Bieré Noire

Le Chat Noir (French for “The Black Cat”) was a 19th-century cabaret in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened at 84 Boulevard Rouchechouart by the artist Rodolphe Salis.  In its heyday it was a bustling nightclub that was part artist salon and part rowdy music hall, complete with an illegal piano! The cabaret published its own art journal: Le Chat Noir.  It was here that the Salon des Arts Incohérents (Salon of Incoherent Arts), the “shadow plays” and the comic monologues got their start.

The ‘Chat’ took all comers, and in the club you might rub shoulders with the most famous men of Paris, or flat broke artists and philosophers from the neighborhood.

Clubs like the Chat Noir were hotbeds of the bohemian revolution playing host to rampaging mobs of unruly artists, poets, writers and philosophers. These bohemians challenged the status quo by rejecting mainstream values and mocking the bourgeoisie much like the brave craft brewing pioneers who sought to break out of the mold of bland yellow everyday beer and bring flavor to the masses. It is in the spirit of these artists that we offer Biere Noire.

The Noire is an exotic creation. It is a Dark Belgian Ale brewed with roast and chocolate malts, Belgian Dark Candi syrup, raw barley and lots of Marris Otter base malt. Unusual ingredients for a Belgian beer to be sure! It is dark in color,  and medium in body with a long sweet coffee finish. The aroma is complex and filled with dark fruits like plums and raisins as well as hints of roasted coffee beans, toast, toffee buttered rum and banana.

“Degenerates are not always criminals, anarchists, and pronounced lunatics; They are often authors and artists.” -Max Nordan, Degeneration

Vital Stats: OG 1062, FG 1013, IBUs 35, ABV6.5%