In the north of France lies the region known as Nord-Pas de Calais. The northern reaches share a border with Belgium, considered beer paradise by connoisseurs. To the south lies the Champagne region.

It is from this region, drawing influences from Belgian, Dutch and French traditions, that one of the world's most distinctive brews originates. Biere de Garde is in a class of beers, which includes the Belgian Saison style, often referred to as farmhous ales.

Biere de Garde translates to English as "beer for keeping" and reflects the custom on farms of brewing large batches of beer during the cooler months to be "kept" for the summer months when warm weather and airborne yeasts made brewing difficult.

These beers stem from a time when self-sufficiency was the key to survival, so traditionally these brews would be made and matured through the cooler season, then shared with farmhands.

As brewing became more industrialized, Biere de Garde nearly disappeared. The style was kept alive by brewers in small villages and on small farms. Many would fill bottles directly for customers, using Champagne bottles. It's interesting to note that while many beverage producers will seek to add an air of sophistication by using Champagne bottles, their use in Biere de Gardes is traditional.

There are sub varieties of Biere de Garde, including amber, blond and brown. The darker varieties accentuate the malt flavors and, depending on how aggressive the wort is boiled, they can have mild to strong caramelized flavors along with toffee and sweet caramel.

Lighter colored Biere de Garde will have a more noticeable hop presence, though hops will always be secondary to the malt flavor. These beers can be spicy, herbal, earthy, woody and may even have some concentrated fruity notes.

Some varieties of Biere de Garde possess a slightly musty, cellar-like aroma. While this may sound off-putting to some, others feel it adds complexity and depth to the base flavors.

Biere de Garde is a fairly robust beer from an alcohol standpoint. The range is typically 6-8 percent alcohol by volume. One of the most unique characteristics of Biere de Garde is undoubtedly mouthfeel, which is full and somewhat heavy yet with a delightful roundness.