Bob Townsend’s beer pick

> Saison Athene

Saint Somewhere Brewing Co., Tarpon Springs, Fla.

> $10.99/750-milliliter cork-and-cage-finished bottle at metro beverage stores

> Profile: Saint Somewhere is an obscure little brewery in Tarpon Springs, Fla. But the hand-crafted Belgian-style ales the company produces are exciting testaments to the fact that the best beer is often the product of imagination, not industry. Saison Athene is Saint Somewhere’s take on the farmhouse ales of Wallonia, the southern, French-speaking region of Belgium. Traditionally a summer seasonal, brewed in the winter months, saison is known for its distinctively refreshing qualities. Saint Somewhere nails that, along with a classic hazy, yellow-orange color, lively carbonation, voluminous head and sticky lacing. The flavors and aromas are spicy, with tart citrus and bitter hops, and a dry, thirst-quenching acidity. The lovely early 1900s Maxfield Parrish-style label on the bottle is as evocative as the beer inside.

> Pair with: With its pleasant complexity and champagne-like carbonation, saison is one of the best food beers ever. As brewer and saison lover Garrett Oliver has noted: “Saison isn’t just versatile —- it’s downright promiscuous.” Great pairings range from steaks and sausages to Thai and Vietnamese dishes. But one of the best of Oliver’s many seafood recommendations has to be spicy fried crab cakes.

—- btowns@bellsouth.net

Bob Townsend is editor of Southern Brew News, a bimonthly beer publication distributed throughout the Southeast.