Belgian Saisons

The smell of fresh cut grass, baseball on TV, the sound of kids out of school, steaks on the grill, weekends on the beach, hikes, 101° F temperatures and 95% humidity outside means it must be summer in Houston. For those of you not from Houston, allow me to explain. Go into your bathroom, close all of the doors and windows turn the shower on at hot as it will go, in a few minutes, you can begin to understand a hot, wet summer day in Houston. As the mist of Texas Amazonia begins to grasp the city our thoughts begin to shift toward relief; what can we drink to help ease the pain?

If you are weary of the light summer beers that have become common place in today’s market, take a look at the most classic of summer beer types, the Belgium style Saison. The word Saison is French for season; this farmhouse style of ale originates from Wallonia a French speaking region in Belgium. We call this ale type farmhouse ale because it was first brewed in farmhouses during the harvest season for field workers who traditionally got 5 liters of beer a day. Wow! Let me be a Belgium farmhand. In many ways, good Belgium Saisons are like good French wine; top fermentation of this beer type takes place in hot farmhouses sometimes at temperatures above 90° F (this might be a little high for the safety of the yeast so many Saisons today are brewed around 80°).

In the age before refrigeration, farmers had to have a way to persevere their harvest from year to year, brewing or distilling were common tools to help do this. Saisons are strong ales that were brewed in late autumn or winter for consumption in late summer. The ales had to be strong enough to survive the months long aging but not so strong as to diminish the efficiency of the farmhands. So many times these beers were blended with Lambics or Saisons from the previous season resulting in a brew that was about 3% ABV. Today many Saisons are bottle conditioned around 8% ABV.

The Saison was once thought to be a disappearing style of beer, but with the help of a fearless American craft brewing market, the Saison has found new life, and consequently many Saisons that were favorites for centuries in their home country are finding their way to American shores. Combine that with the well crafted American takes on this brew, and you have yourself a good selection to choose from. But my three favorites from this category are the Saison Dupont Vieille Provision brewed by Dupont Brasserie of Tourpes-Leuze of Belgium, Saison Dupont’s organic brother Forêt Dupont (A.K.A. Moinette Biologique) and the Hennepin Farmhouse brewed by Brewery Ommegang from Cooperstown, New York.

Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, or Saison Dupont for short, is considered to be one of the best examples of this beer type in the world. Ranking in the 96^th percentile with a 3.81 from ratebeer.com and posting an excellent rating of A- from beeradvocate.com. This is the most readily available example of top notch Saisons you can get. This farmhouse ale comes slightly lighted than you might suspect with only 6.5% ABV. The beer pours a hazy straw yellow color. It has a thick white head made up of tiny little bubbles, the head settle quickly but hangs around in a thin form for most of the time you consume it. The nose is a dusty mix of spice yeast and hops. The mouth feel is highly carbonated; this comes from the bottle conditioning. The taste is a sweet mix of spice; I get light coriander, cloves, peppercorn and nutmeg with a very forward flavor of acidic lemon. The finish is a dry sweetness that is somewhat lingering. By far a tasty beer that is good all year round, but it is truly satisfying after a hard day of yard work, or farm work, whatever you might be doing.

Moinette Biologique is the same beer as Saison Dupont but it is brewed with 100% organically grown hops and barley, with no added pesticides, no chemicals and filtered natural well water. The beer is in the 95^th percentile on ratebeer.com and gets an Excellent A- from Beeradvocate.com. The beer is very similar to the Saison Dupont in almost every way, but it is slightly more carbonated and has a more refreshing mouth feel. All things being equal I would choose the Moinette Biologique over the Saison Dupont simply because it is basically the same beer with a smaller carbon foot print (blog score points with green community).

Using the standards set forth by the great Belgium breweries like Dupont Brasserie Brewery, Ommegang is thousands of physical miles away, but right in step with the great tradition of the Saison. Ommegang is an American brewery like Allagash that has chosen to base its brewing on the time honor methods of Belgium beers.

