2月份的第一站是Brewery Vivant，一家坐落在Grand Rapids, MI东南角的小酒庄。建筑看起来是一个古老的小教堂，听说100多年前教会的僧人们经常在这里办葬礼。听来有些诡异，不过，传闻这里的酒，也因此得名称为“有灵魂的啤酒”。
他们的四款全年的主打啤酒是：Farmhand, Triomphe, Undertaker, Big Red Coq。我们试了其中两款。
Farmhand, French Style Farmhouse Ale：我会叫他“农场之手”，法式乡村麦芽酒。在很久远的过去，农场里供工人饮用的水因为容易变质所以很难储存。农场主们就制作了麦芽酒来做为饮用水的重要来源。久而久之，几乎每个农场都会自己酿造麦芽酒。色泽金黄透明，口感清爽但不失浓浓的麦香。适合一些与一些白肉搭配，如鸡肉或者鱼肉。
Undertaker, Belgian Style Dark Ale：“入葬人”，比利时深色麦芽酒。来了来了，如果你觉得要找一个款适合在玩鬼屋、看恐怖片或者过万圣节时喝的啤酒，那非他莫属。极其厚重的麦芽香气，搭配咖啡、巧克力和一丝车厘子干的香甜。仿佛可以想象到一百年前的入葬人在工作完后，坐在樱桃树下，抽着烟丝喝着啤酒的画面。
此外，他们还有很多季节性的啤酒：Ale from beyond the Veil：一款烈性的冬季麦芽酒、Ski Patrol：趣味性的淡麦芽酒运用了豆蔻和橙皮、Plowhorse牵犁马，巧克力、糖蜜、核果和烤麦子的香味几乎把啤酒花的苦味都改了过去，一款味道厚重但不算苦的司陶特(Stout)……
除了啤酒之外，我们也点了一些小吃：酸菜和薯条。这个酸菜跟国内的有些类似，只不过国内会用白菜、萝卜等原料为主，西方的会多用黄瓜、西芹和西兰花。薯条非常值得推荐，我们点了一份蒜蓉味的和一份松露味的。焦脆的薯条自己就带着微微的咸味和黑胡椒的香气，再沾上蒜蓉黄油酱或是松露油酱料，绝对是下啤酒的好菜！
我们还去参加了他们的Beer Trip，$10一个人的票价包括啤酒制作介绍、酒庄历史、4种啤酒试尝加上一个纪念酒杯。值得一试！
Brewery Vivant is a Gothic looking building located in East Grand Rapids. Their main seating area is in an old chapel. It has stained glass windows which complete the picture of a church. It is appropriate, however, because Vivant brewing specializes in Belgian inspired beer. Belgian beer can trace its heritage back to monks that brewed beer for century upon century, using the same recipe handed down through the ages. You can learn about all this by taking their brewery tour. This tour cost $10 and came with a small tulip glass that you could keep as a souvenir afterwards.
We tried several different beers, that are reviewed below. We also snacked on pickles and French fries while sipping our beer.
The sentient stout came in a tall pint glass and was a solid black-brown. I don’t usually like stouts, so I try to make a stout my first beer so I can sip it slowly and enjoy it. However the Sentient Stout was a very balanced and drinkable beer. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t too sweet. It also contained the bitter hint of coffee that was balanced by malt flavor. Overall a well above average stout and a great start to the session.
The IPA Mind Trick is one reason why Brewery Vivant claims to brew “Beligian inspired beer”, and not simply “Belgian Beer”. Although the IPA Mind Trick was not a Belgian beer, for an IPA lover it left nothing to be desired. The beer smelled strongly of citrus and was light and refreshing with a balanced amount of bitterness.
The Allegan Ale was a Wit beer and was a prime example of the specific strain of yeast that Brewery Viviant uses. It is well filtered and has a light amber color.
The Triomphe was my favorite beer because it married two styles not often tasted together. It showcased the interesting flavors of the Belgian yeast used alongside a heady offering of hops. The healthy dose of hops helped balance out the lingering sweetness of the malt in this beer.
