New Belgium Dominga Review
As I’ve written and illustrated for Alcohol Professor before, beer is the ideal brunch drink. Beer styles such as hefeweizens, goses, and coffee stouts can all mimic the breakfast beverages we love but I’ve never seen a brewery try to capitalize off that in a single beer.
New Belgium is a national brand with its hands in all sorts of extensions from its widely popular Voodoo Ranger IPA series to its marvelous barrel program to its old stalwarts that brought the brand fame in the first place but have since faded slightly to changing tastes (sorry Fat Tire). Its recent entry is Dominga, a “Mimosa Sour” - a sour that comes in a six pack of bright red cans. Its branding is unlike any other New Belgium offering- a breezy 1970’s disco West Coast beach vibe. It stands out. It’s unique. It’s already classic.
I was away when the cans arrived from New Belgium and my husband went straight for them, despite the fact I’ve never seen him thirsty for a sour before (he usually avoids them). I had to hide the remaining final two cans. He liked two things about this beer- it’s incredibly refreshing and that they didn’t “dumb down the ABV and made it 6%.” This is NOT a session beer despite its drinkability. That alone sets it apart. It’s also NOT a kettle sour- it's a blend of wheat beer, foeder aged sour golden ale and calamansi oranges, which yes, I had to google what a calamansi orange was. The internet says it’s a cross between a kumquat and perhaps a mandarin orange.
Upon opening the can, the most striking thing about this beer is its color- it’s a beautiful sun-spun light golden hue with just a hint of hazy sheen. Take this beer out of the can and put it in the most stunning goblet you have to see the full splendor. The aroma gave me a major bout of nostalgia. All I could smell was fresh citrus. It reminded me of when my grandma down in Vero Beach, FL would send us a crate of oranges every winter. For one week we would have fresh squeezed orange juice with breakfast. One sniff and it brought me back to those cold January mornings. Nostalgia is a helluva drug.
As for the taste, yes, it does taste like a mimosa and the acidity feels like it comes solely from the citrus than anything else. For a sour, it’s “clean” meaning I didn’t get any acid reflux inducing acetic acid burn nor that swimming pool/garden hose issue many quick sours get. There was complexity and nuance - which is not normally something you get from a sour in a can.
I reviewed this beer sitting on my stoop after a long walk and it hit the spot. The warmth of the sun in the afternoon, the birds chirping, it was idyllic. This is the kind of beer you reward yourself with after a long day...or do what the can wants you to do, spend your Sunday with friends, a stack of pancakes, and let a Sunday Funday commence.