I’ve never had a problem enjoying beer. But it hasn’t been the same for my other half.
I found myself wishing my other half could find the same enjoyment in beer as I have done, and thanks to the Saison beer style, this is how I made that possible!
Sure there have been some beer styles which are confronting at first, but it’s been a fairly smooth adjustment to appreciating what makes the Saison beer style tick.
I consider myself fortunate in that respect, however, others are not so lucky to have departed on their own never ceasing journey of discovery through the craft beer wonderland.
Some are long set in their ways with their preferred beers and less commonly unpreferred beers. There are those who are more than happy to stick with what they know and are perfectly content to remain in their comfort zone.
There are also those who know there’s something worth trying with craft beer but have not developed the taste nor know where to start.
One of my key goals is to assist in getting you started on your own journey of discovery into the wonderful world of beer and the many beer styles.
I’ve been fortunate in who I’ve wound up sharing half of everything with, well that statement isn’t entirely accurate, I receive less than half the wardrobe space. In fact the habitable space for my clothes has been dwindling so fast I’ve been receiving messages of support from polar bears.
Minor gripes aside I’ve been lucky to be with her, especially considering she’s much better looking, more talented, more intelligent and a million times less prone to exaggeration than me, she’s also allowed me to test out what actually helps someone go from complete rejection of all things beer to actively choosing beer over other beverages.
For many years, if she wasn’t drinking stronger spirits or cocktails then her drink of choice would always be wine. Beer was never an option.
What started to turn her attitudes was her discovery (with some encouragement from me) of cider upon moving to Perth.
There she began trying the standard choices like Bulmers and Strongbow, but soon progressed to more locally produced brands.
As she developed her palate for cider she became more agreeable to the yeasty, beery taste present in local artisan ciders.
Unfortunately it was still a step too far to progress from ciders to beer.
Salvation was at hand though in the form of the highly effervescent Saison beer style, a style of pale ale with high levels of fruit, spice and carbonation, giving it a somewhat champagne feel when on the tongue.
You see, Saison beer is a sexy beer style.
It strikes the perfect balance between beer, cider and sparkling wine, making it what I call a gateway beer, similar to hash being a gateway drug, or hands in your pockets being a gateway to blindness.
Launching from this style of beer she moved through different styles, going from lambics to sours, porters to more general pale ales.
There’s been bumps along the way, she’s still not keen on hoppy beers, but she’s well down the road on her journey, discovering the incredible styles out there and the many variations on those styles.
And that’s what it’s all about really.
So what’s the point of all this Saison rambling? Well, if you want to get your other half into beer, to love and enjoy what you love, then all you need to do is convince her Saison beer is sexy.
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