Drank: Little Saison (Pfriem Family Brewers)

Pfriem Family Brewers, which opened in Hood River last year, has a lofty goal: capture sunlight in a bottle. Pfriem's Little Saison, light but not little, almost gets there. Saisons began as thirst-quenchers for field workers during harvest season, when clean water was scarce. Once endangered, the Belgian farmhouse style made a punchy comeback thanks to fresh flavor and sessionability. Surprisingly hoppy for its 24 IBUs, Pfriem's saison could be a flavorful replacement for an all-American Lite. Little Saison looks a little like sun rays in a bottle, and lemon and herbal flavors make gray skies less ominous. A vivid flash of bright flavor wanes refreshingly into cool grass and flower buds. Pfriem's beers are on tap at Fifteenth Avenue Hophouse and Bazi Bierbrasserie and will be poured at this weekend's Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival at Saraveza. The WW office has little in common with idyllic European fields, but Pfriem's saison kept our staff refreshed through a day of harvesting quotes and plowing through proofs. Recommended.

WWeek 2015

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