Finally, a "godless" beer. There are tears in my eyes.

I'm no longer in the habit of "reviewing" beers; for a deeper explanation, read "Time off for reinvention" at the Potable Curmudgeon blog.

My friend brought a bottle of Gudeløs to last Monday's tasting. It is brewed by the Bryggeriet Djævlebryg in Dennmark, and the beer itself is mighty tasty, but the story's even tastier.

Bryggeriet Djævlebryg and the Danish Atheist Society have entered into an unholy alliance and the result is "Godless": This first batch is a somehow accessible imperial stout with its 8.9% abv. It offers burnt notes from the malt mingled with sweet nuances and a warming depth from the alcohol. This brew is primarly aimed at members of the Atheist Society, but it will also be available in selected shops and bars. In these times, when companies are expected to show social responsibility, we in the brewery have decided to follow suit: For each bottle or draft sold we donate 1 Danish Krone to the Danish Atheist Society.

Talk about frustration -- why didn't I think of doing it? It's also ironic, given that later in the week, Pope Francis decided to publicly ponder atheism and conscience.

In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

Progressive? Now now. Being an atheist with a conscience means never needing to be given advice by any of various popes.