bathroom are among them. Creating atmosphere with murals and enlarged cop- ies of the historic photos from the original brewery is another creative avenue for us to explore. The mural from the original brewery that was painted in the 30s is currently being stored by the San Diego Historic Society. Maybe we can talk them into loaning it to us, although it is pretty gruesome…ritual human sacrifice.” What’s sure to be different are the beers—an initial line-up of six, plus sea- sonals, all of which will be available at the tasting room and keg accounts throughout North County. It remains to be seen which of Esposito’s multitude of recipes will “make the cut” to full production as market response will dictate that to a large degree. For now, the core group includes El Do- rado Kolsch-style Blonde, Amber Altbier, Chipotle IPA, Agave Wheat (made with


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Photo courtesy of Clinton Smith, Coronado Brewing Company


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