I have been on a mission to try as many new beers as possible and have definitely had my fair share of seasonals recently. However, there is something to be said for sticking with something you know and love. While this may make for a somewhat boring choice at the liquor store, the beer that I keep going back to is anything but. Right now I am really digging the Commons Brewery Flemish Kiss, a 6.5% winner of a beer. It is quite interesting, initially brewed as a regular pale ale. But then, it receives a yeasty twist when it goes into secondary fermentation with the addition of brettanomyces. What emerges 5 weeks later is a funky, slightly fruity ale. It pours a hazy, rose-tinted straw color with a pleasant effervescent carbonation. The presence of brettanomyces is very evident throughout, lending its farmhouse character to both the aroma and flavor. It also adds a dryness that a normal pale ale lacks.

Flemish Kiss is a great blend of American and Belgian styles. It has definitely been my go-to beer for nights when I want to enjoy something that is a little out of the ordinary, yet still quite refreshing. Thank goodness The Commons Brewery makes this a year-round selection! And I’m not the only one who holds this opinion; Flemish Kiss won the Silver Medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival in the American Style Brett Ale category! If you are lucky enough to be within their distribution area, snag more than one and you won’t be disappointed. Cheers!