It is right to talk about Ommegang and summer as summer is indicative of sports like baseball, and Ommegang and baseball are the only two important things in Cooperstown, New York. Brewery Ommegang is an architectural masterpiece based on Belgium farmhouses, the brewery was built on an old hop farm in 1997. The brewers work on one simple idea, brew a product that is a deep complex totally-quaffable marriage of partaking and art. It is under the illusion of the European country side that Ommegang brews their only Saison; the Hennepin Farmhouse Ale. The brew has been called nirvana in a bottle, the beer God would drink, and a beer in the classic tradition of Belgium. Hennepin is in the 93th percentile with a 3.69 from ratebeer.com, and gets an Excellent rating of A- from beeradvocate.com. This bottle conditioned ale weighs in at 7.70% ABV.

The beer pours a hazy golden color with a light, lively fluffy head that doesn’t last long. The nose is full of sweet citrus mostly an orange flavor. The beer has a very dry mouth feel that is unexpectedly hoppy. The taste is a mix of yeast, sweet citrus layered with a ginger flavor. The beer has nice lasting bitter finish. This is a great example of a Belgium beer done the right way outside of Belgium. Try this beer with rustic foods like roasted chicken or duck, meaty fresh water fish, some shell fish like lobster, whole grain breads and full bodied cheeses, or foods with a little more spice like BBQ, Mexican, Thai or Indian.

So as the weather turns warmer and you find yourself working outside, remember that long before the watery light beer became America’s choice for summer time refreshment the Belgium Saison was quenching the thirst of hard working men and women and doing it without sacrificing flavor or character. So get out of the steamy bathroom and grab one of many great Belgium style Saison we have to choose from.

The Expansion of the Cocktail

Someone asked me today how my trip to New Orleans went. After describing the hazy evenings and all of the wonderful people I met, I faced the same question that seems to be reoccurring in all my conversations about Tales – “So what’s the cool new thing in cocktails?” Now admittedly, I missed the seminar put on by Camper English that directly addressed this issue, but I must say that the one of the most encouraging aspects of Tales was the lack of any singular trend or ideology. The cocktail is alive, and it is growing in many different directions that I feel like being a part of the evolution now is as exciting as ever. Taking all this in over the past week, I wanted to write a reflective post about Tales after a few days of absorption. After working behind the bar again for almost a week, I must say that despite my period of sobriety, there really is no firm theme about the cocktails at Tales, and I think that is a theme itself. There has never been a time with more diversity and quality in cocktails.

I keep coming back to four major categories of cocktails were primarily discussed at Tales this year in my opinion as a way to make a decision about what drink to focus on next. I think that noting these different categories, while reflecting on the event is valuable in that it makes me think about how closely these categories mirror movements in bars and literature across the globe. Paying attention to each genre of cocktails, especially for those of us in the industry, is a great way to improve drinks of all types.

Molecular Mixology

I attended the molecular mixology seminar at Tales with what seemed like half of the conference to listen to take in the wisdom of Jamie Boudreau, Eben Freeman, and others. I think most of us sought out this event hoping to learn more about molecular mixology methodology, but the setting and equipment didn’t really lend the presentation to this approach. What did occur however was a healthy discussion about the role of molecular mixology in the cocktail community. It seemed at times that some of the speakers were somewhat defensive about molecular mixology and its predictable longevity.

This rhetoric might suggest that molecular mixology is losing some of the glamour and intrigue it once had. I’m not sure this is the case, but the declining popularity of molecular gastronomy might convince some that this is happening in mixology as well. This is unfortunate because we shouldn’t consider molecular mixology or any cocktail or culinary movement, especially those that focus on methods, as anything but a different methodological perspective. Molecular mixology is simply a method that delivers flavor, even if the medium is less than traditional. I hope that through events like Tales, exposure to this type of mixology encourages others to experiment with alternative cocktails and molecular mixology becomes more mainstream.

Classic Cocktails

For a variety of debatable reasons, at some point in history, America and much of the world became disinterested in the cocktail. This allowed flavorless cocktail, like the notorious “vodka martini”, to become mainstays, and the classic cocktail suffered the most. Fortunately, events like Tales, and those who frequent it, have done so much that the classic cocktail in some cities has become the hp, new cocktail again. When was the last time someone referred to the Aviation as trendy? I actually heard this the other day!

