Sobremesa 'Bourgogne des Kensington' Flanders Red Ale

Acidity, red fruit, oak character with a long finish. The cuvée name nods to Burgundy — and the beer drinks like one. A genuine wine-and-beer crossover bottle.

This is Sobremesa's standing collaboration with Bonehead Brewing. The two breweries share a brewhouse and put out a new blend under this name most years. The result drinks closer to a light, sour red wine than to a beer, which is the point of the name.

It matures across two separate barrels for the better part of a year on a mixed culture of pediococcus, lactobacillus, brettanomyces and saccharomyces. One barrel is left more open, picking up gentle oxidative character. The other stays topped up and fresher, and the two are blended before bottling.

At 6.1 percent it sits closer to table wine than to a standard beer. A wine glass suits it better than a pint glass. The acid and light tannin from the barrel time make it a natural match for rich or fatty food.