Kansas City, Missouri’s Boulevard Brewing Co. Brewmaster Steven Pauwels is responsible for one of the most popular saisons in the United States. Here, he handpicks his dream six-pack of world-class beers.
Pauwels began a presentation about saisons at this year’s Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival saying, “I grew up in Belgium. You think, okay this guy from Belgium knows everything about saisons. Well, actually there’s a bit of a language barrier. . . . The saison beers are brewed in the French region [of Belgium], and my parents don’t even speak French.”
The transplanted brewmaster has degrees in biochemical engineering from KaHo Sint-Lieven and experience brewing at Brouwerij Krugar, Domus brewpub, and Brouwerij Riva. “It was only when I came back to the United States that saisons [appeared on] my radar screen,” he says.
Now Pauwels is responsible for one of the most popular saisons in the United States, Boulevard’s Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. Dry-hopped with a healthy dose of Amarillo hops and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, Tank 7 satisfies America’s cravings both for hops and for funky farmhouse ale—as would this dream six-pack, handpicked by Pauwels himself.
Orval Trappist Ale
(Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium)
Too many times have I found myself sitting at a bar with another brewer ordering a last beer, and it’s always an Orval Trappist Ale. Why? Because Orval is like Kinder Chocolate: it looks delicious, the toy inside is always different, and it never disappoints. Orval is the Holy Grail that every brewer would like to make. And I am just jealous that they only have to brew one beer and can give it all their attention.
Duvel
(Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium)
Duvel is another world-class beer that other brewers often try to copy but never succeed. It’s elegant and complex, flavorful yet very drinkable. Drinking a Duvel takes me back to Belgium.
Birificio del Ducato La Luna Rossa
(Roncole Verdi Di Busseto, Italy)
I am very impressed with the quality of beers that are being brewed in Italy. I wanted to add an Italian beer to the list, and it was a very difficult decision. I met Giovanni Campari, the brewmaster of Birificio del Ducato a couple of years ago. He is very passionate just as you’d expect an Italian brewer to be, and La Luna Rossa is a very well thought out, complex sour beer with subtle nuances.
Ca l’Arenys Guineu Riner
(Valls De Torrella, Spain)
Dann Paquette from Pretty Things put a Guineu Riner in my hand years ago after an event in Boston. I was blown away that a 2.5 percent ABV beer could be so flavorful. This beer started the search to make flavorful lower alcohol beers.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
(Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina)
Another staple from a brewery that I admire, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is incredibly consistent and is one of my go-to beers when I travel. A lot of brewers make pale ale, but nobody has put in so much energy to continuously improve their beer.
Blind Tiger Brewery Maibock
(Topeka, Kansas)
A lager has to be part of the list, and Blind Tiger’s Maibock is the one. Blind Tiger Brewery is a brewpub in Topeka, Kansas, that makes a killer Maibock each year. It’s very malty, full-bodied, and has more hops than the rest of their brews. John Dean, the brewmaster, is a very talented guy who brews great beers, and his Maibock is definitely his masterpiece.