Southern Tier Cherry Saison

Winter's Ale Tale

The scene: a suburban home in wintery western New York.

The cast: nine people at a dinner table, ages 2 to 63.

The plot: meeting the family.

Enter stage right: a stranger from a strange land (that would be me, the tentative interloper from California).

But the leading man was well prepared and had a tasty beer waiting for me in the wings – a cherry saison that was dry and light, mildly spiced, with the perfect hint of cherry flavor. Ahhh, just enough to get my taste buds tapping. And help steady my nerves.

Not that I needed to have worried.

In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a nicer cast of characters.

The Beer Details Brewer: Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY) Style: Saison ABV: 8% Cost: ~$7/ 22-ounce bottle Goes with: savory snacks, like corn chips and sharp cheddar cheese

The Beer Extras Try this other oh-so-excellent cherry-inspired beer. Find out what “saison” means in beer terms. Use this beer shopping list for more great finds.  Use cool beer glasses

Want this beer? It has fairly broad distribution on the east coast and in some mid-west states. Check out the brewer’s distributor list here. 

Erin Malone is a Thursday Happy Hour contributing editor, providing the what's-up of beer all over on Fridays. What's your favorite saison? Let me know in the comments below. Or chat with me on Facebook.