The vast world of Belgian beer, photo by Kit Leong © Shutterstock
Belgium is known worldwide for its beer, the only country in the world to be inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for its beer culture.
This small Western European country has the world's largest brewery, as well as a variety of independently operated small distilleries, in farms, in old factories, and even in caves as small as the cannons of the towers. "In Belgium, perhaps the magistrate is as noble as a prince," the poet Émile Verhaeren wrote, "but in Bacchus's view (Dionysus dionysus' nickname, Dionysus, dionysus, the god of dionysus in Greek mythology), the winemaker was the real king." ”
So what makes Belgian beer so special? Let's find out.
A brief history of Belgian beer – and three reasons why it's so famous
Belgian beer brewing territory in the countryside, small towns and monasteries has sprung up around residential areas and has demonstrated resistance to mass production techniques, which are rapidly developing in neighbouring countries. Here are some of the reasons why Belgium has evolved its local beer culture into a global phenomenon:
1, geographical situation
To the west of Belgium, france and her countless wineries, from the French, Belgian brewers learned a lot about oak aging's subtle role in microbial fermentation.
Oak aged wine barrels in the cellar, photo by RapidEye © getty images
To the east of Belgium is Germany, and the Germans' brewing technology for lager and the rational use of yeast have affected the quality control of Belgian beer.
Lager, lager, usually quoted in the form of a cold drink, photo by manusapon kasosod © getty images
In the north of Belgium, across the channel, is England, and the British had a great influence on Belgium in brewing technology and hop cultivation (hops, scientific name is hops, perennial winding herbs, native to Europe and West Asia, whose leaves have distinct characteristics of hemp plants), have a great influence on Belgium, especially after the First World War.
Hops © Wikipedia
This is the beer flower, which I've honestly not seen, photo by Rosmarie Wirz © getty images
This hodgepodge of influences (and the fact that Belgium has been ruled by various regimes) has prompted Belgians to develop practical alternatives to create their own innovative and unique beers.
2, regional
Despite its relatively small size, the diversity of Belgian beers, impressing even the most experienced breweries, begs the question: Why do Belgium have so many regional specialties? In the early to mid-19th century, Belgian breweries were small on average, largely because of tax incentives to keep them in this state. Instead of wrapping, they sell beer in wooden barrels directly to consumers in their own bars.
In 1845, belgium had 3,089 breweries, but today there are only about 380. As a result, production and consumption are kept in place, retaining the unique yeast varieties and town-style beer characteristics. This "limited" supply is why Lambic beer continues to develop in Pajottenland (2) and the Senne Valley;- It is also the reason why Oud Bruin - Old Brown beer (4) is the best-selling in the southwest region of Flanders (5); It is also why Saison beer (6) (Saison) is closely related to the province of Hengevin (7) (French Henegouwen, known in English as Hainaut-Enau province).
(1) Lambic beer: Lambic beer is a beer brewed in the Pajottenland region in the southwest of Brussels (the capital of Belgium) since the 13th century. The most common categories of Lambic beer include Gueuze (also known as Champagne beer, which is a secondary fermentation after mixing 1 year of wine with 2-3 years of wine); Kriek (made by fermenting Lambic and Morello sour cherries); Framboise (Framboise is made by fermenting lambic and raspberry, framboise means raspberry in French)
Lambic beer differs from most other beers in that it is fermented by natural yeast (various types of berries, etc.) and bacteria native to the Zenne Valley, rather than by carefully cultivated brewer's yeast. This gives Lambic beer a unique flavor.
Gueuze Lambic Gawurzi Lambic Beer © beertourism.com
Kriek Lambic Crick Lambic Beer © beertourism.com
Framboise Francoise Lambic Beer © habbybev.com
(2) Pajottenland: Pajottenland, a unique area of Flemish Brabant in the Belgian province of Brabant, is dominated by farmland and is located in the west-southwest of Brussels, an area that has traditionally provided food and drink for the citizens of Brussels, especially Lambic beer, which is produced only here and in the Zenne Valley.
