Belgian-style Frambozen - made in America

October 28, 2006: The American New Belgium Brewery has come up with its own version of Frambozen as a winter seasonal ale.

It is inspired by the Framboise beers of Belgium, where the use of raspberries as a beer adjunct outdates the universal acceptance of hops.

Frambozen is deep ruby in color, with flavors just as rich. With the fruit as the integral ingredient, its name is derived from the Flemish word for raspberries. Every year, New Belgium sends delegates to Salem, Oregon, to oversee the process of turning freshly picked berries from northern Washington into a pure juice that is loaded into oxygen-free CO2 tanker trucks that make the journey back to Colorado. The end result is a delicious, complex beer that is delivered on time to complement seasonal meals.

"We have made a conscious decision to process the raspberries into a single strength, straight juice with nothing added," said Bill Hepp, a brewer with New Belgium who takes the journey to Oregon annually. "As a pure juice, it is a whole food, with no taste or aroma lost in the concentration stage, which ultimately makes the beer that much better."

l New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. New Belgium produces six year-round beers: Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsener, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, and Trippel. A special release programme allows for creative experimentation resulting in beers like La Folie, a sour brown ale aged up to three years in French oak.