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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Lips of Faith series starting to arrive...

Available online now -- click here

The first two have arrived at Forsyth in the Lips of Faith series...

New Belgium Lips of Faith Le Fleur Misseur....$7.19 / 22oz

"Deep burnished gold with a slight haze, Le Fleur Misseur opens with pineapple, clove and honey notes. Dry-hopping produces a flower leaf aroma supported by tones of fresh bread and honey. Bottle conditioned with our special house strain of Brettanomyces (wild ale) yeast, Le Fleur finishes dry and slightly herbal.

Produced for New Belgium coworkers to celebrate our 15th anniversary, Le Fleur has roots in the earliest days of our history. In 1988 founder Jeff Lebesch sat weary on the side of a Belgian road when a young lad passing by picked a delicate yellow flower and offered it to Jeff.

“Le Fleur, Misseur?” Jeff misspelled the boy’s comment in his journal as he accepted the offering. A treasured memory, a beer to treasure." -- brewery


Food pairings for Le Fleur Misseur

Erin Hughes, one of our fine Liquid Center Representatives, recommends:

I love to grill out. So I would skewer up some mahi mahi, orange bell peppers, pineapple and costoluto heirloom tomatoes. The fish is meaty, but not salty so it won’t overpower the beer and the pineapple will bring out the bretta contribution in Le Fleur. The peppers and tomatoes balance the sweetness with acidity.

Salad as a side with fresh greens and edible flowers (like spicy nasturtiums) accentuate the floral aroma, subtle sweet honey taste and spicy Hallertau dry-hopping.

For dessert, grilled pears stuffed with a soft cheese like chevre or capricho de cabra. (There both softer cheeses, more silky to go with the LeF’s creamy mouthfeel). Drizzle vanilla honey and dust some cinnamon on top to highlight the wild yeast’s (Brettanomyces) clove.

If just looking to snack, put out a plate of Spanish Marcona almonds. They’re a little sweet, but you still get the salty fix and they go great on a plate next to chevre on artisan crackers with fig spread to complete the sweet and salty fusion.

Notes from the brewery website




New Belgium Lips of Faith Biere De Mars...$7.19 / 22oz

"For the first time in three years we are pleased to offer one of our favorite harbingers of spring, Biere de Mars.

With earthy tones of ripe mango and lemon verbena, this bottle-conditioned ale reflects the hearty character of the southern Belgian and northern French countrysides. Brewed with barley, oats and wheat malt, Biere de Mars' celestial orange hue inspired the planetary play on words.

Brettanomyces, a wild yeast strain, added for bottle-conditioning creates a refreshingly sour flash across the palate. Lemon peel coupled with the lemon verbena imparts fruitlike character and a citrusy finish.

Golden amber in hue, this beer has delicately balanced hops with toasty aromas. Definite tropical notes of musty pineapple, dried apricot, and sweet papaya immediately indicate that this beer was made to pair with warm weather foods.

For starters, I would pair this beer with crab cakes of Dungeness lump crab, poblano pepper, sundried tomato, and curry with a mango coulis to finish the dish. Or try a salad of mixed greens with avocado tossed in a mimosa vinaigrette of pineapple juice, citrus segments, and cayenne pepper.

For a main course, a couple of ideas come to mind. Perhaps jerk pork with toasted almond studded coconut rice and papaya relish or an African stew of peanuts, hearty greens, and pineapple.

To finish this meal, consistent with the warm weather theme, I think a pineapple frangipane tart could tantalize anyone's taste buds when paired with this beer. Almond paste custard adorned with fresh sliced pineapple and brushed with a pineapple, brown sugar glaze. For any warm weather party, this beer is optimal and "ripe" for pairing." -- brewery

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