Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. Saisons have quickly become a favourite style of the Sip Advisor. I’ve even gone so far as to call the summer of 2016 my ‘Summer of Saison’. Let’s see what BC has to offer.

The Sip Advisor is a big fan of gin-based drinks, but you don’t often see that element added to beers. Therefore, my interest was instantly piqued when I first came across this Bridge Brewing selection in one of my many liquor stores hunts.

The Lemon Gin Saison takes French saison yeast and uses juniper berries, lemon peel, coriander, and pink peppercorns to spice up the base. At 5.5% ABV and 24 IBUs, the beverage is very easy to drink, while still delivering a complex taste experience. I will point out the gin factor is light in the brew, which may be preferred by most drinkers.

This seasonal release began as an exclusive collaboration with Tap & Barrel restaurants. The beer can now also be found in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and other private establishments.

While I’ve had many good drinking experiences at Tap & Barrel locations, I’ve found my meal occasions to be hit-and-miss. One stop, in particular, produced one of the worst pulled pork poutine dishes I’ve ever had, as the pork was all fatty. That said, I’ve had other menu items that were great, such as a PB&J burger.

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