For some time now, I have been following the updates of Peter Hoey and Rick Sellers of Odonata Beer Company regarding the production of their Saison. It has been a very torturous past couple of weeks, but I am extremely happy to announce that today is the OFFICIAL release of the Odonata Saison!

Unfortunately, I will not be able to trek up to Sacramento to taste some of this delicious nectar. However, I have been assured that it should be hitting the Bay Area in the next week or so.

Ever since I learned of its creation, Odonata has been on my radar as one of the top breweries to watch in 2010 (ooooh that gives me a great idea for another post!). This February, my assumptions about Odonata were proved to be correct after I had the opportunity to taste two of its sours, Beersell and Rosa, during San Francisco Beer Week. Both completely floored me. Peter and Rick are extremely talented, and I can only imagine how far they will go from here!

Without any further ado, I present ODONATA SAISON:

ODONATA (OH-DOE-NAH-TA) is ecstatic to announce the arrival of its flagship beer, Saison! Brewed with malted barley, wheat & rolled oats, Saison is a rustic interpretation of the traditionally Belgium-brewed beer. Spiced with Styrian & East Kent Golding hops Saison has an aromatic, floral & peppery aroma and a modest hop bite. Our Belgian yeast strain also lends the slightly wild scents of passion fruit and spice. Saison is designed for refreshment & complexity; perfect on its own, or paired with ripened cheeses or classic Belgian-style seafood dishes. Saison bottles are bottle-conditioned, so serve chilled.

ODONATA Saison will be available on draft at select Northern California retailers beginning Friday, April 30, 2010 and will begin distributing bottled Saison in mid-May throughout Northern California. For more information on events, follow @OdonataBeer on Twitter, or check out the Odonoata Beer Company blog.

One of my all-time favorite beer recipes is beer mussels. And there are three different styles of beer that I think are a SLAM DUNK for steamed mussels –> The Gueze, The Saison and The Wit. One of my favorite people in the entire word, the world-renowned Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton, developed an amazing mussel recipe for the Odonata Saison: OdonataSaison

Now, if I can only get Paxton to make it for me … that would be the ULTIMATE experience.

Congratulations to Peter and Rick for the first bottle release from Odonata Beer Co.!

I look forward to tasting the Odonata Saison. And as with any NorCal beers, if any of you readers are interested in a trade — I would be more than happy to ship out some Odonata Saison!

Cheers!

ODONATA Beer Company is based in Sacramento, Ca. Brewmaster Peter Hoey is an experienced, award-winning brewer as well as an instructor at UC Davis’ prestigious brewing school and The American Brewers Guild. Sales Director Rick Sellers is an experienced beer journalist and former Beer Director for DRAFT Magazine, the world’s largest beer publication. Together Peter & Rick started ODONATA in 2009, with their first beer release (Rorie’s Ale) scoring a 100 on RateBeer and was named one of the best beers in the world.

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING: RICK SELLERS

AUTHOR OF: PACIFIC BREW NEWS

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Richard Linn Sellers
Twitter handle: @pacificbrewnews
Name of blog: beerdirector, pacific brew news
Current location: Sacramento

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Southern Oregon, east of Medford in the Cascades, along the Rogue River

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

Wrestling, Log Rolling & other timber sports

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

11 or so, stole sips from my dads glass when I filled it from the kegerator.

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

Lots of them – almost always Coors Light, a beer I still have an affinity for. I sorta liked the chore of fetching beer for pops.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

Pacific Christian College, majored in Theology. I did a lot of preaching around the west coast, helped start churches and served as an interim minister in my free time.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

My family was fond of Deschutes Black Butte Porter and at special events it was always around – it was the “special” beer, different than everyday Coors Light we had. I grew up drinking malt liquors and fell in love with Corona Extra in college – because it was cool. I never really distinguished craft beer from mass imports or industrial beers of America.

It wasn’t till I was on a camping trip with my wife in Fort Bragg, Ca, that I really fell in love with better beer. It was Ommegang Rare Vos. We found it in a crappy gas station and I picked up a couple of bottles for one reason only – it had a cork! Thinking it was just another beer I downed two bottles by the campfire, drinking from the bottle as I was wont to do. From there on out, I was pretty convinced I should be drinking beers with more flavor and body.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

It’s only beer. I have been a professional beer writer for a few years and found I got caught up in the better beer scene more than I needed to. I realize now that, as much as I like beer, it’s only beer. If there’s someone around me sipping on something I don’t like, I don’t care. In fact, I’m more than happy to share a Bud Select or something when friends offer it to me. Like all passions, if we get consumed with the righteousness of our loves, we will surely turn people away at a faster pace than we attract.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

Five years

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Craft Beer Radio – wanted to provide a west coast version of what Jeff and Greg were doing.

3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?

No clue.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

I never cared about the blog too much, I was shocked when I realized people were reading it, commenting, emailing… for me, it was just a way to write – I love to write – and the fact that others read and like it was pretty damn cool.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

… sorry, no way to begin to explain properly. I’d say the friendships cultivated around the country.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

Stan’s, Lew’s and Jay’s – they are the beer masters of America.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

IPA, Porter, Saison

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Sierra Nevada, Firestone Walker, Deschutes

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Well, I’m starting Odonata Beer Co because Peter Hoey’s the best! Choosing from others, Sierra Nevada – they are, hands down, the most socially conscious and honest brewery in America. I have more respect for them than any other brewery.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Yes. I rarely brew the same thing twice. I just like to make things I can’t buy in stores.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

BJCP

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Racer 5 & raw tuna…

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Starting a brewery. Transitioning out of Beer Director role for DRAFT Magazine

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

Start a brewery with a young and talented brewer – like Peter Hoey and what we’re doing at Odonata!

3. Are you married? Children?

Married, 4 cats

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

Cycling, cooking, reading

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?

Belgian IPA – because I’m a little sweet, a little bitter and very dry.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Deschutes Black Butte Porter – that beer often takes me home. I can’t drink it without thinking of my family.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

Scottish Strong – because it’s sticky sweet, a little raspy in it’s smokiness and knows how to warm a person up from the inside, out.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I’d have an anti-idiocy gun…

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Wow… rode a bike off my elementary school roof. Bike broke, somehow I walked away. Did some stupidly drunk driving in high school too – something that is clearly among the stupidest actions I’ve made.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s the new peanut butter…

SPECIAL THANKS TO RICK FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!