Cornwall’s St Austell Brewery has been selected by Marks & Spencer, to brew a beer for a new range the retailer is introducing this month.
Cornish Saison is launching in stores nationwide, and is being brewed exclusively for M&S.
Saison (5.9% ABV), meaning ‘season’, is a refreshing and thirst-quenching beer for summer, with notes of black pepper, spice and citrus, offering lightly tart, sweet flavours and a fresh aroma. Combining Magnum and Citra hops, it is gently spiced with ginger, lemon and lime zest.
First brewed on St Austell’s Small Batch brewery in collaboration with beer sommelier and award-winning writer, Melissa Cole, it is fermented with a special strain of saison yeast, to deliver an assertive yet refreshing beer. It’s the perfect match for Brie, shellfish or a or a simple chicken dish with garlic and herbs.
Farmhouse ale
Traditionally produced on the farms of southern Belgium, a saison or farmhouse ale was historically brewed with ingredients from the land — a refreshing reward for farm labourers after their toils in the fields at harvest.
St Austell head brewer, Roger Ryman, said: “We’re proud to be have been selected by Marks & Spencer to brew a Cornish Saison for distribution in stores throughout the UK. A saison is a much-loved traditional beer style, but we’ve put our own unique Cornish twist on it.
“Our interpretation is brewed with a blend of premium Maris Otter barley, wheat and oat malts, along with our own local water. It’s bursting with flavour and has a hint of cinnamon, a peppery spice and refreshing citrus finish.”
The Cornish Saison isn’t the first time St Austell Brewery has been asked to brew for Marks & Spencer. The independent and family-owned brewery also brews and bottles other own-brand beers for the store, including a Cornish pale ale, an IPA, a six-malt stout and a Cornish red ale.
