Sometimes you just have to change things up a bit. After years of regular-old beer, your palate might want some excitement. It might crave something fresh, rejuvenating, and very un-beery. Reaching out to try something different can provide insight into new, unique flavors. You might even be tagged as an innovator. At the very least, you’ll have a renewed appreciation of the classics.
Tart Lychee from New Belgium Brewing Company is a beer that can provide just that kind of experience. It pours a beautiful peachy color with a bubbly head, and it smells like a fresh-baked cobbler made with the perfect combination of berry, crust, and cinnamon. Each sip starts with a burst of apple, raspberry, and lychee sweetness—44 percent of this blended beer was brewed with lychee. There’s a quick, malty section of its flavor profile that’s reminiscent of fresh buttermilk pancakes, but it quickly transitions to a tart, cheek-puckering finish. It’s an excellent sour beer, and lovers of sour beers will enjoy every last drop. The rest of us heathens, the traditional hop-and-malt stock, will appreciate the complexity and unfamiliar deliciousness. Tart Lychee seems like the perfect aperitif before white fish or a desert beer after a meaty burger. Either way, this member of New Belgium’s limited Lips of Faith series will get you in the spirit to mix it up, push boundaries, and perhaps even emulate some of your favorite sports stars—fashionably speaking. Clearly Julia wore it better.
