Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Two Degrees Below Ale

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's 2 degrees Below Ale.

The first question that crossed my mind when I saw this beer is -- 2 degrees below what? I did not need to look far as the bottle gives you the answer. The folks at New Belgium explain that the beer is produced in a near freezing state with plenty of hops and roasted malt. They also recommend serving the beer at 37F. By all rights, this should make the 2 below one of the Heineken man's favorites, since he likes to serve his beer direct from the freezer, but there is more to the story.

The Beer Advocate site calls this beer an ESB (extra special or extra strong bitter). The New Belgium website calls it a Winter Warmer. The website also tells the story of how it was originally brewed in small batches for a race which commemorates a mailman who used to make deliveries by skis, but they don't give much more explanation.

The beer pours a rich amber color with quite a lot of foam. I have tried this a few times and regardless of the angle for the pour, the foam is there. The hops are quite pronounced, but I would not say that it its as strong a bitter as some others that I have tried (you want a bitter ESB - try the Redhook). The beer does have quite a kick as it is 6.6% abv.

I had my most recent 2 Below with roasted chicken and potatoes and the dry hopped brew was the perfect companion to my aishes chayil's perfect Friday night meal. I highly recommend it on a cold winter Friday night...

New Belgium Two Degrees Below is under the Kosher Supervision of the Scroll-K of Colorado. Although the beer does not bear the kosher symbol on the label, it can be found on the bottom of the six pack carrier. Additionally, if you would like me to e-mail you the LOC for New Belgium Two Degrees Below, send me an e-mail and I will gladly oblige.

Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. Please check my latest Kosher Beer List (http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/09/kosher-beers-semi-annual-kosher-beers.html ) for a complete listing of those New Belgium brews which are certified kosher.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Two Degrees Below, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/26542 . As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

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