317: Averie Swanson of Keeping Together is Envisioning Our Saison Future

Aug 18, 2023

Averie Swanson, longtime saison brewer and founder of Keeping Together, discusses exploring flavor in saison with unconventional grain bases, downplaying Brettanomyces in mixed culture fermentation, and using acidity as an element of structure. They also touch on the influence of Tank Seven, the importance of local ingredients, creative brewing within constraints, and unique flavor experiences like using spent fornet botanicals that tasted like granola.

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ANECDOTE

Alyssa IPA

Averie Swanson's first craft beer love was St. Arnold's Lawnmower Alyssa IPA.
This beer was named after a ship she had memorable Girl Scout experiences on.

ANECDOTE

Jester King Start

Averie's homebrewing journey began in 2011 and led to volunteering at Jester King Brewery.
After six months, she became a full-time apprentice and later a brewer.

ANECDOTE

Career Progression

Averie Swanson worked at Jester King Brewery until late 2018, eventually becoming head brewer and gaining equity.
After leaving, she moved to Chicago and began working with Half Acre Brewery on their wild program.

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If Averie Swanson had her way, saison would outsell IPA among craft beer aficionados. The longtime saison brewer hopes to move beyond stereotypes and romanticized history and show (through beautifully designed and constructed beers) that saison provides a broad palette for brewers to explore flavor. With her Keeping Together brand, now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she hopes to write a new chapter for saison brewed in the United States.

In this episode, she tackles both the theoretical and the practical, discussing:

building characterful grain bases for saison with everything from smoked malt to oats
designing within constraints
downplaying Brettanomyces in mixed culture fermentation
isolating Saccharomyces and rebuilding a culture around it
testing how new ingredients work in saison
using acidity as an element of structure

And more.

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