Grisette
Grisette is a historical style of Belgian beer, starting somewhere in the 1700's or early 1800's. Although there are higher gravity versions, most grisettes were brewed to be around 3-5% ABV. The beer was moderately hopped to around 0.36-0.89 oz/gal, depending on the gravity of the beer and the source of the hops (English vs Belgian vs Bavarian). Sources indicate that it was brewed with 6 row barley and a small percentage of wheat malt. While the beer was probably fermented with a mixed culture, the beer was meant to be served fresh and the hopping rate would have limited the activity of lactic acid bacteria.
Historical
Much of the research into Grisette has been done by Dave Janssen and presented on his blog Hors Catégorie Brewing:
- What is a Grisette?
- What is a Grisette part II.
- Hopping Historical Grisettes.
- Categories of Grisette and Grisette strength.