With the coming of the new year, the time is ripe for resolutions and admonitions like “out with the old, and in with the new.”
But my New Year’s pledge is to rediscover and renew friendships with some of the beers I may have cast aside in favor of the latest flavor crushes.
I got a head start earlier in December, when I returned to Muss & Turner’s in Smyrna to do a tasting that featured five old favorites: Victory Prima Pils, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Orval Trappist Ale, Rodenbach Flanders Red, and North Coast Old Rasputin.
Now I’m going toast the new year with some classic bubbly beers that are not only as festive as champagne, but just as food-friendly, and ideal to serve with hors d’oeuvres, oysters or other celebratory treats.
The following four are all available in corked-and-caged large format bottles that are perfect for chilling in an ice bucket, popping open at a dramatic moment, and pouring into tall champagne flutes or Belgian-style tulip glasses to sip and savor.
DeuS Brut Des Flandres — Dubbed a "Bière de Champagne," this brut beer brewed by Brouwerij Bosteels in Buggenhout, Belgium, is my No. 1 choice for festive occasions. It's fermented then sent off to France to be finished in the bottle using the méthode champenoise. The result is a lively sparkling beverage with a pale color, sweet, floral aroma, delicate fruit flavor and pleasantly dry finish.
Duvel — The world class Belgian strong pale ale from Duvel-Moortgat is as welcome on a warm summer afternoon as it is on the first day of the year. It may look like a pilsner but this "devil" brew packs a deceptive punch of alcohol. Golden under a huge, fluffy white head, the nose is zesty citrus with a hoppy perfume, and the palate is soft, revealing spicy notes, and another snap of hops in the off-dry finish.
Brooklyn Local 1 — This impressive American craft beer take on the Belgian strong golden ale style really is an international creation, with German malt and hops, raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium. It's 100 percent re-fermented in the bottle, with a golden effervescence, a rush of complex aromas, and an exquisite creamy palate that features sweet fruity flavors lingering into the finish.
Tripel Karmeliet — Another elegant product of Brouwerij Bosteels, this classic Belgian tripel is brewed with barley, wheat and oats and re-fermented in the bottle. The clear gold color, and voluminous white head are best appreciated in the signature Bosteels fleur-de-lys glass. Look for herbal aromas and flavors, with a fruity character and a lush mouthfeel that finishes dry and lemony.
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