Overheard conversation.
Yesterday I went to the local brew pub, Rock Bottom Brewery. It was lunch time and I sat down and had a newly tapped Saison which was really quite good. the bartender served it in a stemmed snifter about 16 oz. even though I asked for a pint. She said she as not allowed to sell it in large volume because it was 7.9% abv.
About 30 minutes later a bunch of blue collar types walked in off a job site and sat at the bar. They asked for Bud and the bartender said they only served their own beers and they had just tapped a saison. So one guy ordered that, but the others were very reluctant and wanted to know what was closest to Bud or Coors.
When the glass of Saison came out the guy who ordered it said, "What the ^# is that ?" The bartender said, "We cannot serve more than that per glass, but it's twice the abv then most beers."
So the guy said, "Am I allowed more than one?"
The tender laughed and said, "You can have as many as you like - but it's strong."
The other guys started picking on him and said he had to lift his pinkey to drink it and that only girls drink out of glasses like that.
When asked the other guys *categorically* refused to even taste the saison with one guy saying - "I would never drink out of a glass like that. Give me the "light beer" (meaning the lumpy dog light lager)."
The whole time I was sitting right next to them. I was pretty amazed that these guys were so hung up on the look of the glass and the the fact they totally overlooked the idea that the saison had more balls then a Bud and yet they considered it queer to drink it.
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That's an interesting
That's an interesting conversation. I never would have guessed that people would be put off by the glass. That's also a pretty darn big Saison. The local brewery here is releasing their seasonal as a Saison and it's ABV is a more historically-accurate 4.9%. And by the way, I hate you for having access to 16 oz. specialty beers and considering them "small." That's the size of our pints and our local specials are 8 oz.
-JDZJ
Tempe, AZ
Saisons
All the research (and story telling) I have seen suggests that Saison is "historically correct" in several strengths. From the everyday lunch beer, through the farm hands' dinner beer to holiday beers. Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux is 9.5%...
And Dupont serve their regular beer in a plain "blue collar" 12 oz glass :)
http://www.brasserie-dupont.com/dupont/Default.aspx?Page=saison
I'm sure we have all witnessed similar stories. The same guys wouldn't order wine or martinis either, so at least beer is not losing out to the competition. It's the job of every brewpub and specialty beer bar to have the right beer for anyone. My local which has an outstanding Belgian selection, including own imports, is selling more Carlsberg than anything else. But it makes the atmosphere better to have a bunch of regulars who are not there for the fine beer.
correction
Ugh. I am always mixing up my measurements. IT was an 8oz glass not a pint. Sorry.