South Puget Sound Community College's (SPSCC) Craft Brewing & Distilling program celebrated the first-ever public release of a beer developed by students.
"This release represents exactly what our program is designed to do: give students real-world experience that prepares them for careers in the craft beverage industry," said Jake Holshue, director of Craft Brewing & Distilling at SPSCC. "Our students developed this recipe, refined it through the capstone process, and now get to see it enjoyed by the community. It's incredibly rewarding to watch their creativity and technical skills come together in a product that reaches the public."
The new sour saison, released on Friday, Aug. 14, was created by SPSCC Craft Brewing & Distilling student Martin Lee during the 2026 spring quarter.
The dry, crisp pale ale was originally brewed by 19th century farmworkers in the wintertime and left to ferment until summer.
It’s not a common beer to find on tap nowadays, Lee said.
“Most people don’t go for this, for saison. They go for a lager or a pilsner — they’re used to that.”
Having always liked the taste of saisons himself, Lee decided he wanted to create his own for his SPSCC Brewing Capstone project.
Lee started the two-year SPSCC Craft Brewing & Distilling after retiring from military service and embarking on a brief career in manufacturing, which ended abruptly when his company moved its operations out of the country.
When Lee’s wife suggested he go back to school, SPSCC’s program caught his eye.
Lee had dappled in home brewing before, and relished the idea of growing his knowledge in a local program.
“There's really nothing (like it) in the area, and so this was perfect because it's right here,” Lee said.
For his capstone project, Lee decided to add his own sour spin to the classic saison.
He partnered with a friend at Elliot Bay Brewing Co. to acquire a special “Philly Sour” yeast for his capstone beer.
The end result, after several rounds of experimentation, was a beer balancing the citrus and tartness of a sour with the peppery notes and dryness of a saison.
Lee’s saison was scaled up for commercial production by the team at the Percival Creek Tasting Room, located in the Market Building at the Tumwater Craft District. The tasting room operates in partnership with SPSCC. Students work alongside industry professionals at the Percival Creek Brewery, and proceeds from tasting room and product sales are reinvested back into SPSCC Brewing & Distilling programs.
Lee himself is now working at Percival Creek, and hopes one day to open his own brewery.
The Percival Creek Tasting Room, located in the Market Building at the Tumwater Craft District, is open Wednesday through Saturday, 3 to 8 p.m. to patrons 21 and older.
For more information, visit https://percivalcreek.com/.
Anyone interested in pursuing brewing professionally are encouraged to attend the program's upcoming information session and facility tour on Thursday, Aug. 20, where prospective students can learn about SPSCC's hands-on curriculum, industry connections, and pathways into the craft beverage industry.
For more information, visit https://spscc.edu/food-beverage-arts-hospitality/craft-brewing-distilling.