Start with a saison. I don’t mean a tame, saison-by-name-but-not-by-nature beer. I mean a farmhouse ale that tastes like it was made in a farmhouse: aggressively dry and bitter, with yeast that gives off plenty of banana esters and spicy, clovey phenols.
Throw in lemons. Lots of lemons. Let their essential oils leak through the entire drinking experience, from the aroma through to first impressions through to aftertaste. Wonder if you should have gone for a gentle touch… but then realise it’s too late because you’ve already thrown them in. Decide it’s OK because you’re happy with it.
Now think: “Well, if we’re going the citrus route, we may as well double down and fill it with citrusy hops, too.”
Grab some Motueka hops. Grab some Southern Cross SubZero Hop Kief. Load them in. Get plenty of hop zest character and a bit of Solo or Lift or whatever lemon soft drink the kids are drinking these days. Let them add some lift* to the aforementioned bitterness.
Congrats. You’ve got Gaia.
Mick Wüst
*Pun not intended, for once.
Published December 14, 2023 2023-12-14 00:00:00
