What’s the champagne of beers? Miller High Life, of course.
But a new Belgian ale, Deus Brut des Flandres, might be the Dom Perignon of beer. Take a look at the bottle and label, and you’ll see it bears a remarkable resemblance to the prestige cuvee of the Moet et Chandon.
Deus (say it DAY-ews) is made much like Champagne. After bottling, the remaining yeast allows it to undergo a secondary fermentation, which helps develop its complex aroma and flavor. Then, like Champagne, the sediment is forced to rest in the neck of the bottle, then removed through freezing.
Drink it ice cold, and it goes down crisp and bubbly, like Champagne.
By the way, the near identical bottle and label has landed Deus in a bit of hot water. According to Lanny Hoff, of Artisanal Imports which distributes the beer in the United States, Dom Perignon recently sued the beermaker, demanding it change labels.
Hoff’s not sure where the dispute is headed, but he said the next batch of Deus will have a new label.
“I’m not sure what the problem is,” he said. “If you’re that confused that you think you can get a bottle of Dom for the price of even the most expensive beer in the world, like Deus, then you’re really confused.”
A 750 ml bottle of Deus goes for a very steep $20-$25, which is about $100 less than a bottle of Dom.
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