When the San Diego Brewers Guild presented its members with the opportunity to team with a European brewery, Dan Love, head of Mother Earth Brew Co. wasted no time taking the local advocacy group up on it. This, despite having no idea which brewery he would be teamed with. In his opinion, that was unimportant. He knew that, no matter who showed up on his Vista brewery’s doorstep, they would have something to offer as far as brewing perspective and methodology, and vice versa.

Turns out, it was French operation Brasserie du Pays Flamand who made the pilgrimage to San Diego in February. And it’s from a winter-collaboration brew day that a new spring offering was born. Enter, Mother Earth Printemps Houblon Ale (spring hops ale), a Belgian-style tripel given San Diego assertiveness with the addition of hops in a quantity the duo of French brewers who helped craft it have never employed back at home.

At a brewmasters dinner held at Churchill’s Pub & Grille during their stay, Love’s guests shared their beers, noting how hops are used almost strictly to balance beers in their homeland, and making note of how much they enjoyed experimenting with much higher dosages. All those hops come across nicely, their bitterness syncing up nicely with the fruitiness from Belgian yeast. It’s a nice kick-off to what Love and company call the Four Seasons of Mother Earth.

Good beer and craft brewing camaraderie are worth celebrating, but there’s something else to love about this beer — its packaging. Each 22-ounce bottle features a beautiful hand-drawn scene of a desert rife with cacti as well as a waifish young woman with long, flowing hair adorned with spring flowers. It’s a fantastic design that makes the bottle well worth keeping long after its contents are consumed.