Usually, people fall into two camps: beer or bubbly. And trust us, we've had our fair share of both. Which is why we were intrigued when LeVeL33—a craft brewery perched atop the 33rd level of Marina Bay Financial Tower 1—announced that they are the first to concoct a 'champagne beer' in Singapore.
The fragrant beer marries the best of both worlds. It feels incredibly light-bodied and crisp on the lips, just like a bubbly champagne. The dancing effervescent quickly winds down, leaving the palate with a wash of sweetness from the malted barley and bitterness from the hops.
Formulated by their brewmaster Gabriel Garcia, the champagne beer was inspired by the brewery’s deep relationship with one of the finest Bordeaux vintners, Barons de Rothschild. Rothschild Brut Champagne has been the restaurant’s mainstay and even incorporated into their cocktails.
The South American, who picked up fluent German just to learn the European way of beer making, explained that the champagne yeast from Barons was unlike the usual ale yeast used to ferment beer. The former is able to feed on all the sugars present in the barley malt ferment, resulting in a drier beer that is charged with super-fine champagne bubbles. Don’t underestimate this unassuming beer. With its alcoholic content standing at 8.7%, it might get you tipsy faster than you imagine.
Available till the tap runs dry, the 1000-litre brew celebrates the debut of Barons de Rothschild’s cuvée—the Blanc de Blanc 2008 Vintage—making LeVeL33 one of the few restaurants in Singapore to offer the exclusive label (there are only 14,000 bottles available worldwide).
A small percentage of the thousand litres will be bottled and will undergo another round of fermentation using méthode champenoise, a process of adding a mixture of sugar and yeast called liqueur de tirage into the beer, resulting in a sparkling beer that will be sold later this year.
The Champagne Beer launches officially on Thursday 7 June and is priced as follows:
Opening to 8pm: 0.3l $12.88
After 8pm : 0.3l $13.88
LeVeL33 is located at Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, 8 Marina Boulevard 33-01, 018981. For more enquires, call 68343133.
