Flanders red ale

The red wine drinker's beer. Flanders red ale is aged in oak until it turns sour and fruity, and the result is often compared to a high-acid Burgundy: cherry, plum and a tang that keeps you sipping slowly. Bitterness stays low because acidity, not hops, does the balancing. Rodenbach, the West Flanders brewery founded in 1821, defines the style. Its standard Classic blends in plenty of young beer and is the gentler entry, while Grand Cru is two-thirds long-aged beer and noticeably sharper. Duchesse de Bourgogne is sweeter and softer, which makes it a safe first bottle for someone nervous about sour flavors. Serve it in a wine glass and watch the skepticism fade.