Why Brewers Are Embracing Champagne Yeast | Wine Enthusiast

The holidays seem to sparkle a little brighter with Champagne. A few fine bottles can add fizz to any festive occasion.

So what’s a brewery to do in December? Rather than cede every celebratory occasion to wine, breweries have created their own bubbly alternatives by fermenting beers with Champagne yeast. They fuzz the lines between beer and wine with beverages that draw a delicious Venn diagram intertwining two different drinking worlds.

“It is a great crossover style perfect for beer lovers and non-beer fans to enjoy together,” says Scott Hovey, founder and brewmaster of Adelbert’s Brewery, of its limited-release Sundowner. The Belgian-style bière brut is brewed with Champagne yeast, which creates an effervescent jewel that’s drier than a desert.