La Fin du Monde

I've got a feeling quite a few beer drinkers know this one already. But as I was strolling through Whole Foods today, with the green light from Mrs. Architecturefootballandfood to go ahead and pick us up some spirits, I ran across this old favorite and couldn't say no to its sweet song.

My old college roomate turned me on to du Monde, at the time it was far less widely distributed, and he basically only knew of it having spent a good amount of time each year up in Quebec for the Amateur World Championships of footbag. (That's a whole nother post in itself) Since then, I've been sporadically picking this gorgeous thing up - it's quite pricey, but if you're looking for something strong, tastey and really cool looking, a couple times a year is a bare minimum. (For a great anecdote, there's a legend that this beer was named after a long night in the marketing offices, when the suits couldn't think of a name for it. One of them proclaimed - "Hey, its not the end of the world!" and the rest is history.)

La Fin du Monde is a Belgian beer, tasting a bit like Duvel but much more spicey and orangey. For this time of year, its a bit light for my taste, but tonight I made an exception. I'd say the perfect time of year for this one would probably be May - it's a bit too spicey for the dog days of summer, but has the refreshing citrus kick that will get you in the mood for the beach.

It's brewed in Quebec, and the same brewer makes a few more, Don De Dieu, Trois Pistoles, and Maudite. All of these brews are over 8% alcohol, and make for a great beer to enjoy, rather than simply get drunk to. These are certainly beer drinkers' beers, for the price is enough to drive the average high school senior away. But for those of us who were born before this date in 1987, have a go. It's a sure thing.