Brewing Champagne Beer

Originally published in the May/June 2006 issue of Zymurgy magazine For more than a generation, the "champagne of beers" failed to live up to its billing. No leap of imagination could conjure a magical beverage from that pale yellow, ghostly beer. That all changed with the release of Malheur Brut and DeuS de Bosteels, strong spicy Belgian ales that transcended slogans and delighted the drinker with an explosion of aromas and spices and a dry, sparkling mouthfeel. These new "brut" beers have proven to be a big hit with beer enthusiasts and wine drinkers. Brouwerij de Landtsheer and Brouwerij Bosteels employ the laborious and traditional méthode champenoise to put the fizz in brut and it shows in the wine-like price of these interesting bottles. The combination of intense flavors, traditions and techniques evinced an irresistible draw to this…

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