Iowa Farmhouse Ale Fest
Over the weekend, Rock Bottom Brewery of Des Moines, Iowa played host to the Iowa Farmhouse Ale Fest. The goal of the event was to “showcase beers that originated in the farmlands of Europe” as interpreted by Iowa brewers as well as various international renditions of the styles. Primarily, beers in the style of Saison, Bière de Garde, and Witbier, otherwise known as farmhouse ales, were on-hand.
I love finding out the tradition behind styles of beer, and farmhouse ales definitely have some unique profile characteristics that can be drawn from their brewing history. Originating in the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, Saisons and other farmhouse ales were brewed during the winter and stored until summer harvest, where the beverages were distributed amongst farmhands as a safe and quenching beverage. As such, farmhouse ales were traditionally brewed with a large amount of hops as a form of preservative, but with a low alcohol content so workers could hydrate throughout their day. Today, these farmhouse ales generally fall within the guidelines of Category 16 of the BJCP. However, as this hosted tasting goes to show, there are few defining characteristics for modern farmhouse ales. Despite the change in brewing techniques since the style’s inception, brewers have maintained some of the original flavor profiles of the farmhouse ales. Wild yeast, once a natural ingredient in the brewing process, is now only used with the utmost care as a technique for introducing a certain level of funk or sourness in the flavor and aroma of beers. Thus, the farmhouse ales represent a broad range of beer flavors and give the brewer ultimate creative control in defining the drinker’s palette.
I must say that I consider farmhouse ales to be a gateway for those looking to get into craft beer. Beginning with the style of Witbier, you are presented with what is essentially a spiced wheat ale that is light, refreshing, but also flavorful without much bitterness. As you progress further into styles like Saison, you’ll notice subtle complexities from the yeast presented and the beer might have a dryer mouthfeel. Then as we find examples of Bière de Garde, our glasses will be filled with a sometimes darker liquid but almost always richer and sweeter with a nice malty body. Then, every once in a while you will come across Brettanomyces (Brett) in your beer for an extra kick of tartness.
Where am I going with this, and why haven’t I talked about the specific beers yet? A few nights ago, Iowa Public Television hosted a panel discussion on “Beer and Microbreweries in Iowa”. Check it out. As you may or may not be aware, Iowa is going through a few changes as we have just recently passed legislation allowing for local breweries to produce beers up to 12% alcohol by weight. Now, while these farmhouse ales aren’t necessarily at the extreme top of the legal range, they represent one of the many styles of craft beer that up until recently were either not capable of being brewed, or were just not prominent. The consumers of Iowa simply may not know about these intriguing styles of beer and it is events such as the Iowa Farmhouse Ale Fest, or programs from IPTV that set out to educate. Education on beer is why Shawn and I began our project and why we continue to learn at every opportunity. It’s now on us to bring this world of craft beer to those who want to know more. Eric Sorensen, brewmaster for Rock Bottom Brewery in Des Moines, acknowledged that while this year’s event was sponsored by the brewery, the hope is to have all of the Iowa Brewer’s Guild participate in the coming years.
So what was this event, and how did it all go down? Cost of entry was $30, for which you received a commemorative tasting glass and one heck of a tasting list. For your entry, each participant received a number of tickets that could be exchanged for a full glass pour of any of the available beers, otherwise, you were free to have a one-once pour of each of the represented beers. Rock Bottom had their own Tiger Lily Saison, Dangereaux Amber, Cerveza Especial Bière de Garde, and Flanders Fields Witbier. Mike Gauthier, brewer for Des Moines’ Court Avenue Brewing Company, was on hand to pour samples of his Wit and La Fou Blonde. Other Iowa beers represented were John’s Generation White Ale by Millstream Brewing Company, and Dinky Wheat from Olde Main Brewing. The Belgian-style beers are certainly being embraced by our local brewers, which is a trend I hope to see continue.
Now, this is the part of my post where I inform you, dear reader, that I didn’t take any tasting notes at the event. Jason and I kept pretty busy with conversation and jumping from table to table, trying to find all that we had missed on our first pass. I will point out some of the notable beers, however. In Iowa, we are privileged to have regular access to the Smokestack series of beers from Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City. Their Saison Brett is a dry, low hop, low spice beer with a slightly maltier mouthfeel. In fact, I compared it mostly to the Golden Ale from New Glarus Brewing Company of Wisconsin, if not more subtle with the brett and heavier in the body. Another gem in the crowd was the Blanche De Saisis of Brasserie Ellezelloise, which was sweet and well balanced with a hint of grain.
It is events such as this weekend’s that will work to grow the beer culture in Iowa. Every week new breweries are entering our market, and our local brewers are also now creating some great renditions of our favorite beer styles. Education can only grow the opportunities for new beers to come to market, so talk about beer and look out for more events and releases in Iowa.
Note: If you want to know more about some traditional examples of Saison-style beers, check out Episode 18 of The Beer Genome Project, “Oh, Saison”, or subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