The host city of Tales certainly lends itself to discussing the classics as so many of them originated in New Orleans. If you’re interested in New Orleans classics, or any others for that matter, it’s hard to find a larger character or someone more knowledgeable than Chris McMillon. His session on New Orleans cocktails stood as a pillar for discussing the classics amid countless events. The regeneration of so many classic ingredients, such as absinthe, means that the value of understanding the classic cocktail will continue to increase.

Tiki Drinks

No single specific category has grown more among the cocktail scene over the last year than Tiki drinks. This growth is inspired by notable experts such as Jeff Berry, great cocktail blogs focusing on the subject, Tiki bars, and above all, a more mainstream appeal of the Tiki cocktail. Amid all of the refinement the cocktail endured over the past decade, elements that can be perceived as pretentious or uppity have become part of making quality cocktails. There’s really nothing that can done about it, as this is a direct result of the opposing nature of the quality cocktail to the popularity of trendy liqueurs, such as apple pucker.

But, this does mean that cocktails that maintain higher standards, while being perceived as down to earth, create more pathways for people to accept well-constructed cocktails without feeling as though the drink is “too fancy”. Tiki cocktails accomplish this through the inclusion of a culture that is anything but overly formal. Their very existence stresses, “Chill out; drink out a skull.” Consequently, the role of tiki drinks at Tales seemed to fill a similar need for relaxation. While tiki drinks often get overlooked in bars that don’t specifically focus on them, I think it is important for all bars to note the growth of the tiki cocktail and the important role it plays in our community.

Modern Cocktails

Each of the previous categories had a genre that would easily identify specific cocktails, but the modern category is a bit broader. In this case, I am referring to cocktails that use quality spirits, fresh ingredients, and innovative flavor combinations and methods. There are so many great cocktails being served across the globe every day that it is nice to come to Tales and get exposure to so many different original creations. Tales serves an important role of documenting these drinks and sharing them with others. Today, we rely on certain literary gems, like the Savoy Cocktail Book, to help up find the drinks of the past. Without the documentation of books like these, so many wonderful drinks would have been lost to time.

Tales does such a great job of providing a stage for the country’s great mixologists, and with so many exciting changes happening everywhere, I think it is vitally important that we take a moment to document some of the recipes that are continuing to push the cocktail forward. Among so many that come to mind, Audrey Saunders really stood out to me at Tales because of her attention to detail, specifically demonstrated at the aromatics seminar. Her precision and pursuit of perfection are models that all of us trying to create cocktails should model ourselves after. And, that is really what the exposure to modern cocktails provides – inspiration and encouragement.

I had a blast at Tales of the Cocktail this year, and I really just wanted to take a moment to reflect on everything that I learned and, well, drank. I can’t wait until next year, and I hope that we can further define more aspects of the cocktail community that may have been less obvious this year. The success of the cocktail revolution relies chiefly on the ability of enthusiasts and professionals to continue to find different sources and methods for drink construction. We might all have our favorite type of cocktail, but we need to be supportive and understand the value of each in making the cocktail more progressive.

TotC Day 2: Dissecting the Drink

Waking up yesterday morning was challenging. The bed just felt so good, and I really didn’t need to have anything else to drink for a few days. Then again, this is Tales of the Cocktail, and while it is clear that the exchange of information at this event is of primary importance, there also is a sort of drinking marathon afoot. The same people I saw at the bars last night are the same individuals who were at seminars at 10:30 this morning. They’re like freaking alcoholic Energizer Bunnies…with cocktail cotton candy.

Either way, the seminars yesterday were outstanding. I went to two that really made me consider cocktails on a whole new level by dissecting the drink into its most minimal parts. The first seminar I attended was the Molecular Mixology seminar. Among the presenters were Jamie Boudreau and Eben Freeman. In the middle of the seminar, I jokingly thought, “Wow! These guys really are as good as the internet makes them out to be.” The sazerac gummy bear I got is still the best sazerac I’ve had here yet. It’s such an opportunity to actually get to hear these people talk and watch them work instead of just reading descriptions of others’ outings to Tailor and reading Jamie’s blog, which while awesome, just isn’t the same.

