The Summer of Saison (Summer 2014)

Looking for weekend grilling ideas? From our deep Cooking with Beer archive: You don’t need a smoker for this slam-dunk rib recipe—but you can include a smoked porter, if you want.

Making imperial saison at home can be easier than brewing other high-gravity styles.

Beer and travel writer Heather Vandenengel spent a few days in Chittenden County, Vermont, to learn what the new craft-beer scene is brewing . . .

Whether or not you have a farmhouse, you can brew these interesting farmhouse ale styles.

Professional craft brewers weigh in on their favorite farmhouse ales from near and far.

Joe Stange offers 5 tips for (correctly) making Belgian-style beer.

If we think of modern beer style guides as canonical coloring books for grownups, then saison is the devil on our shoulders inviting us to venture outside the lines and use all the crayons in the box. Here’s a guide to this playful style.

Round out any meal with this decadent dessert.

Call it super, call it double, or call it imperial. After you’ve tried one or two strong saisons, you’ll just call it your new favorite beer.

Farro, an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and hints of cinnamon, pairs well with wheat beer in this tasty salad.

Try grilling shrimp or salmon with this tart and tangy beer-infused barbeque sauce.

These crisp and tart beer-pickled veggies are a great start to any meal or gathering.

Summers are all about being outside, and we’ve pulled together some outdoor beer gear that craft-beer fans won’t want to be without.

Here’s how to find and decipher breweries’ date codes on bottles and cans of craft beer.

Try this homebrew-sized interpretation of a Gose, soured with Latobacillus bacteria before the boil.

This American take on a Belgian witbier eschews the traditional coriander and citrus and instead derives its unique flavor from late-kettle American hops.

The mash schedule for this beer is a bit baroque, but it works great for a farmhouse ale in the style of Boulevard Tank 7.

Try your hand at a Brett-fermented pale ale with this recipe from Chad Yakobson, founder-brewmaster, Crooked Stave Brewing, Denver, Colorado.

Brewed with Earl Grey Creme tea, The Bitter Earl is malty and complex with a pronounced Earl Grey flavor and earthy hops presence.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff when you’re brewing,” says Michael Copado. History assures us that most homebrew mistakes are “small stuff.”

Try your hand at a Belgian-inspired beer.

Blending is an important tool for homebrewers to have in their arsenal.

Brew this yourself and discover why Funkwerks Brewery's Tropic King has become a local legend.

In this recipe, musician and brewer Kyle Hollingsworth is going for a Farmhouse-style á la Boulevard Tank 7.

Ignore yeast at your beer’s peril because if you don’t know yeast, you don’t know beer.

Emily Hutto set out on a quest to find out how craft-beer brewers across the country defined “saison.” Here’s what she found.

Patrick Dawson, the author of “Vintage Beer, A Taster’s Guide to Brews that Improve Over Time,” weighs in on best practices for cellaring.

Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock, former DJs, opened DC Brau Brewing Company, Washington, D.C.’s first packaging brewery in almost sixty years.

The session-beer trend is one that we wholeheartedly support, and session IPAs are at the top of our list.

Stan Hieronymus gives you the lowdown on some new hops varieties, including German ones that American brewers are clamoring to try.

American Ian Hoke has discovered that homebrewing abroad presents many challenges and opportunities.

Ninkasi is brewing award-winning beers and cultivating a music scene in support of culture, community, and the uniqueness of each individual.

Pauwels’s dream six-pack would satisfy anyone’s cravings both for hops and for funky farmhouse ale.

On stage or over a brew kettle, professional musician and brewer Kyle Hollingsworth enjoys the spontaneity afforded by creative collaboration.

Here are the three beer bars that we explored in the “Love Handles” column in Issue 2 (Summer 2014).