Heading to your local brewpub or pub for your favorite handcrafted brew is something we all enjoy. Knowing you can rely on being able to stop in and get just what you need is great, but what about those times when you walk in and see options you weren't expecting?
I am, of course, speaking of the seasonal offerings, or special releases, breweries treat their fans to thoughout the year. Historically, certain styles of beers were released by breweries during certain times of the year, largely based on factors like availability of malts, hops, temperatures for fermentation, etc. for example, in Belgium you'd see saisons brewed in the early spring for availability throughout the summer (which according to tradition was so that farm workers would have a low abv beer to keep them fortified while working). Saison yeast gets its groove on better in warmer temperatures. Porters and winter warmers are often seen during the late fall to winter, and Oktoberfest around, well October.
Although many breweries still release styles based on traditional times of the year, many seasonal are also special releases and are released at the brewers discretion. Although they aim to release certain styles when they have historically been released, production schedules can often dictate when a particular beer comes out, says Jason Davis, Head Brewer at San Antonio's Freetail Brewing Co. Davis went on to say that the challenge of a brewpub is constantly having a variety on tap and the ingredients they have on hand can sometimes push the release of a beer sooner or later than planned.
If I want to brew a porter in the summer, or a refreshing wheat beer in the winter I can. With more and more consumers warming up to different styles of beer, demand seems to have dictated a break from tradition. If I want a bottle of Stone Brewing Company's Smoked Porter or Jolly Pumpkin's Magrugarda Obsura Stout, I can get it anytime of the year. Yet some are reserved for a once a year release. Freetail's La Muerta Imperial Stout is intentionally released each year for Dia De Los Muertos, but also at a time when you would see more stouts and porters. What about 3 Floyd's Dark Lord Day? If a brewery is intentionally picking a date each year to release a particular beer, is it a seasonal or a special release? Or both?
Demand for seasonal beers, and special releases, have increased exponentialy in recent years, causing a run on some beers. Many consumers enjoy the intermittency of these beers, enjoying a rotating selection that supplements the year round brews. That being said, many will place more importance on quality than a beer just being exclusive.
The terms seasonal and special release have become interchangeable. They are one and the same these days. When it comes down to it, whether a beer is year-round or released but once a year, it's quality that makes or breaks the beer.
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