Audio By Carbonatix
Although I’ve never been New Belgium Brewing‘s biggest fan when it comes to their standard beer lineup, I’ve always admired the way the Fort Collins craft brewer — Colorado’s largest — tries to keep environmental and employee-happiness issues on their list of priorities.
And in recent weeks, I’ve become a much bigger fan of their Lips of Faith series of one-off specialty beers that are sold in 22-ounce bomber bottles.
The company has made about a dozen of these beers; their most recent is Vrienden, a sour-style beer brewed in collaboration with Maine’s Allagash Brewing. It is a mellow take on the style — which uses the brettanomyces yeast strain — and quite good.
In 2011, New Belgium plans to brew eight more Lips of Faith beers, two per quarter, says spokesman Bryan Simpson.
Will you step up to support Westword this year?
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
The first will be Dunkelweiss, a 9 percent ABV dark wheat ale “brewed with spices.”
The second is Le Terroir, a dry-hopped sour ale that has been available before on tap, but not in bottles.
2011 will start off deliciously.
Follow Westword‘s Beer Man on Twitter at @ColoBeerMan.
