Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": The Lost Abbey's "Gift of the Magi" Ale

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Dec 24, 2008 5:30PM

"Jesus: What is myrrh, anyway?
Interviewer: I think it's a gum resin.
Jesus: Oh, great! Just what I need: a gum resin!! What am I gonna do with a gum resin?"

— George Carlin, "Interview with Jesus" from A Place For My Stuff

If you're Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, you're using myrrh as an ingredient for a seasonal ale. Frankincense, too. Those two ingredients were among the gifts three kings from the East bestowed upon the baby Jesus to honor his birth. The other gift — gold — can be found in the color of this week's unique and fitting selection.

"Gift of the Magi" is a Belgian Golden ale bittered with frankincense bark and fermented with brett yeasts. A tiny amount of myrrh, which also was a common ingredient for ancient winemakers, is added to the wort. We were skeptical that this beer was nothing more than a stunt, but it ranks among the better Belgian goldens we've sampled.

The frankincense is most dominant on the nose: we let a half glass sit overnight in the living room and woke to find its aroma filling the room. Gift of the Magi has a nice flavor of tropical fruit and slight bitterness, traits common to both frankincense and myrrh. Then the bretts kick in and slight sourness hits your mouth.

We were pleased to find Gift of the Magi on the seasonal menu at the Publican. We also found it at (where else?) LUSH Wine and Spirits at $14.50 for a 22-ounce bottle. If you want to try something completely different this season, then this week's "Beer of the Week," The Lost Abbey's Gift of the Magi ale, is worth a sampling.