Beer of the week: Industrial Gris from Resident Brewing

Beer Name: Industrial Gris
Brewery: Resident Brewing
Style: Grisette
ABV: 4.5%

Tucked into the back of popular Gaslamp watering hole The Local, Resident Brewing is turning out tried-and-true classics alongside a few unique and largely unheard of varieties. Enter: Industrial Gris grisette. And, if the first thought that comes to mind is “what the f**k is a grisette?” you’re probably not alone.

To get this answer and more, PACIFIC recently sat down with head brewer Craig Nelson and media guy Jordan McDonald to try a glass and find out more about this truly tasty brew.

PACIFIC: First up, what’s the story behind the Resident name?
CRAIG NELSON: It’s about incorporating a home-like feeling, where you feel a part of the brewery. We are also the resident brewery of The Local.

What about Industrial Gris?
JORDAN McDONALD: Industrial Gris, meaning “Industrial Grey” is an homage to the beers born when farming regions of Belgium began feeling the effects of industrialization, most notably in the form of coal mining.

What’s a grisette?
McDONALD: The industrial cousin to the agrarian saison style, Grisette was originally brewed for coal miners in the Belgian province of Hainaut during the mid-1800s. These “little grey beers,” so called because of their association with the grey-tinted world of coal mining, were brewed with locally grown grains like barley, spelt, and wheat.

What’s in it?
Wheat, flaked oats, pilsner malt, spelt, Belgian yeast, Strisselspalt and Czech Saaz hops.

What can be expected from this beer?
McDONALD: It has similar flavors to a saison, but like a saison on a diet. Everything is lighter, the esters are lower dose, the body and the alcohol are lighter. You could call this a session saison.

The perfect pairing?
McDONALD: Grouper, citrus salad, our ahi tuna wrap or a shrimp burrito.

This beer gal’s take: As a certified saison lover, I am loving this lighter, sessionable version. Perfect for summer afternoons and weekend day-drinking, you get the Belgian yeast flavors you love with saisons but without the alcohol punch. Wonderfully refreshing, this is a by-the-pool, picnic and brunch beer for sophisticated palates who don’t want to drink lager for every hot day. Pair this with cheese plates, a classic Belgian dish like mussels and fries (moules frites), and salad with goat cheese.

Where to get it and for how long: Industrial Gris will be available on tap at Resident Brewing throughout the summer.

Extra juicy tidbit: While at Resident, check out the Chasing Series — a rotating IPA selection featuring the magic of a single hop each time. Right now Chasing Citra, an American-style IPA is on tap with Chasing Mosaic, a hazy IPA, up next both on tap and in crowlers.

1065 Fourth Ave., downtown, 619.717.6622, residentbrewing.com