Deus and done.

We walked in and the bar staff let us know that our Deus bottles were already on ice for us. We had to reserve them in advance since there's usually only one bottle in stock at a given time (at $50 a pop, it's clearly not their best seller). We wasted no time in cracking the first bottle, so here's the review without further delay...

Beer: Deus Brut des Flandres 2006 Vintage
ABV: 11.50%
Home: Buggenhout, Belgium
Slogan: "A sparkling, divine drink"

Now THIS is the true champagne of beers. The Deus is brewed and fermented in Belgium, and then turned/conditioned in caves in the Champagne region of France. During the weeks-long turning process (known as remuage) when the yeast is separated from the bottle walls and collected into the neck, each bottle is rotated slightly and pitch angle increased until the bottle is upside down. The neck is finally frozen and the bottle pressure drives out the yeast "cork." This same process is also used for actual champagne (the sparkling wine). Naturally, the Deus pours a pale golden color with lots of tiny bubbles. It has a light body, but with strong alcohol and a dry finish. The fruit flavors could be from apples or grapes. Great beer for a special occasion.

After finishing our three Deus bottles, we filled out a form with our info, our favorite staff member, favorite band, reason for existing, and finally our choice of dead author. So, now the mug. As a rule, you can't name your mug after an author already taken by another Mug Club member. Since there are around 400 members, you have to think outside the box - well, beyond authors of classic novels, anyway. People have also chosen writers of columns, memoirs, scientific publications, music, and screenplays. My choice: Coach John Wooden. Legendary UCLA basketball coach whose record wins, including 10 national championships, are still unrivaled today. Writer of several memoirs, including the "Pyramid of Success," his guide for being successful in basketball and life.

So what have I gained from this challenge besides alcoholism? Well, I've learned how much discipline it takes to drink (and write about) 135 unique beers of someone else's choosing. The number of my blog posts indicates that we've been to Bukowski's 62 times in the last 5 months. During this time, I've done plenty of reading about beer and participated in many nerdy bar conversations. I've learned that I like smoked beers and certain IPAs. I've learned that it's nice having a place to go where everybody knows your name. I've learned that this challenge is best undertaken as a team sport. I've been reminded how awesome our friends are - we've dragged them so many times away from the Red Line to Bukowski's in Inman when they probably would have gone elsewhere. They are always there to support our goals, no matter how healthy or unhealthy they may be! It's been a fun experience, but I'm glad this challenge is done. I'll be keeping notes on beers we try in the future, as well as ones we brew ourselves, but at a more reasonable pace.

Cheers!