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Beer has an image problem. No matter how good it tastes, it never seems as fancy as wine. Even an oversized bottle of a great microbrew is usually less expensive than low-end grapes from Chile. According to a recent Gallup poll, wine drinkers now outnumber beer swillers in the United States for the first time in 60 years. What's a beer maker to do?
For the holiday season, Krait has introduced its Prestige Champagne Lager. Despite the heavy-handed marketing angle, the product has its merits. It is double-fermented in Belgium, which means it undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. This costly process is generally reserved for only the better sparkling wines.
The bottle certainly looks regal. It is sleek, black and emblazoned with the company's elephant logo in faux gold relief. The cork is smaller than those found in true champagnes. The alcohol level is smaller, too: eight percent, as opposed to the 12 percent in Veuve Clicquot. The beer is a cloudy pale yellow and has a toasty, bread-like aroma. It has floral notes, like a Belgian beer and, although it may be too sweet for some drinkers, it finishes fast and dry. At $12, it's an affordable alternative to sparkling wine. Connoisseurs of both beer and wine, though, will likely not want to mix libations -- no matter how cool the bottle.
-- James Oliver Cury
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