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Bière de Garde
The French might make a lot of noise about their wine, but beer is king in the northern part of the country bordering Belgium. The dominant style is bière de garde, which translates as beer to keep. Like saisons, these mainly warm-fermenting beers have a history of being brewed in the spring so they will last the summer – hence their historical high strength of 6–8.5%. Now the brewing is a year-round process with the concept of bière de garde seemingly encompassing wheat beers, Saisons and Tripel lookalikes, while as one of the beers below deomnstrates the spirited and innovative brewers of the craft beer movement in the US have their own thoughts on the style.
Presentation is important here; many of these beers are served in 750ml corked bottles not dissimilar to the champagne bottle (and it is this sense of style that makes them valuable companions on the dinner table). A gimmick? Not really. It has been pointed out by some writers that the region of Champagne is not that far away and farmers wanting bottles would have travelled there for their vessels. However, some early bière de garde producers were reputed to serve their customers with beer straight from the conditioning tanks. On the nose expect scents of spicy, herbal hop, chunky citrus aromas and an undertow of bready, warming maltiness, in some cases reminiscent of Bakewell Tarts. On the palate, a rich malty biscuitiness is accompanied by tangy citrus fruit and spirited alcoholic warmth. Many of the beers also boast a spicy almost herbal hoppiness, while some have the hint of an earthy, cellary character that adds plenty of muscle.
Jolly Pumpkin, Michigan, USA
Oro de Calabaza, Artisanal Golden Ale, aged in oak barrels, 8%
This is a New World take on the bière de garde beer style, with the added twist in the tale that the beer has been aged in oak barrels and wild yeast allowed a look-in. Jolly Pumpkin is a Michigan brewery that seems to look to Northern France and Wallonia for its inspiration. There’s a sharp zing of lambic-style wild yeastiness in the palate, a sweet and sour axis of taste, on which pineapple and pear-drop notes also appear; the finish is tart, slightly bitter and absurdly refreshing. At 8% this is an gleeful drinkable beer and yet again another sign of the inventiveness and playful innovation of American artisanal brewers. Would also age well with a mellowing out of the zingy, tongue-tingling tickle on the tongue.
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