Delirium Tremens

First off, I need to make it known that while I am the daughter of a nurse, I'm not privvy to a myriad of medical conditions and symptoms. So I googled Delirium Tremens to make sure I was spelling it correctly, and this is the first result. Imagine my surprise when I found out that delirium tremins is a severe form of alcohol withdrawl.

Spoiler Alert: considering this beer's 8.5% ABV, I wasn't.

 I don't know if there's any better way to celebrate alcohol addiction than to name one of the most famous Belgian Strong Ales after an extreme symptom of withdrawl. There's a Meredith-From-The-Office joke there somewhere.

But seriously though, from a marketting point of view, how wonderful is their packaging and branding?

Do it. Now.

Look at this thing. It's got a bottle whose glass is covered by a ceramic-esque material so it doesn't even really look like a beer bottle. Without any labels or context, the eye might glaze over this bottle as a decorative vase that's between flowers.


Also signature symbol of Delirium is pink elephants. Sound familiar, vintage Disney fans? Dumbo champagne scene ringing any bells? Silly hammered elephant babies that fly when smashed. See that physics-defying fat drunk? That could be you!


The name, the symbol, the packaging, it's sending quite a clear and very, very clever subliminal message: You there! Yes, you. You. Are. A. Drunk. Don't fight it, don't question it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. And, whatever you do, KEEP DRINKING. If he could, Mufasa would appear in the clouds with his own Delirium bottle, holding his head up as high as he can after a few of these and pontificating, "Remember... who you are (hic)."


Now that I've blown their little scheme, will their clever plan cease to work? Probably not, because this beer is delicious. It's brewed with three separate strains of yeast, and the result is slightly on the sour mash side. When I first tried this, I noticed an aftertaste not unlike that of after partaking in some sour milk, or just before you puke. Now that my palate is more versed in Belgian flavors, I've come to like its wilder flavors. The bitterness here is well balanced, and the malt flavors are warming and filling rather than sweetening and there's no burn to the 8.5% at all. It's fizzy, flavorful, and quite drinkable. I find it takes a bit of warming up to before you can tolerate it. But it is quite lovely.

So you there? The drunk. Yes, you. Go try it. The pink elephants command you.

Happy drinking!