When I left work last Friday, I stopped by the Liquor Stop in Bel Air to pick up some beer for the weekend. When I walked in the door, Fegley’s Brew Works was set up at a table with some of their beers for sampling. I had already enjoyed several of their beers over the years: Fegley’s Blueberry Belch, a light ale brewed with 150 pounds of fruit; Hop Explosion, Fegley’s American IPA; Bourbon Barrel Devious Imperial Pumpkin Ale; Hop’Solutely, Fegley’s Triple IPA; and Rude Elf’s Reserve, a delicious, spiced Christmas Ale.
Fegley’s Regional Sales Manager, Trevor Fitzgerald, was there and we met and talked for the first time. It was clear very quickly that Trevor is a passionate craft beer guy and was comfortable and knowledgeable as he talked about Fegley’s beers. I had already enjoyed all of the beers Trevor was sampling last Friday, except for one— Space Monkey Raspberry Saison—and I was immediately intrigued.
The Saison style originated in Belgium and was brewed on farms during the winter and early spring months when cooler temperatures allowed for easy storage for the coming warmer months. Saisons are typically a little dryer in the mouth feel and often reveal hints of lemon and pepper. Saisons are a light and refreshing beer to drink any time, especially in the summer, and are commonly referred to as farmhouse ales because of how the style got started.
As I took the first sip of Space Monkey Raspberry Saison, I immediately tasted the raspberries, and for good reason. Trevor Fitzgerald told me that Fegley’s uses 480 pounds of raspberries in the brew. But this is not a sweet raspberry infused beer. Space Monkey Raspberry Saison has a distinct tartness to it, but not so tart as to be sour.
Fegley’s Brew Works is a family owned and operated company with brewery/restaurants in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and draft and bottled beers here in Maryland and beyond!
If you’ve never tried a Saison before, Space Monkey Raspberry Saison is a great place to start: crisp, clean, a perfect balance of raspberry sweetness and tartness, and very drinkable.
Cheers!
Jefferson
The Craft Beer Guy
Email: jward@thebayonline.com
Twitter: @jwcraftbeerguy