Flemish Brabant picture © TUBS - Wikipedia
(3) Zene Valley: Senne/Zenne Valley, a small river that flows through Brussels, is the left tributary of the Dyle River. (Note that unlike the Seine, which is the river that flows through Paris.) ）
The Senne River, a very humble little river © Jean-Pol Grandmont /Wikipedia
(4) Oud Bruin beer: Oud Bruin, also known as Flanders Brown, is a beer that originated in the Flanders region of Belgium. Its Dutch name refers to the long aging process of up to a year, so this beer that is re-fermented and aged for a long time has a unique sour character. Udbrunn beer is reddish brown, has a mild malt taste, no hop bitter taste, generally commercial brand products will relatively reduce some acidity to meet the taste of the public.
Udbroin © Dirk Van Esbroeck / Wikipedia from the Lieffmans Distillery
(5) Flanders: Flanders, Dutch: Vlaanderen, is a Dutch-speaking region in northern Belgium. The Flanders region has occupied a prominent place in European history since the Middle Ages and is one of the richest regions in Europe and the world. The main pillars of the economy are export-oriented, especially high value-added commodities such as rough diamonds and processed goods, petroleum products, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles and many more.
Flanders Region © Wikipedia
(6) Saison: Saison, meaning "season" in French, is a pale beer, highly carbonated, fruity and spicy. Historically, it was brewed with a low alcohol content, but modern products of this style have moderate to high levels of alcohol content. Along with several other varieties, it is often classified as Farmhouse Ale. Saison is usually lighter amber, and some are slightly cloudy gold. Thanks to the use of seasonings such as orange peel, coriander, and ginger, ester components are formed during fermentation at warm temperatures, so some spice characteristics are produced in the taste.
Sesson beer © produced by DuPont Distillery Jmcstrav /Wikipedia
(7) Hengeuvin Province: Henegouwen (Dutch), English Hainaut, is a region of Belgium bordering France. Historically, a large part was within The Territory of France, so it is culturally very close to France. This is why the aforementioned Saisson beer is the French name, and the brewing culture is deeply related to France.
Hungary Province © Wikipedia
3, ingredients and processes
Belgian yeast has a distinctly multiple flavor and aroma compound compared to yeast in other countries. Because of these compounds, Powder Beer (1) (Delirium Tremens) is able to awaken the taste of pears and oranges; Chimay Bleue has flavors of figs and plums; St. Bernardus Wit, on the other hand, is full of pepper and cloves.
Belgians dare to add flavors to beer, whether it's emptying spice cabinets filled with bitter orange, coriander (4) and paradise grains (5); Or throw it into fruits such as cherries, raspberries, and apricots.
(1) Pink Elephant Beer: Delirium Tremens is a beer produced by Huyghe Brewery in Belgium, and Huyghe's products include a series of beers under the "Delirium" label, the most famous of which is Delirium Tremens. Obviously, the beer is not named literally, because these two words mean a medical term: delirium tremor, which refers to a symptom that occurs when people who drink alcohol for a long time have acute withdrawal, called acute abstinence syndrome. We call it a "pink elephant" because its label is a pink elephant. Pink elephant beer has a distinct fruit flavor, and almost no hops bitter taste, deeply loved by women, but its up to 8.5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume, alcohol content) is usually easy to get drunk, so the country once also jokingly called it "girl killer". At the 2008 World Beer Championships in Chicago, Pink Elephant Beer was named "World's Best Beer". Sturt Cullen, in his book The World's 50 Greatest Beers, ranks it first.
The humble Huihe Brewery (pictured in 2014) produces the world's best beer ©, Gordito 1869 / Wikipedia
Pink beer Delirium Tremens © Simonvandereecken / Wikipedia
(2) Chimay Blue: Chimay Bleue is a blue label product in a series of beers produced by Chimay Brewery, which belongs to The Monastery Beer (also known as Trappist Beer). The tradition of monastic brewing originated in the Order of Cistercians in La Trappe, France, and in the Middle Ages monasteries adhered to the principle of self-sufficiency, so the monks produced their own beer, cheese, wine, bread and other living materials to support themselves and their communities, so centuries of tradition created their extraordinary craftsmanship. In 1997, 8 Trapp abbeys (6 from Belgium, 1 from the Netherlands, and 1 from Germany) formed the International Trappist Association (ITA) to protect monastic beer from over-commercialization and abuse. Therefore, to this day, the orthodox monastery beer is still produced within the courtyard walls of the monastery, and the traditional recipe is maintained.
