Uncle Fat

Uncle Fat is somewhat in the style of a Belgian Saison. These were beers that were refreshing, low-alcohol Ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, to refresh farm workers during the harvest season. Historically, saisons really don’t have specific identifiable characteristics to single them out, but were rather a group of refreshing, summer ales. It is my belief that large farms and ranch houses in the plains of the Midwest must have brewed beers such as these. This is my attempt to recreate those beers and this is my story (fiction or fact – I don’t know, I just like the beer): Ranch house ales represent a little known style that originated on the plains of South Dakota in the early 19th century. Brewed by sturdy pioneer men and women in South Dakota farmhouses and ranch houses using locally grown and milled barley and hops, and fermented with yeasts brought with them from the old country. These beers were brewed during the cool days of early spring and served all summer long to quench the thirst of farm workers and ranch hands after long, hot days working under the unrelenting Midwest sun. Served chilled, they were kept cold by being stored in deeply dug root cellars lined with ice harvested from frozen streams. Ranch house ales were refreshing and highly hopped, with light fruity esters and an almost spritzy finish. They were generally strong beers in order to store well during the hot summer months, and to stand up to the hardy souls who drank them. These men and women needed beers that could refresh and replenish. Ranch house ales were generally light gold to light orange in color, slightly hazy due to high hopping levels, with a solid white to off-white head stand. So open an Uncle Fat after a long day of working in the fields under a hot sun, or anytime and enjoy its refreshing character. Serve chilled, but not ice cold – you’ll want to savor the flavor rather than freeze your taste buds.