New Belgium Lips Of Faith – Coconut Curry Hefeweizen Update

Hey there dear readers. That’s right, the title line of this post does not deceive, we brewed a Coconut Curry Hefeweizen. It’s weird and delicious and unlike anything you have ever had before (unless you have had a coconut curry hefeweizen before, then it’s old hat for you). The recipe for this beer comes from a local, Fort Collins homebrewer named Remi. Here’s a little background on him and the credentials he wears above his shirt pocket:

"I had always wondered about brewing my own beer and around 1999 a friend gave me a few pieces of homebrewing equipment, some of which I still use today. I started homebrewing in 2000 and after brewing a few extract batches I designed my own all-grain system, basically the same one that I use now. A few years later I started competing in homebrew competitions and got pretty serious about it the following years. In 2010 I landed the title of National Homebrewer of the Year after winning a gold medal and subsequently Best of Show (with a Flanders Red Ale) in the AHA National Homebrew Competition in Minneapolis. That same year I also won Front Range Homebrewer of the Year, winning the most points out of about a dozen different competitions, mainly here in Colorado. I’m still an avid homebrewer, brewing about 30 batches a year, and still compete when I have time. I feel very fortunate to be able to brew with New Belgium, as NBB beers were some of the first craft brews I tried in the mid-nineties."

Remi is a pretty top-notch fellow. This beer comes from his repertoire, so let’s hear about it in his words:

"This beer is adapted from a recipe I found in Charlie Papazian’s Homebrewing Companion. Charlie got the recipe (and adapted it slightly) from a homebrewing friend and "curry freak" named Brian Kelly, who based the beer upon a Sri Lankan crab curry recipe. I’m not sure if Brian is still around or if he still homebrews, but I have never heard of him in homebrewing circles. I discovered the recipe in the book quite a few years back (~10) but put it on the back burner. It seemed a bit "out there" for me, even as a spice beer enthusiast/brewer. One day I decided to go ahead and give it a try. The result was fantastic and it won me numerous awards in homebrewing competitions statewide.

As far as tasting notes, it really does have the flavor/aroma like Indian curry meets Bavarian Hefeweizen. The fruity esters and spicy phenols of the authentic German wheat beer yeast meld with the spicy, citrusy characters of the curry spices."

Awesome, huh? Here’s what it looks like in its current, New Belgium, iteration: 

And to be straight with you, it does taste just like Remi described it, and coincidentally, exactly like the name. It’s called Coconut Curry Hefeweizen, and tastes just like that. I am not going to go much deeper than that because I will just end up overusing the words curry, coconut, spicy, awesome, and hefeweizen. The food pairings are obvious too, pair it with Indian food, or any other curry-type situation and you’ve got a perfect dinner. But sweet fruit is great with it too: pineapple, cantaloupe, etc… I paired it with a melon-heavy fruit salad the other night and it was spectacular.

Anyway, I know this beer is not for everyone. But everyone should at least try it and see if they’re the kind of person that likes weird and awesome beers. Get help finding it here…

Until next time,
.