Zhimei beer has the following common categories:
Chimay Rouge (Red Label, 7% ABV, Brown Red, Double Ingredient Beer, this is the most classic category produced by Chi mei since 1862, with a sweet fruity aroma)
Chimay Bleue (Blue Label, 9% ABV, Dark Brown, Four-Ingredient Beer, a special category in 1948 to celebrate the rebuilding of the distillery after World War II, because more Belgian brown sugar is used, so the color is darker, the preserved fruit is rich, and the taste is sweeter)
Chimay Triple (white label, 8% ABV, light orange, three-ingredient beer, new product launched by Zhimei in 1966, the highest dryness, rich flavor)
Chimay 150 (Green Label, 10% ABV, Gold, 150Th Anniversary Commemorative, Fruity with Notes of Mint, Bergamot, Lime and Eucalyptus, enhanced by the taste of ginger, smoked and spicy)
Chimay Dorée (Gold Label, 4.8% ABV, Gold, originally a variety that the monks drank themselves, with a refreshing taste, only began to be gradually sold in the UK, Italy and some export markets in 2013)
In addition to the 150th anniversary model, there are four other versions © of the Chimei classic Wikipedia
For all types of products with orthodox abbey beer labels, 2nd from the left is the Chime Blue Label (2015) © Philip Rowlands / Wikipedia
(3) St. Bernard's White Beer: St. Bernardus Witbier is a beer produced by a Belgian brewery in Watou. At the end of the 19th century, anti-clericalism in France forced Catsberg Abbey to move to the Belgian town of Vatu in West Flanders to establish The Refuge Notre Dame de St. Bernard. Initially cheese was produced here to make ends meet, but in 1934 the monastic activities were returned to France and the French took over the cheese factory. In 1945, trapped in the Monastery of St. Syketos. Sixtus stopped selling beer to the outside world and only brewed and drank it internally, so they reached a cooperation agreement with the cheese factory and established the St. Bernadus Brewery. Later, because in 1992 the Trapp Association decided that Trapp beer could only be brewed in the monastery, so the beer made by Vatu was always sold under the brand name of St. Bernardus. There are many categories of St. Bernard's beer, there are 7 common types, mostly named after the number of alcohol, such as No. 4, No. 6, No. 8, No. 12 and so on.
St. Bernard Beer © Arnaud 25 / Wikipedia
(4) Coriander: Coriander, also known as Chinese parsley, you should guess it, this is what we call coriander. Of course, as I said in another previous article, this plant, which originally originated in West Asia and Southern Europe, was gradually introduced to China through trade routes. As a spice, the leaves and seeds of coriander are widely used in many areas of cooking. Some of the spicy tastes of Belgian beers we are talking about are the reasons for the use of coriander seeds, and also enhance the flavor of other fruits such as citrus, in addition to coriander seeds are also a key ingredient in flavoring gin (Gin, often referred to as gin or gin, is an important base for most cocktails).
Coriander flowers © H. Zell / Wikipedia
(5) Paradise Grains: Grains of Paradise, botanically known as Afremombum melegueta, or Melegata pepper (Latin transliteration), is a species of the ginger family whose seeds are used as spices (ground or whole) and have a spicy, black pepper-like taste. It is a perennial herb native to West Africa, crossing the Sahara Desert via camel caravan routes and into Sicily and Italy before being introduced to Europe, at first it was named "African pepper", but then its name was forgotten in Europe, they were renamed "paradise grains" and became a popular alternative to Black Pepper in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, later used as craft beer, gin, and condiments in other culinary fields.
"Heavenly Grain" Melegata Pepper A. melegueta © Inna Moody / Wikipedia
Glassware in Belgium: The Theatre of Belgian Beer
Glasses make Belgian beers even more perfect, and of course, they are an art in their own right ©, Arterra/getty images
Display is a key element of Belgian beer culture, especially when served with glassware: three points for marketing, three points for the theater where the protagonist appears, and three points for optimizing the drinking experience. From goblets to tulips, from shakers to straight-mouth cups (German), the variety of different cups represents many factors: alcohol content, drinking temperature, aromatic taste, degree of carbonation, whether it needs to be shaken, etc.
