Beer Dinners Return to Kickbacks with New Belgium Lost in the Woods Event

 With the opening of Goozlepipe & Guttyworks expansion, Steve Flores has essentially quadrupled the size of his popular King Street Beer District anchor Kickback’s Gastropub. During the long construction phase of the project, Flores made the conscious decision to suspend hosting his popular beer dinners. But, the long drought is over with the highly successful event he hosted with New Belgium Brewing Company Saturday, February 7.

Nestled in the still-under-construction Belgian basement of G&G, the dinner was timed to coincide with the brewery’s annual Lost in the Woods event in Ft. Collins, Colo. The event in Colorado opens the doors of the brewery to lucky ticket-holders who are given a behind-the-scenes look at the brewery’s acclaimed sour beer program.

The Jacksonville event had diners seated in a dining and bar area reminiscent of a medieval brick beer cellar smack in the middle of Belgium. One could almost imagine robed monks toiling away behind the brick walls, making the kind of amazing beer they are known for.

Dinner consisted of eight courses; each paired with or made with one of New Belgium’s brews. But, it was the beer list that was truly impressive. Interspersed with the food were 25 beers including some of the most sought-after brews New Belgium has ever produced.

As the dinner unfolded, guest were treated to insightful information from local New Belgium Beer Ranger Kirsten Kelly. She related the story of how the brewery was founded and its dedication to green processes. She also provided details on how the beers being served were created.

Flores also provided details about his plans for the Belgian Basement. Once it is fully operational, the basement will serve only beers brewed in Belgium, not Belgian-style beers produced in other parts of the world. The

basement will also feature catacombs for storing and aging beers, lockers that can be rented by guests to store their rare and vintage brews and a grand, circular tasting room reminiscent of the tasting rooms found in the great wine producing areas of the world.

For those interested in the beer list, guest were treated to:

1. Fat Tire – New Belgium’s flagship amber ale, 5.2%.
2. Lips of Faith Paardebloem – Brewed with Red Rock brewery, this is a Belgian-style Strong Pale Ale brewed with peach juice, grains of paradise, dandelion greens and blended with wood-aged ale, 9%.
3. Snapshot – A refreshingly tart American wheat ale, 5%.
4. Lips of Faith Heavenly Feijoa – Brewed with Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, this is a Belgian-style Triple with hibiscus flowers and feijoa fruit, 9%.
5. Lips of Faith Pluot – Another Belgian-style Triple, this time brewed with pluot (a cross between a plum and an apricot) juice, 10%.
6. Lips of Faith Gratzer – Brewed in collaboration with 3 Floyds, this Polish-style beer is made with smoked wheat for a delicious smoky flavor, 4.5%.
7. Lips of Faith Coconut Curry Hefeweizen – Brewed with cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, kaffir lime and cayenne pepper, 8%.
8. Lips of Faith Gruit – Includes seasonings such as horehound, bog myrtle, yarrow, wormwood and elderflowers, 6.6%.
9. Slow Ride – A refreshingly and drinkable session IPA, 4.5%.
10. Ranger – New Belgium’s flagship IPA, 6.5%.
11. Rampant – An Imperial IPA weighing in at 8.5%.
12. Portage – A smooth porter with flavors of chocolate and coffee, 6%.
13. 1554 – Black lager, 5.6%.
14. Trippel – Belgian-style tripel brewed with coriander, 7.8%.
15. Lips of Faith Yuzu – An Imperial Berliner Weisse brewed with yuzu (an Asian citrus fruit) juice, 8%.
16. Wild2 Dubbel – A Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with schisandra berries, 8%.
17. Lips of Faith Anaheim and Marash Chilies Ale – Brewed with Cigar City Brewing Company this beer was aged on Spanish cedar spirals.
18. Lips of Faith Cascura Quad – Belgian-style Quad brewed with date sugar and coffee cherries, 10%.
19. Lips of Faith la Terrior – Dry-hopped sour ale aged in oak foeders for three years, 7.5%.
20. Lips of Faith la Folie 2014 – Sour brown ale aged for one to three years in oak foeders, 7%.
21. Lips of Faith la Folie 2015 — Sour brown ale aged for one to three years in oak foeders, 7%.
22. Lips of Faith Transatlantique Kriek 2014 – Cherry lambic spontaneously fermented in Belgium with cherries and blended with golden ale, 8%.
23. Lips of Faith Transatlantique Kriek 2015 – Cherry lambic spontaneously fermented in Belgium with cherries and blended with golden ale, 8%.
24. NBB Love Leopold – American wild ale and Oscar blend aged in Leopold Brothers Distillery Blackberry Whiskey barrels, 9.5%.
25. Salted Belgium Chocolate Stout – Brewed with Perennial Artisan Ales, this stout is brewed with cocoa powder and table salt, 9%.

Flores promised that the tradition of beer dinners would continue and that the next one would be in just a few months.