Something Else for the Beer Geeks
My original plan was to have recovered from the flu soon enough to do some experimenting with one of Unibroue’s more interesting offerings, a cherry based brew called (what else?) Quelque Chose. But since the microorganisms have conspired against me, I’ll do some sociological reporting rather than rhapsodizing about gustatory concoctions.
Last month I attended a homebrew club meeting. The club meets at a local brewpub and we taste and talk about beer. Not a bad way to spend an evening. Occasionally, the club will host a special guest speaker. In January our special guest was Rick Suarez of Unibroue, Canada’s most popular premium beer brewer. That night Rick brought a bunch of my old favorites. My ears perked up when he started talking about what pubs, restaurants, and bars were doing to sell Quelque Chose.
Quelque Chose is one of those beers that when you sip it, you don’t honestly believe you are drinking a beer. The drink tastes of cherries. It’s a combination of sweet and tart and has no carbonation to speak of. For years I’ve enjoyed Quelque Chose warm. Not just room temperature, but actually heated up. Not boiling, mind you, but well above body temperature. I like how the warmer temperatures brings the flavor of the cherries out.
Rick gave us a promotional photo of Quelque Chose on ice. A lot of the homebrew crowd frowned and shook their heads at the thought of serving such a nice drink on the rocks. Then Rick said that some bars were mixing Quelque Chose with Grand Marnier. When he said that, the room exploded in a cacophony of boos and hisses. Sure the beer geeks had had a pint or two, but their reaction was in earnest and clear: don’t put stuff in your beer that doesn’t belong. Well, that begs the question. Who’s to say what belongs in your beer and what doesn’t?
Rick gave some other serving suggestions for the Quelque Chose. Evidently, the cherries go well with oranges because several of the combinations paired Quelque Chose with that fruit. He suggested a Quelque Chose Sangria. The beer geeks wouldn’t listen to any of it. One guy even grabbed his chest and feigned a heart attack.
I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll get over this cold or flu or whatever it is and I’ll report back here about what kind of stuff I put in my Quelque Chose.