However, there are still some factors that need to be considered in practical applications, such as the ease of cleaning, stackability, and of course, production costs. From this was born some "beauties" in the glass, such as the bulbous Castil goblet Kasteel chalice of the Van Hunsbruck Brewery (1); Another example is the palm Cornet brewery's wine glass in the shape of a canal section like Ronceva (a small river near Lübecke, Germany); There's also the diamond-shaped wine glass of Brugge Tripel.
One of the innovative factors that has made Belgian glassware more and more popular is the Nucleation Point (4), which is the etching of the logo at the bottom of the vessel, through which the beer is generated from the bottom to a stable bubble that rises to the top foam area, thus helping the beer carbonation. The next time you drink a Belgian beer, take a moment to look at the bottom of the glass and get a feel for these custom nucleated designs.
(1) Van Hunsbruck Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, Brouwerij is brewery in English, it was founded in 1865, originally called Sint-Jozef Brewery, Van Honsebrouck was renamed after being acquired by the family in 1953. It is the belgian distillery that produces Lambic beer in addition to Pajottenland, and some of the existing buildings of the distillery date back to 1736, and the history of its cellars dates back to the Middle Ages. Above we see the Kasteel on their beer mug, which is the English Castle, meaning castle.
Kasteel Tripel and its wine glass © beertourism.com
(2) Palm Cornet: Palm Cornet, an oak-gold ale from the Belgian brewery Palm, 8.5% ABV, with a subtle vanilla flavor. It is named after Theodoor Cornet, the butler of Diepensteyn Castle, who ordered the distillery Den Hoorn to brew an exclusive beer for its lord, Count Maldeghem maldeghem, in honor of his ancestor: the 11th-century knight Salomon de Maldeghem. So we see above that its beer mug has a knight's helmet motif on it.
Palm Cornet with his wine glass © palm.be
(3) Brugge Tripel, 8.7% ABV. Like many towns in Belgium, Bruges has its own beer, and while the Brugge Tripel we see today was produced after palm distillery took over the De Gouden Boom distillery in 2004, the city's beer history actually dates back to the Middle Ages. Bruges three-ingredient beers are usually fermented in bottles for 24 months and then preserved in barrels for 9 months, which means more than 2 and a half years, so it is rich and rich in taste, with a strong bittersweet impact, and the smokey feeling provided by yeast, mixed with malt, bananas, covered plates and a little caramel chocolate aroma is unforgettable.
Bruges three-ingredient beer Brugge Tripel and its specialty wine glass © palm.be
(4) Nucleation: nucleation, also known as the nucleus, is the "gestation stage" at the beginning of the phase transition. Clouds, fog, rain in the sky, smoke generated by combustion, crystallization of ice, and the formation of bubbles such as soda and beer are all nucleation phenomena. Nucleation needs to reach the nucleation point to occur, so all the tipping points before the occurrence of vaporization, crystallization, liquefaction, etc., belong to this meaning.
Seven styles of Belgian beer
Belgium has a rich variety of indigenous beer styles, and while there are many variations in each category and overlap between them, some of the widely recognized traditional categories can help drinkers understand the characteristics of each flavor:
1. Abbey-style or monastic ale
There are 6 Trappist Brewerys in Belgium, each brewing a different beer style (Belgian light-coloured Al Belgian Pale Ale, triple beer Tripel, double dubbel, quadrangle Quadrupel, etc.). "Trappist" is not actually a style, but a name based on the fact that under the supervision of the monks, brewing takes place within the walls of a Cistercian monastery, and the proceeds from the sale of beer are returned to the community. But it was these beers that inspired the "monastery beers," which are usually bottled beers with distinct yeast characteristics, high carbonation, and high alcohol content. At present, many of the products are produced by commercial breweries and have no relationship with the monastery, although some breweries have received naming permits from the monastery.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Westmalle Tripel (9.5% ABV), Westmar III, began in 1934 and was refined in 1956 and continues to this day, giving it a banana aroma, light orange, mild flavor and creamy texture with a light vanilla flavor.
Westmalle Tripel © beertourism.com
2) Trappist Westvleteren 8 Dubbel (8% ABV), Westfretteren 8 degree double material, blue label, started at St. Sixtus Abbey Sixtus), the earliest brewing history dates back to 1838. Later, some of the monks established scourmont Abbey and began brewing Chimay, as described earlier. Westvleteren 8 is a sweet beer with rich malt flavor complexity and medium to good carbonation, boasting a variety of fruit aromas such as cherry, raisins, figs and even melons, a deep amber color, and the aftertaste is characterized by a unique hop bitterness.
