Say cheers with beer!
It has become a matter of course that New Year’s Day is welcomed with a bottle of something bubbly. The traditional fill for this festive flute is champagne, but as beer lovers we are always looking for an appropriate beer to take on this role. It is not clear when people first began to offer drinks in honour of a particular event, individual, or season, but it is most likely an ancient tradition as it appears in many cultures throughout the world. The origins of the word toast are somewhat murky as well, although a favourite story of mine relates to a 17th century custom, in which drinks were seasoned by the lady of the house with a toasted, spiced bread. This original term was then applied to any celebratory drink that was drunk in her honour, as her name was said to provide the seasoning for the drink. In this article, I’m going to highlight a few Belgian Strong Ales that are easily adapted to this role.
The first, and perhaps best, is an old standby – Duvel. This crystal clear, pale straw coloured brew pours with a bright appearance and a big thick, rocky white head. The nose is very delicate with a perfumed pear and lemon citrus quality. When fresh, this beer has a soft herbal hoppiness on the finish that complements the spicy phenolics and light pear fruitiness. It is very dry and quite refreshing in a way that draws many parallels with the more traditional champagne. It has the added benefit of being commonly available in both 750 ml and magnum-sized bottles, suitable for sharing.
Another beer that has been marketed as a champagne beer is Deus Brut des Flandres from Bosteels Brewery. Sold in a corked and caged bottle similar to that used for many champagnes, the beer is even produced using the methode champagnoise. In this technique, while the beer is bottle conditioning, the bottles are placed in a rack that allows them to be turned daily, thereby depositing the yeast on one side of the bottle. As the beer conditions, the bottle is slowly inverted, a few degrees a day. This eventually results in the bottle being completely inverted and the plug of yeast is deposited on the bottom of the cork. The neck of the beer is then submerged in a sub-zero temperature bath, thereby freezing the beer in the neck of the bottle. The cork within the bottle is then removed and the plug of yeast is removed with it. The actual removal of the cork and yeast plug is a process called “degorgement”. A fresh cork is then fitted and the cage is applied. This technique allows the brewer to produce a clear beer without using filtration. The beer itself is very complex and tasty. A very creamy palate with a lovely complex aroma of stewed apples, peach and apricot with a flinty minerally character and a very dry finish. Lots of floral notes are present in here that really demonstrates an incredible amount of complexity. As with many champagne beers, this beer should be served quite cold because that encourages a perception of dryness on the palate.
Malheur has made two beers suitable for seasonal toasting. The first of these is the paler Malheur Biere Brut. Pouring with a pale golden colour topped by a massive rocky white head. This is another dry strong Belgian pale ale. In some ways similar to the Duvel, this beer has a more peppery alcoholic flavour that results in a much dryer finish. Some light fruitiness and a bit of soft peppery spice on the finish. The beer has a soft, creamy texture and a lingering dry finish. Taking a slightly different tack, the brewery also makes their Dark Brut. This beer has a thick, sticky tan head over a deep chestnut-coloured beer. It is similar in texture to the pale version with a fluffy, creamy texture, it is fairly notable for the contribution of dark malts giving a touch of plum and raisiny fruitiness as well as a bit of molasses sweetness on the finish. It is a tasty brew and an interesting twist on the champagne beer concept.
Although the Belgians excel at this type of beer, there are a few American versions as well, one of which is Brooklyn Brewery’s Local 1. One of the few bottled beers that are actually solely produced at their Brooklyn location, this beer is a pale golden Belgian Strong Ale. The yeast used contributes a lovely minty character in addition to the soft apple and pear esters. A little bit spicy and a little bit spritzy, as with all of the other beers I’ve described (and champagne itself for that matter) this beer has an unusual affinity for food, and will work well with many rich or spicy dishes.
No matter what your drink of choice is as we welcome a new decade this New Year’s Eve, whether one of the beers described here, champagne, cider, or even sparkling juice, the most important thing is to do it with joy and with people who you care about. Cheers to 2010 and may it bring another year of good times, good friends, and good beer. À votre santé!
3 Comments to “Say cheers with beer!”
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Local 1, Joe? Really?
@notalush – What can I say? I like Local 1. It’s available everywhere, it’s festive, and it’s tasty. There are loads of other suitable beers as well (I may be cracking a bottle of 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze), but I wanted to highlight these “champagne beers”.
Last year I went with Deus, this year it’s Aspall Cuvee Chevallier for something a little different.