Ever wanted to drink like a Belgian farmhand?

Now you can, thanks to the proliferation of saison-style brews dotting the shelves at beer retailers around Ontario. Saison is a style of beer traditionally brewed in Belgium’s French-speaking Wallonia region.

Like much beer “history,” some of what’s known about saison’s development is factual and some of it is, well, let’s be kind and call it “mythology.”

What’s generally believed, however, is that saisons were first brewed in small, countryside farmhouse breweries and were meant to be refreshing enough to quench a hard-working farmhand’s thirst. They also needed to be sturdy enough to last the summer in the pre-refrigeration age.

Today, saison has developed into a fairly wide-ranging style. Some of them are tart or funky; some are fruity, herbal or spicy. Almost all, however, have a dry, bitter finish and are meant to be refreshing. They’re perfect for summer sipping.

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

$9.95 per 750 mL bottle

This brew, broadly in the saison style, has a frothy, white head and an intriguing mix of herbal notes and citrus on the nose, along with a bracingly bitter finish. It’s outstanding with grilled fresh sardines, with both the bitterness and carbonation cutting through the richness of the fish, while the herbal notes serve as a complement. It’s also very good with roast turkey or chicken, and handles feta cheese beautifully. This was one of the first beers to make widespread use of the Japanese-developed Sorachi Ace hop, which lends the brew a citrusy character.

Collingwood Saison

$3.05/473 mL can

This dark golden-coloured, slightly hazy brew has a slightly perfumed, fruity nose. There are also tropical fruit notes and a dry, slightly bitter finish. While it’s not the most complex, layered beer in this bunch, it’s very approachable. It’s also the best beer yet from this small, three-year-old brewery on the edge of cottage country. Good with grilled chicken or pork.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere

$9.95/750 mL bottle

If you still haven’t been disabused of the silly notion that lower-alcohol beers are less interesting, this 4.5-per-cent beauty should do the trick. Michigan-based Jolly Pumpkin specializes in making beers with a bit of funk to them. This is no exception. There a slightly earthy character to this one, along with some herbal notes and a gentle tartness. It’s a good aperitif all on its own, but also goes well with seafood.

Left Field Sunlight Park Saison

$6.50/650 mL bottle

This pale orange brew is made with the zest of several hundred grapefruits in every batch, making it one of the more citrusy saisons on this list. It’s made by baseball-themed Leslieville brewery Left Field, and is named for Toronto’s first professional baseball stadium.

Nickel Brook Paysan Saison

$3.00/473 mL can

This pale amber-coloured beer has some light peppery notes in the aroma and flavour, along with a hint of fruit. There a bit of sweetness at first, but that turns into a long, bitter, dry finish. While there aren’t the herbal notes found in some saisons, that’s not really a fault. This is a very, very good beer.

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Royal City Hibiscus Saison

$3.95/500 mL bottle

This is one of the prettier saisons on this list to look at. It’s got a fruitier character than some of the brews on this list thanks to the use of hibiscus, a tropical flower that also gives the beer a pinkish hue. While it’s slightly sweeter than a saison ideally should be, it’s not unpleasant at all. The sweetness and fruity character make this a good match for barbecue chicken or cedar-planked salmon.