Gừng Sả inspired our latest Intelligent Design effort, this one from brewer Matthew McKenna.

Lemongrass Ginger Saison takes a flavor profile prominent in Vietnam (Gừng Sả literally means ginger & lemongrass) and incorporates it into a traditional saison. The result is super light, bright, and refreshing, especially for those of us in an epic stretch of the dog days of summer.

Intelligent Design is open to all Surly brewers regardless of experience, allowing them to develop a beer concept and work with the Head Brewer and Brand Development team to bring that beer to life as a tap in the Surly beer hall. The entire process mimics Surly’s R&D process for developing new brands to bring to market, from brewhouse logistics to scaling up recipes to consumer appeal.

Matthew also created one of our most popular Darkness variants, 2020’s Vietnamese Coffee Darkness. This could not possibly be a more different style and he knocked it out of the park again.

Lemongrass Ginger Saison is on tap in the Beer Hall now, but it won’t be for long.