The Humble Saison

The saison was a part of our foundation. Before we were a national brand, when we were just a small neighborhood cafe, the two pillars of Tired Hands from our tiniest beginnings were "hoppy pales" and "delicate saisons."

Saisons came into existence as the drink of the local farmhands in rural Belgium and France. When water wasn't safe to drink, farmhands would drink a low-ABV beverage called saison. Since then, it's become a varied and wide style that allows for a ton of creativity, patience, and adaptability — one that aligns perfectly with our founding vision of creating strange and beautiful products.

Unlike the relatively predictable pales, IPAs, stouts, and lagers, our saisons are not only fermented with our special house blend, but are colored and characterized by the wild yeast in the air and the resident yeast in the wooden vessels in which they condition. This exposure to all manner of wild yeast is what gives saison its funky, tart, and unpredictable character. The ultimate fate of our saisons is further complicated by the fact that we are constantly blending stock to bring the most exciting version to your table. The saisons tell us when they are finished — not the other way around.

Saisons are often secondarily fermented in a barrel or vessel, and frequently conditioned in the bottle or can as well, giving them a natural carbonation with soft, effervescent bubbles that add to the sublime experience of drinking this most expressive and fascinating style.

We will always love drinking IPAs and lagers — but there's nothing more thrilling than cellaring and intervening and then patiently waiting for a beer to take its time and blossom.