A beer for all seasons
One of civilisation’s greatest agricultural success stories, beer has naturally always found itself tied closely to changing of the seasons. From the ‘need’ of a warming porter or stout in winter to the craving for bright, crisp pales and lagers in summer, beer is a drink we have clear notions of when it is best enjoyed.
Our ingrained perceptions of seasonality in this respect are mostly based on when these beers would typically have become available, historically. Nowadays, it’s possible, and perfectly acceptable, to drink porter in warmer weather or lager on cool evening. We’re modern consumers, and we want whatever we like, whenever we want it. Or rather we used to. Strangely, habits are starting to regress, and for beer in particular, seasonality is becoming more important than ever.
For example, a style of beer that has been truly revived by the craft beer revolution is saison, itself the French word for season but also a reference to the seasonal workers (saisonniers) who would have enjoyed it at harvest time. It’s now seen by many breweries as a canvas for experimentation, using seasonally-available fruits alongside spices and hops to create unique beers for that particular time of year.
Some breweries are going even further than this. Wild Beer Co in Somerset recently launched its summer range of regularly available beers, including three in cans and a seasonal Blend beer. It’s a natural progression for a brewery focused on wild fermentation, local microflora and life within staves of wooden barrels.
More interestingly, it forms a statement of intent of how it will proceed in future, and the bright, sharp and zesty beers of summer will no doubt be matched by robust, slick and warming brews in the colder months ahead.
Meanwhile, in Manchester, new outfit Cloudwater has placed seasonality at the heart of its business. ‘Modern, seasonal beer’ is the mantra of this impressive and artistic new brewery – rotating its core range every few months to include new beers with flavours and ingredients oriented by each season.
The vibrant label artwork gives some indication, in a sort of synaesthesia, of the flavours one can expect from the beer itself. Hopfenweisse, IPA and Session IPA all burst with the juicy and flavoursome clarity of summer light.
But, why, if it’s easier than ever before for brewers to design and execute recipes using ingredients from all over the world for a beer that can be brewed at any time of the year, to bother with a seasonal approach?
It’s clear that the public are interested by it: the chance to try something fresh and new on a regular basis from a reliable producer is why farmer’s markets, and markets in general, are so popular. In contrast with other alcoholic drinks, beer offers a relatively fast turnaround time, and thousands of varieties of at least four different ingredients, before the brewday and its myriad different approaches and techniques are even considered.
The beer market as it stands is also one obsessed with freshness – whether it’s the freshness of imported hop varieties, the freshness of ideas bouncing around the brewhouse or indeed the freshness (or careful, considered ageing) of the beer being sought by consumers. Seasonal beer, and the mindset behind producing it, taps into this urge; this thirst for the uncommon, the unexplored, the new and unknown but also something with a real sense of place, and time.
We’re becoming ever more interested in flavours and experiences that are special, and seasonal beer is just one more way of enjoying the bounty of agriculture, timeliness of nature, and the skill of human craftsmanship combined.
Chris Hall, co-editor: Beer & Craft: Britain’s Best Bars and Breweries (@ChrisHallBeer)