ERB Lady Night – Champagne Beer

Once upon a Wednesday, Stephanie and Katie went to Eagle Rock Brewery to partake in the 3rd Women’s Beer Forum, a ladies-only community event with a themed beer flight. This month’s theme: champagne beers. The ladies will love it!

The first and only experience we’d had with the Bieres De Champagne was the Sam Adams Infinium beer that their marketing department pushed hard as a New Year’s toastable brew as a champagne alternative. We were excited to try it, but alas, it fell short of our high expectations, so this was bieres de champagne redemption.

First up, Deus from Brut des Flanders in Belgium. This was what we’d hoped Infinium would taste like. Turns out it’s a very old style of brewing, and it really is what a champagne beer sounds like: super bubbly, crisp, dry, delightful. If Brut des Flanders had a Sam Adams-like marketing team, everyone would have this at New Years.

Next we had a brew from a local homebrew club, the Maltose Falcons, based in Woodland Hills, CA. Their Brut was similar to Deus, but with extra citrus and fuller body. “It was more beery than champagny,” as Steph would say. “YOU’RE more beery than champagny,” as Katie would say.

Enter the beer that would strain the very foundation of Stephanie and Katie’s friendship: Liefmans Cuvee-Brut by Brouwerij Liefmans, also from Belgium.

Katie: Um, I didn’t really like it.
Stephanie: Still haven’t outgrown my beer sweet tooth. Loved it!
Katie: I felt like a cherry punched me in the face, but I still appreciated its complexity.
Stephanie: I’m still pissed you didn’t let me finish the rest of your beer.
Katie: I had to fulfill my destiny and finish the complex beer… that I happened to not like.
Stephanie: That’s okay. I bought a full bottle afterwards and drink it by myself.
Katie: That works, too.

Last up: your mom. No, Mahleur Brut Noir by Brouwerij  de Landtsheer, also from (as you may have guessed) Belgium. This was a dark, sour, full-flavored mouthful. Supposedly there were cotton candy flavors hiding in the small pour, but they eluded our (apparently) unsophisticated tongues.

The first three were beers that we could sip throughout the night, but Ting was right to choose this one to close on, because it was so intense that it didn’t leave you wanting another pour. One’s enough. Kinda like a one night stand.

We’re looking forward to the next ladies’ forum, which is the 3rd Wednesday of every month, always hosted by Eagle Rock Brewery co-owner, Ting. It’s a great way for the beer lovers and the beer curious alike to drink and talk about beer. Next one is June 15. See you there, ladies!

– Katie M. – Steph M.R.

Special Contributing Brewers & Beer Correspondents

About Katie McKissick

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