Eben Freeman made some really great points about the value of molecular mixology in breaking down people’s barriers about drinks. He used a rum and coke as an example to point out that people have expectations for their cocktails which are generally based on some early experiences. When you take that very same combination or rum and coke, and through molecular mixology methods, make it solid, people react to the solid cocktail by mentally debating the status of the rum and coke itself. People then try the solid rum and coke and realize that it is definitely a rum and coke. Simple, yes, but what actually happens here is that people reevaluate their preconceptions of cocktails and begin defining drinks by taste, not brand or appearance. It can be very difficult to get people to overcome their opinions about cocktails, so I think that his points here were valuable for anyone that campaigns for a better global cocktail.

Audrey Saunders was equally eye-opening in the aromatics seminar. She is definitely a badass. I thought I had broken drinks down as much as possible and considered every element as a means for improving the cocktail, but her focus on the smallest details provides a way for every element to contribute to a cocktail being the best it can be. Her discussion of high and low notes of aroma was useful for understanding how to think about the levels in a drink. Our cocktails should have various aromatic depths, and through a conscious effort to create these dimensions in drinks, we can vastly improve our cocktails. Everything that is a part of the cocktail has the potential to enhance the drink. One example she gave was a wooden swizzle stick. She encouraged us to soak the swizzle stick in natural oils which would be aromatic and flavor the drink overtime.

I then went to the airport to pick up Morgan, and we had dinner at Cochon with fellow Texas cocktail bloggers, the Tipsy Texan duo. The food and service was outstanding, and for the price, we felt the meal was a bargain. I would highly recommend going to Cochon if you find yourself in New Orleans. While there, I had some Vintage 21-year rye. It was a good whiskey, but again, I found myself thinking that the extensive aging took away some of the rye characteristics that I appreciate in younger rye like the Thomas Handy. After sampling a few 20+ year ryes, I am definitely of the opinion that rye is best offered after aging for 12 years or so.

We then went to the Swizzle Stick, the bar at Café Adelaide, where we ran into Gabriel, the cocktail nerd. We were catching them towards the end of their night, so I only had one drink, a twentieth-century cocktail. It was my first, and I must say that the combination of Lillet and crème de cacao was very effective, despite its strangeness. We moved on again to a couple other bars, and I talked with several skilled bloggers and mixologists. I wanted to have a few more cocktails, but having remembered the night before, I held back. Finally, exhausted and hungry, Joe led us to a late-night diner, where we grabbed some breakfast prior to finding our way back to the hotel and crashing. New Orleans was starting to wear me out.

TotC Day 1: The Opposite of Blogging is Drinking

I am immersed in a world of cocktail brilliance in the historical treasure which is New Orleans. Everywhere I turn another opportunity waits that you just can’t find in Houston. Even in the world’s best cocktail cities, the opportunity to discuss methodology and taste examples from the most talented of our field is never gathered in such an intimate and accessible environment. Amid such distractions, it can be difficult to find time to write about one’s experiences, when doing so might risk missing out an a session presented by Jamie Boudreau or a drink from Audrey Saunders.

I was talking to John Meehan of PDT in New York last night while waiting on a drink from Audrey, and, noting the cocktail I already had in one hand, I commented, “Well, I guess I’ll have to have another; it is Audrey Saunders after all.” He responded, “Of course, that’s why you come here.” Shortly after, I found myself stumbling to my hotel room at 10:30 at night, and passing out on my bed. Apparently, I had resurrected the drinking-just-became-legal 21 year-old in me and forgot the important rules of pacing. Though I must say that when I awoke hung over as all hell this morning, this was one of the few times I didn’t really regret it. There were just too many good opportunities, and the price of the morning headache was a small one to pay.

