I've written about beer cocktails and been a bit rough but Stephen Beaumont's comment has got me thinking:

Another one to try, especially when the weather turns this fall, is the Any Port in a Storm -- 2 ounces LBV port in 12 ounces of Imperial stout (I used Victory's Storm King when I developed it, hence the name.) Pour one and watch your fears and prejudices melt away...

I've parked a quart of Dragonslayer to test that recipe...but DJ Mixmaster SB's use of port got me thinking about sherry. One of these days I am going to start A Good Sherry Blog as it is one of my other obsessions, the other yeast based drink. And it got me thinking Flemish brown, too. A little wood, a bit of acid, rich yeasts and each of a certain age: that's a beer that could take on a fortified wine.

So here is the Walnut Brown by Williams Humbert, a 19.5% reasonably sweet oloroso with Liefmans Kriekbier, a cherry flavoured version of Goudenband. The proportions are a good splash of sherry with a better good slug of kriek. Hmmm...this is ok...the sour of the Flemish brown works with the sweetishness of the sherry with plenty of nuts and Christmas cake fruit and even a orange juiciness that comes out of the combination that is really there in neither alone. And the head goes weirdly rocky...lumpy even. Nice. This experiment is a go. The combination softens the Liefmans sourness while enriching the overall palate and strengthening the drink. A good cocktail for Yule.

What to call it? I call it #1.