Without a doubt, champagne reigns supreme when it comes to New Year’s celebrations. However, there are a few delicious beers that can pass as bubbly to unsuspecting guests. Bosteels Brewery in Belgium, brewers of the popular Triple Karmeliet and Kwak, brew a champagne style beer named Deus.

Deus comes in a bottle that is reminiscent of many types of champagne, and emits a “pop” when the cork is removed. Some bottles will also foam over, just like their bubbly cousins. Deus’s flavors are fruity, floral, spicy, grainy, and yeasty. The taste is where Deus differs the most from Champagne, and has much to do with it being crafted from barley while Champagne is made from grapes. The thing about Deus that bears a striking similarity to Champagne is the way that it feels in the mouth. It is extremely carbonated, spritzy, and crisp. It feels like you are drinking Champagne, but tastes like you are consuming a world class beer. This unique brew is perfect for special occasions like New Year’s.

So you may ask what makes Deus unique and similar to Champagne. Everything starts with the summer barley. The first and second fermentations then take place using specially selected yeast. The beer then undergoes a third fermentation, which is a bottle conditioning. After the yeast is added for the third fermentation, the bottles are shipped from Belgium to France where a centuries old technique is applied while the third fermentation is taking place in the bottle. The object of the third fermentation is to release yeast from the walls of the bottle, causing it to collect in the neck of the bottle. The bottles are positioned at a downward angle, and turned slightly over a period of weeks while being put at a greater slope until finally the neck of the bottle is vertical. Once this time consuming and labor intensive process is over, the built up yeast in the neck is frozen and expelled by the pressure in the bottle.

Beer expert and brew master of Brooklyn Brewery Garrett Oliver said it best, “It’s stunning—I’ve never had anything like it.” Deus can help make your New Year’s celebration just that: stunning and something to remember forever. Another scrumptious champagne styled beer you will find on our shelves is Malheur Brut. Besides these two wonderful brews, you will be hard pressed to find anything champagne like in the beer section. What are you drinking on New Years?