I attended several events the first day, and I really thought that the blend of professionalism and education with a freaking good time is the ideal combination and everything that I hoped for. My first session was Professional Series: How to Get your City, Bar, Recipe or Bartender More Media Coverage presented chiefly by Lauren Clark, who runs Drink Boston. As I am opening a bar in Houston within the year, I really wanted to try and make myself adopt a business perspective for a moment. The seminar was very interesting because it basically presented the mindset of the pr professional and freelance writers. These groups are an important part of any bar reaching out to the public, and approaching them can be somewhat awkward for those of us who are about as far from working professionals as you can get. The transition from behind a bar to motivating media attention is something that needs to be considered fully by bar owners and strategically pursued, which means we have to get outside of our comfort zones at times.

I also went to the one event that I was looking forward to than any other: The Collaborative Cocktail Blog Reception. For over a year now my cocktail blog has been chugging along, and I know how rewarding sharing one’s cocktail hobby on the internet can be. So, it was very nice to finally meet the other people who share this perspective. I have been reading their blogs for such a long time, and it was so nice to finally meet them in person. Cabana Cachaca did an awesome job of catering and organizing the event for us, and we all of owe them a big thanks. Paul Clarke, who organized the collaborative cocktail blog, and the event was also present and it was very nice to meet him, as I think his blog, The Cocktail Chronicles, has to be my favorite of all the best blogs out there. The highlight, for me however, was a little bottle of bitters handed out by Trader Tiki. His Falernum bitters was quite impressive and will be something I put to use at the bar for sure.

I then ran over to the Plymouth Sloe Gin tasting before it ended and sampled the sloe gin before that event concluded. This was my second time to taste the sloe gin, and again, I found it to be quite good. The balance of the bitter flavors, tartness, and botanicals element is perfect and will be a useful addition to many cocktails. It is nice to finally have an authentic sloe in the states. I talked to some people from overseas, who have access to others, and a common theme among their comments was that the Plymouth Sloe Gin is a much more aggressive, deeply flavored liqueur. Gordons, for example, was described as a lighter sloe. So, I think I might have to procure some other sloes somehow, and do a taste test in the future.

From this point, I went to several other events, that were far more drinking oriented. There was a huge Beefeater party, where I had my Audrey Saunders drink and met Chris McMillan. Then, and at this point, thing become less clear, I went to the Save the Daquiri event at some bar somewhere and officially reached my limit. I made it back to the hotel with what must have been some sort of momentary, divine sense of direction.

I slept for 12 hours…

Road Trip: Tales of the Cocktail!

New Orleans here we come! Drink Dogma is invading the Big Easy for the annual cocktail convention, Tales of the Cocktail. I’m driving to New Orleans as soon as I wake up in a few hours. As this event will also be my only real vacation for any predictable period; I plan to have a good time and fully indulge myself in everything New Orleans has to offer. What does this mean for Drink Dogma? Tons of posts on the the great mixology minds at Tales and new insight into what makes the cocktail world turn.

Morgan will also be joining me, but he won’t arrive until later this week. Apparently, his job finally found out that he never actually goes to the office; he just travels to exotic drinking destinations across the globe and collects a paycheck every two weeks. So, he won’t be making it until closer to the weekend.

Kevin? Well, somebody has to stay and hold down the fort…err…bar. Kevin is making my whole trip to New Orleans possible by picking up my slack while I’m gone, so I just want to publicly thank him for helping me to go to an event that I missed last year and have been looking forward to for such a long time.

Above all, I am extremely excited about the ability to meet some of the countries greatest bartenders and my fellow cocktail bloggers. I spend so much time reading what others have written on their blogs and forums. So, the opportunity to put a face to these fine people is the ultimate source of my anticipation about the whole event. I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the bloggers reception.

Well, I guess it is time to get to bed. Tomorrow has a five hour drive ahead, followed by my late night attempts at a head start for my Tales experiences. I plan to have a cocktail or two tomorrow night, and like everything else I experience this weekend, I will be blogging about it. Stay tuned all week long for my Tales updates, and make to say hello if you’re going to be in New Orleans.