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Drink Fri Jun 17 2011
Summer Drinking Series: New Belgium Somersault
I don't know if this happens to you, but my beer cravings get INTENSE during the summer months. I'll be riding along in an un-air conditioned Red Line car or walking along a particularly bright patch of River North sidewalk and BAM! I require liquid refreshment! (I also saw Thor a few weeks ago, which may partially explain the force of these sudden desires.) Such was the case yesterday at Trader Joe's -- after picking out the starches and cheeses that would best complement my CSA bounty (scapes in the house!), I desperately needed a six-pack as well, and New Belgium Somersault was in the right place at the right time.
And a good thing too. A slightly higher ABV (5.2%), slightly sweeter seasonal replacement for Skinny Dip, Somersault is a quenching, not overly complex but not simply sweet and fruity summer beer. It has a velvety, mouth-filling feel with a slightly caramelized scent, an assertive dose of hops, and a lingering citrus crispness. A perfect 75 degree day, backyard beer. And no, it's not a Chicago or even Illinois beer (though its cousin Fat Tire does seem to get an awful lot of play on the taps around town) but it does make for a nice Jewel or TJ's supermarket purchase, and might be just the beer to cut through all the smoky meatiness of the 6 Points BBQ Fest this weekend. And look at that label! How delightfully disorienting!
