What Is a Grisette Beer?

(From DraftMag.com)

Grisettes are zesty beers that are crisp, medium/light-bodied, and easy to drink. It’s a wheat-based Belgian table beer with a light body and fruitful aroma.

Grisette is a traditional Belgian style that dates back to the late 1800s. Grisette, closely related to Belgian Saison, was created as a thirst-quenching beer for Belgian miners after a long day’s labor.

The beer shares connections with the Saison, a famous farmhouse ale. While the farm workers brewed the Saison, the Grisette beer was for local miners.

– General Characteristics

This light and session-able farmhouse ale with light hop flavor is a modern spin on a classic style. It’s a straw-colored brew with a crown and a fluffy white head. Furthermore, the nose bears notes of tropical fruit and lemongrass.

Mosaic and Hallertau Blanc hop combine to produce a Grisette beer withluscious citrus fruit and a dry finish. Despite its low gravity, the farmhouse richness makes brewing and enjoying this beer a lot of fun!

The Grisette beer is ready for a comeback, with a refreshing drinkability and farmhouse ale complexity at a session-friendly strength. As drinkers get accustomed to tart gose and become dissatisfied with attempts to homogenize Belgian witbiers, Grisette beer could become the Old World style that fascinates the craft brewing sector.

Features Of Grisette Beer

Here are the features of Grisette beer:

– Alcoholic Content

Grisette has a pale straw color and a 3 to 5 ABV percentage. It generally has a high level of carbonation (at least three volumes of CO2), which adds to its drinkability.

– Ingredients

A high amount of wheat (or oats) — at least 30 percent to 60 percent — gives Grisette a hazy appearance, a spherical texture, and particular cereal tastes. Mostly, brewers use malted wheat to make Grisettes.

Did you know that brewers in the past used unmalted wheat to prepare Belgian beers? This is perhaps THE thing that differentiates Grisette beer from other beers and alcoholic drinks.

– Flavor

Consider Grisette beers as mini-saisons: light and dry, with minimal alcohol, bready, fruity with pear and lemon notes, sometimes from real fruit, and a hop-driven, herbal aftertaste. The flavor is light-bodied, with faint peppery flavors giving way to pleasant green and floral hop components.

The finish is quick and delicious. The hazy pale ale is brewed using a variety of grains, including spelt and oats, imparting texture and mild cereal tastes. Note that you may also feel aromas owing to guava and passion fruit’s flavors.

– Color

The liquid is crystal clear and pale yellow, with a thin head that lasts for a few seconds. Since Grisette beer is a light beer, the color ranges from yellow to golden and may sometimes reach golden orange as well.

As it contains wheat, the fizz should be white and persistent. Moreover, it varies in clarity from clear to foggy and has a cider-like look.

– Mouthfeel

Grisette beer has a light body, a crisp finish, and a pleasant taste. It’s presently carbonated at 2.4 volumes, but you’re free to use a much greater carbonation level (3 to 3.5) to increase the acid punch and balance out some of the sweetness.