Cigar City Brewing, out of Tampa, is always trying new things,
so sure, let’s try throwing cucumbers in a beer. After all, it works for gin,
right? Like I laid out here, saisons are
typically brewed in winter for summer drinking. The yeasts tend to be a little
spicy and it’s not unusual to throw something unique in there. Therefore,
cukes.
Cucumber Saison pours out a cloudy straw color with a tight,
sudsy head. The smell is like pickles – not vinegar sharp, but more the green skin
aspect of pickles than the melony inside.
That first sip is just odd. It’s light and summery with the
spicy sasion yeasts and that definite vegetal, alkaline flavor of green
cucumber skin. It’s not unpleasant and kind of interesting, but I’m just not sold
on the idea of gerkin beer. Glad I tried it. Glad it’s a single one pint, six
ounce bottle and I don’t have five more waiting for me in the icebox.
