Brasserie Meteor - Bière de Noël

This Christmas beer pours a deep coppery-amber color with a medium-sized head that leaves some lacing as it recedes to a collar.  On the nose we found a bit of Belgian mustiness, along with bready notes, mild brown sugar and caramel, and a touch of nuttiness.  Spicy notes overlay an earthy quality.  On the palate this brew is sweet, with caramel malt flavors and fruity notes reminiscent of apple, pear, and orange candies, along with a faint nutty quality – all overlaid and complemented by spicy notes and obvious touches of ginger.  Very mild hop bitterness adds a counterpoint, but this soft and silky-smooth brew is definitely meant to be on the sweeter side of things.  Enjoy this one on its own, or perhaps with a couple of gingerbread cookies.  Cheers!

In Alsace, France, along a hilly agricultural area between Strasbourg and Saverne, lies the small town of Hochfelden, home of Brasserie Meteor.  The first historical documentation of brewing in the town dates back to the year 870, and was well-established by 1640 when Jean Klein established a brewery in the current location of Brasserie Meteor.  The Metzger family came into control of the brewery in 1844, and in 1898 they were joined by marriage to another brewing family, the Haags, who were brewers in the nearby town of Ingwiller.  The Haag family continues to own and operate the brewery to this very day.  Today they employ 200 people and have distribution throughout France and a powerful brand in Alsace where they are the last independently-owned brewery in the region.

We always find it refreshing to feature an independently-owned, family-run brewery like Brasserie Meteor, where—as they make a point to emphasize—quality, human ethics, and environmental awareness are at the core of their business philosophy.  They source the finest malts in France from Beauce, Brie, and Gâtinais, while their hops are sourced locally in Alsace and from the famous noble hop growers of the Czech Republic.  We’ll have to take their word on the ethics and environmental issues, but as far as the quality is concerned, that very clearly speaks for itself when you taste their beer.  If you would like to learn more (and if you read French), visit www.brasserie-meteor.fr.