Tonight's dinner at our house featured seasoned tri-tip steak, mushrooms cooked in red wine and beef stock, and pureed cauliflower. To complement this rich, decadent meal, I chose New Belgium Brewing Abbey. This Belgian-style dubbel ale holds a special place in my heart, as it was one of my forays into Belgian beers about eight or nine years ago. It's also one of the finest examples of the style that you'll find from an American craft brewery. According to its website, New Belgium first brewed Abbey in 1991, the same year Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan started the Fort Collins brewery.
My wife Kris had prepared this meal a couple times before, so I knew just how flavorful this dish was going to be. Abbey was exactly the kind of beer that could stand up well to the flavors, but not overpower them either. The beer pours a nice mahogany color, with a thin head. It's a complex beer, brewed with six different malts and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. Malt dominates the profile, creating flavors resembling dark fruit and caramel. The beer is slick and slightly oily due to its complex nature. At 7% ABV, this beer is sturdy enough for this meal yet allows the food flavors to speak for themselves. It's a very nice match.
The sweetness of the malts makes this beer nice for sipping even after you're done eating. New Belgium beers are available across much of the U.S. these days, and Abbey is priced quite reasonably for being such a great beer. If you're seeking out a dubbel that's from Belgium, there are of plenty of outstanding ones to choose from if you have a good beer store nearby. Achel, Maredsous and St. Bernardus are just a few of the Belgian beer brands that feature excellent dubbels and a full selection of ales. If you're interested in getting this meal recipe, just give me a shout!
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