:: BerDerp™ ::

Last night I was introduced to “Deus, Brut des Flandres” by a friend who happens to know the owner of a particularly famous bar in SF. This bar specializes in carrying an assortment of microbreweries that even the most heavy drinker has usually not heard of. But I digress.
What makes Deus so special is the way that it is made.
First it is brewed in Belgium, consisting of very old Trappist origins. Next it is then shipped to France, to undergo a unique and special procedure. The word coming from the owner is that the people in France who assist in the second part of this process actually provide the specially selected yeast that is used by a very famous champagne manufacturer. Once this additional batch of yeast is added, the bottles then undergo a process called riddling; this process has been around for about 200 years. Essentially the bottles are put into racks, at a 45 degree angle, and then consistently turned over a period of time. Traditionally, a good riddler could turn as many 40,000 bottles in a day. As this process continues the angle is increased more and more. Ultimately at the end, the neck of the bottle is frozen and the plug of yeast is removed being pushed out by pressure in the bottle. Once this occurs a few final steps remain before it is finally corked and ready for consumption.

Well, you may be asking.. How does it taste? Delightful, light, and radiantly bubbly. A nice blend of beer and champagne effervescence on the back of the tongue. How much does it cost? $35 for a 750ml bottle. Where can I try this at? I could tell you, but you won’t be able to order it. Only friends of the owner are allowed to order it, or even know about it, as it is not listed on the menu of this bar. Truth be told, only 12 bottles of Dues made it into the states recently, and this bar received 9 of them. Dues is made one 55 gallon barrel at a time. Last night, my krew consumed 2 in one sitting.