Karlos Knott

karlos@bayoutechebrewing.com

“The Champagne of Beers” is the frequently-used marketing slogan for the mass-produced, American Pilsner-like beer known as Miller High Life. You have to admit it is catchy motto, even if it is not entirely truthful.

In reality, the Champagne of beers is brewed in Buggenhut, Belgium, by the Bosteels Brewery. This wonderful brewery was founded in 1791 and is still owned and operated by the founding family, now its seventh generation. They brew three world class beers: Tripel Karmeliet, Pauwel Kwak, and DeuS.

One of their three beers is in reality the authentic Champagne of Beers; Deus.

DeuS, (Latin for God) is stylistically a Brut des Flandres, or a Bière de Champagne. It is a big 11.5 percent ABV and gorgeously packaged in 75cl Champagne-style bottles.

At the Belgian brewery, this beer is brewed as a strong, blond ale and then shipped to the Champagne region of France for bottle-conditioning and packaging with the traditional Champagne-making method, the méthod champenoise.

In Belgium, the summer’s freshest barley is twice fermented with two distinct yeasts. The resulting ale is then shipped and subsequently re-fermented with Champagne yeast in the town of Épernay in Champagne, France. After this fermentation the beer is bottled, after which it is left in a cellar for nine months — each bottle is rotated by hand once a week. This is the heart of the méthod champenoise, the long cellaring and rotating of the bottles allows the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer giving it the tiny, fine carbonation bubbles of champagne, with a quick-gushing and slowly receding head.

After the long cellaring, the yeast sediment is removed in a process called dégorgement. Just like Champagne, the bottles are stored neck down to allow the yeast to settle near the cork. Then the necks are flash-frozen, the bottle uncorked and the yeast plug removed. A new cork replaces the original.

A champagne flute of DeuS is amazingly effervescent, with a very tart, dry, and slightly sour finish. It is mildly perfumed, light bodied and has a gentle maltiness — with a complex and sophisticated taste. There is an undercurrent of spiciness, which stems from a small addition of coriander in the kettle.

Just like vintage Champagne, this beer is dated. Recently I sampled their Cuvee Prestige 2011 with a friend in San Antonio and it was delightful.

The brewery recommends that this beer is refreshing as an aperitif.

The brewers contend that a flute is as full of flavor and rich in aroma as a beer from heaven — a beer that is a magnificent symbiosis of brewing a beer and creating a sparkling wine. This beer is ideal for delighting your guests with before-dinner nibbles and amuse-geules. I could think of many meals to pair with it — I’d stick to something like Oysters Rockefeller, a nice gruyere cheese quiche, butter-poached seafood, or even a light dinner salad with sprinkles of pecans and blue cheese.

And at $40 a bottle this ain’t no Miller High Life; on the other hand it’s just the thing to have on hand if you have got something to celebrate.

Buy a bottle or two of DeuS. It is best kept stored like wine in a cool, dark place. I recommend you enjoy it between 36-39 degrees Fahrenheit. Pop the bottle in the fridge about 12 hours before you want to serve it, and then put the bottle in an ice bucket, well filled with water and ice-cubes. Pour gently, preferably into chilled flute glasses.

Please don’t drink it directly from the bottle, which would be déclassé — keep in mind that this is the Champagne of beers.