Tomb

In celebration of one the most popular Olympic sports, figure skating, and to make it more enjoyable when your special friend makes you watch it, it’s time to discover Belgian-style beers. These beers are perfect for cheering on our Canadian figure skaters as there’s an aptly named beer for every jump: the single, the double, the triple and quadruple.

With attention to artistry, these ales mimic the ballet on ice with flavours that will skate across your taste buds before making you jump and spin.

Although developed in Belgium, amazing Belgian-style ales are now brewed worldwide. Canada brews world-class examples of all four styles. Even our neighbours to the south can celebrate their men’s gold medal with one American-made single in the Alberta market.

The single may seem like the least daunting of all the jumps, but it’s important to remember that all these jumps involve sharp skates and fantastic heights. Just as the jump shouldn’t be taken lightly, neither should the beer, with an alcohol content starting at seven per cent. PranQster (7.6 per cent), brewed in California by North Coast Brewing, provides a chance for Americans to celebrate Evan Lysaceck’s men’s singles gold medal. This is a big, fruity blond ale with a balanced bitterness that’s built for figure-skating enjoyment.

Doubles are even more daunting. We’re talking two rotations here, and the corresponding ales appropriately jump to eight per cent. The double is a dark, malty beer that grew out of the Belgian Trappist monk brewing tradition. There is only one Canadian example in the Alberta market — Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double. This is a big, dark ale and is an interesting take on the style. Big notes of licorice and chocolate, balanced by a flavourful yeast profile, means this beer deserves to be on the world’s doubles podium.

Just as the difficulty rises with each spin, another step up in our beers means another leap in alcohol content is in order. This triple is nine per cent. A multiple gold medal-winning triple, La Fin du Monde from Quebec’s Unibroue, finishes crisp, clean and a little bit fruity — just as the associated figure-skating move should. This beer pours with a large dense head that looks like the biggest of Winter Olympic snowfalls.

Russia’s men’s figure skating silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko threw the gauntlet down early in Vancouver when he said that without a quadruple in a routine, it wasn’t men’s figure skating. It’s the most difficult jump to land, and the quad is also the biggest of the four beer styles at 10 per cent or more. This style is big and dark, like the double, but has big port and brandy qualities. Maybe save the quads for the final group of skaters. There are no Canadian examples currently in the Alberta market, but there are two Belgian examples (Belgian Rochefort 10 and St. Bernadus Abt 12) and one Dutch brew (Dutch Koningshoeven Quadruple), so pick the country you want to cheer for.

While you are quietly numbing your senses during some ice artistry, just remember: These beers are strong and too many will cause your own set of spins. Bed spins.