Maine is home to a thriving craft beer scene and no matter how competitive craft breweries become as they strive to win adherents to their own brands, there is still a surprising sense of camaraderie and cooperation between them. Nowhere is this clearer than with Allagash and Oxbow breweries as they begin collaboration on a new beer, a grisette style brew slated for release on April 8, 2017.
Grisette is a style of beer of which few people are aware, and that includes members of the craft beer faithful. This style is similar to saison and it is common to find both styles show up on craft brewer’s taps during the spring season. Allagash Brewmaster Jason Perkins explains how this beer style came about and what it means:
“Saison actually means ‘season’ in French, and refers to the fact that these beers were brewed seasonally, during winter,” said Perkins. “As far as ingredients go, farmers used whatever they had on hand—barley, rye, spelt, or anything else. They then stored the beer to be drank during the hot summer months.”
Allagash and Oxbow’s collaboration effort, a grisette, will be served for the first time on April 8, 2017 at a special event planned for Allagash’s location at 49 Washington Ave. in Portland, Maine. The event, held on Saison Day, will mark the first of what Perkins hopes will be multiple collaboration efforts between Allagash and Oxbow.
“We’ve been friends with the Oxbow crew for years,” said Perkins. “It’s awesome to get together and brew a totally new beer. We’re definitely excited and honored to be partnering up with them for Saison Day.”
Tim Adams, founder of Oxbow Brewing, is equally excited to be working with Allagash on this new beer, the first grisette ever brewed by this Portland brewery.
“Grisettes are like saisons’ little sister,” said Adams. “We’ve been champions of the grisette style and it’s huge for us to be a part of the first grisette that Allagash has ever brewed.”
The special event will begin at 12 noon on Saturday, April 8. Beer will be served immediately and music will fill the air. Food will follow at 2 p.m. and the event itself is scheduled to run all the way until 11 p.m., with Allagash and Oxbow Brewing each serving various beers from their respective portfolios throughout the day. Adams can’t wait to release and serve this new brew with his newfound partners.
“To say that we are excited about the unique beer that we will be brewing together and releasing at the Saison Day event we are hosting with Allagash is an understatement,” said Adams. “It is truly an honor to be a part of a collaboration with friends from a fellow Maine company that we have admired and been inspired by since day one.”
To learn more about Allagash Brewing, visit online at www.allagash.com
To learn more about Oxbow Brewing, visit online at www.oxbowbeer.com
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