I'm back on my #cicerone #beer research this year with the warm weather, and tonight I'm having a #NewBelgium #1554 #zwart beer. This is an interesting addition to my drinking log; the founder of New Belgium basically found this completely forgotten style of beer in an ancient book in the basement of his college's library, first published in 1554 which is where the beer's name comes from. It's similar to German #schwartzbier (both names mean "black" in their respective languages), in that one starts with ale-type yeast but then ages it lager-style (that is, in cold cellars), which makes the taste crisper and more refreshing than a dark ale like bock; but this Medieval Belgian version has a few extra ingredients schwartzbier doesn't, such as licorice root. Drinking tonight out of a coffee mug made by my housemate in a ceramics class he's taking this summer, because why not?