pFriem Family Brewers & Steven Smith Teamaker Collaborate on Barrel Aged Botanical Saison III

March 4, 2025 – Hood River, Oregon – pFriem Family Brewers is thrilled to introduce Barrel Aged Botanical Saison III, an exclusive club release crafted in collaboration with the artisans at Smith Teamaker. Inspired by Smith’s Rose City Genmaicha tea blend, this farmhouse-style ale merges old-world brewing traditions with modern botanical innovation, offering a floral, toasty, and delicately complex drinking experience.

A Harmonious Fusion of Beer & Tea

“Working with barrel-aged beer requires us to be more than just brewers, but to be blenders as well.” Explains Kyle Krause, pFriem’s Barrel & Blending Supervisor. “Some of the finest blenders we know work at Smith Teas, and it’s been a dream of ours to create something botanical and beautiful with them one day. Inspired by our favorite flavors in tea, Botanical Saison III is the culmination of that long-held dream.”

This latest installment in pFriem’s Botanical Saison series showcases a meticulous blend of Japanese sencha green tea, puffed brown rice, jasmine blossoms, and pink rose petals, layered over a farmhouse ale base. Aged for 10 months in ex-white wine barrels with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, this beer embodies the farmhouse saison tradition while introducing a distinct Oregon twist.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

Pouring a pale straw color with subtle copper tones, Botanical Saison III greets the senses with aromas of floral rose petals, toasty grain, and bright fermentation character. Notes of honeysuckle, toasted sourdough, and earthy green tea unfold on the palate, finishing dry with a gentle tannic structure.

For an elevated tasting experience, pFriem recommends pairing this beer with soft rind cheeses, fresh fruit, vegetable tempura, grilled seafood, or delicate desserts like mochi or sorbet.

Exclusive to Club Members – Sign Up by March 24st

Botanical Saison III will be available exclusively to members of pFriemsters Union Local 541, with bottles releasing on March 29, 2025, for both Artisan and Cellar Club members. To gain access to this limited release and future club exclusives, beer enthusiasts must sign up by March 24, 2025.

For more details on club membership, visit www.pfriembeer.com/pfriemsters-union.

About Smith Teamaker

Founded in 2009 by the legendary teamaker Steven Smith, Smith Teamaker crafts premium artisanal teas that showcase unexpected flavor combinations with complex aromas. Steven Smith was a pioneer of the late 20th century American maker movement, founding several of the world’s most successful tea brands: Stash and Tazo. Today, the company exists to enrich lives, one exceptional tea experience at a time. All teas are handcrafted in Portland, OR, transparently sourced from the finest tea and botanical farms in the world. The company is also known for brand collaborations with partners including Salt & Straw, Blue Bottle Coffee, Levain Bakery, James Beard Award Winning chef Gregory Gourdet, Top Chef winner Mei Lin, NBA star Scottie Pippen’s whiskey brand DIGITS, and many more. Smith Teamaker is generating some of the highest growth in the tea industry, and has earned its place amongst Inc’s 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies several times. Smith Teamaker operates three tasting rooms in Portland, Oregon and now one in Tokyo, Japan in collaboration with exclusive distributor Toyo Beverage. For more information go to smithtea.com and @smithteamaker. 

About pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem Family Brewers (pronounced “freem”) is a Northwest and European-inspired brewery and tasting room in Hood River, OR with a second Tasting Room in Milwaukie, OR opening this April.

Founded in 2012, pFriem has experienced incredible growth in the past decade and has earned prestigious awards, including being namedGABF^® 2018 Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year, Three-Time Brewery of the Year by the Beer Connoisseur, and numerous medals in national and international brewing competitions. Best known for artisanal beers influenced by the great brewers of Europe while staying true to homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest, pFriem craft beers are unmistakably unique in both flavor and balance.

Visit pFriem online at www.pfriembeer.com, or onsite daily at 707 Portway Ave., Suite 101, Hood River, OR 97031.