Avondale Spring Street Saison — The Flagship That Changed Birmingham’s Palate

The Review

Most breweries open with a pale ale or an IPA. Avondale opened with a saison as their flagship and dared Birmingham to keep up. Turns out Birmingham was ready.

Spring Street Saison is named for the main road through Avondale and brewed in the Belgian farmhouse tradition — open fermentation, a proprietary house yeast from the Wallonia region of Belgium, Slovenian hops, and a four-malt blend that gives the beer its rich, unfiltered texture. It pours a coppery golden haze with a white head that holds. The nose is tropical fruit, citrus peel, and the unmistakable spicy-fruity funk that only a proper farmhouse yeast produces.

Food Advertisements by

On the palate it’s everything a saison should be: dry, complex, well-carbonated, and infinitely food-friendly. The 7.2% ABV is deceptive — warm but never boozy. The finish is clean with a gentle farmhouse character that lingers just long enough to demand another sip.

Avondale claims to be the only Alabama brewery doing open-fermentation Belgian styles. Whether or not that’s still true, nobody does it better. Order this on the patio with Saw’s Soul Kitchen in walking distance and you’ll understand how Avondale turned a forgotten neighborhood into one of Birmingham’s best nights out.

Quick Stats