Though it’s a beer that goes back to 1902, I first fell in love with Champagne Velvet during the dark days of COVID-19, when it was an everyday feature at Brick Store Pub’s beer garden.
Since then, it’s become a go-to — not only because of it has a great backstory, but because it’s the kind of Midwestern lager my father and grandfather drank.
And with that bit of nostalgia in mind, Champagne Velvet is this week’s Beer Pick.
Beer Pick
Champagne Velvet
Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
Available on draft and in 4-pack 16-ounce cans
Profile
Once one of Indiana’s most popular beers, and known as “The Beer with the Million Dollar Flavor,” Champagne Velvet nearly went extinct. But Upland Brewing reformulated the recipe, and not only brought it back to life, but made it into a cult classic. It’s brewed with Bohemian lager yeast, Pilsner, corn and Carapils malt, and Cluster and German Tettnang hops. And altogether, it’s pale, light and refreshing, with a touch of mid-palate sweetness, and the kind of smooth bitterness that makes you want more than one.
Pair with
At the Bugler’s Inn, my grandfather might have had a Pilsner like Champagne Velvet with jarred pickled pigs feet. But I’d be happy to sip it with a loaded foot-long hotdog, or a big bowl of Texas chili and a stack of warm flour tortillas.
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