Loveland Colorado

New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, CO and Allagash Brewing of Portland, ME are pleased to announce the release of their collaboration ale, Vrienden (Flemish for friends). Brewed with caramelized endive and hibiscus, Vrienden is inoculated with lacto bacillus and brettanomyces, creating a slightly sour beer with a floral nose and a dry finish.

“We wanted a very simple sour so as not to compete with the hibiscus,” said New Belgium Brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert. “When we ran tests using our La Folie bretta, it was too intense and the hibiscus disappeared. The Allagash microbes bring just the right amount of sour and elevate the hibiscus notes where they belong.”

Allagash founder, Rob Tod, and brewmaster, Jason Perkins collaborated with New Belgium brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert, and Assistant Brewmaster, Grady Hull, at New Belgium’s Mothership facility in Fort Collins last September. They started the day sautéing endive in New Belgium’s employee kitchen to achieve caramelization. When asked what the endive would add to the beer, Bouckaert thought for a moment, shrugged and said simply, “endive.” The team later pitched endive into the mash and hibiscus into the kettle.

Vrienden is the second collaboration beer from New Belgium and Allagash and the first commercially available through New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Series. It is available on draft and in 22-oz. bottles now through February throughout New Belgium’s area of distribution where Lips of Faith beers are usually found.

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