Westfletren 8 degree double Westvleteren 8 Dubbel © beertourism.com
3) Orval Trappist Ale (6.9% ABV), Ovar Trapper. Oval is a true leader, with its formula, glass, bottle and label all unique and unchanged since its introduction in the 1930s. Compared to other Trapp breweries, Oval is limited to producing this one beer, and even today, with the explosion of style and quality of Belgian beer, Orval remains a rare pearl. This beer also stands out for its combination of brewing techniques: top fermentation and spontaneous fermentation. And, if given enough time, wild yeast will drain all the remaining sugar in the bottle so that the beer doesn't leave any sweetness and sugar behind, which is great news for beer lovers with diabetes.
Orval Trappist Ale © beertourism.com
(1) Trappist beer, only six Belgian beers can use the name Trappist, they are: Archer Achel, Chimay, Oval Orval, Rochefort Rochefort, Westmar Westmalle, Westfretterlen Westvleteren. But as of January 2021, Belgium has only 5 Trapp beers left, and as archer Achel's last monk left the Order, Achel was no longer recognized as a Trappist brewery, thus losing its title, although its beer production continued and was taken over by Westmarle Westmalle.
2, Golden Ayr and Golden Strong Ales
Belgian Golden Ale has a subtle citrus and spice yeast flavor with a certain degree of malt sweetness and a soft aftertaste. Golden Strong Ale also has these yeast flavors and malt flavors, but generally exhibits more hop properties, higher alcohol content, drier texture, and stronger carbonation.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Ename Blond (6.6% ABV), Inham Golden Ayre, began in 1990 by Brouwerij Roman, but historically, the winemaking process here has been a leap forward to the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Under the treaty, the Scheldt became the designated border between Flanders and the Germanic Holy Roman Empire, and a fortress was built in Ename with the aim of keeping the Count of Flanders and his army at the river. However, in 1063, the fortress fell into the hands of Benedictine (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti) monks, who converted it into a monastery, and soon after, beer began brewing here, and after a fruitful 7 centuries, the story of the Inhem Monastery ended, as it was destroyed during the French Revolution and was never rebuilt. With such a history, Ename Blond is destined to be complex: a thirst-quenching and tasting category that is refreshing, light but complex enough.
Inhem Golden El Ename Blond ©beertourism.com
2) Omer (8% ABV), Omer Traditional Golden Ale, began in 1892 as the result of 120 years of craftsmanship by the Van der Kingstreet family. The tradition is made with pure water, yeast, summer barley malt from the Loire region of France (French: Loire, the longest river in France) and three hops from Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The characteristics of this fruity taste are also evident in the palate due to the fruity smell that comes with a hint of fruity scent from yeast, which ends up with a slightly bitter aftertaste when the ingredients of hops come up later.
Omer Omer © beertourism.com
3) Duvel (8.5% ABV), Dewey Golden Intense Ale, first brewed in the 1920s, has set its own benchmark in the Strong Ale category. Dewey has a passionate floral, citrus and even a hint of grapefruit, thanks to the use of the best hop varieties, a hint of herb under the delicacy (thanks again to the unique Duvel-Moortgat yeast). Due to its high carbon dioxide content, Dewey beer has an ecstatic roundness in the mouth, making it a unique combination of thirst quenchers and aperitifs.
Dewey Beer Duvel © beertourism.com
3, Saison beer Saison
Saison is a refreshing, dry (1), hop-rich Belgian beer family with a rather bitter taste. They are usually highly carbonated, with aromas and flavors of citrus and pepper. Saison beer is a specialty of the Walloon region of southern Belgium. However, the origin of saison beer has always been debated, with some saying that saison beer is an economic product of farms, because these farms have to retain and occupy their "seasonal" workers (French: saisonnière) in the off-season, hence the name, so it should be literally so. They brew in the winter and quench their thirst with beer in the summer to relieve the toil of labor on the land.
(1) Spicy, dry: dry. We often see the word dry in the description of European liquor, we also often see and hear dry white, dry red, and even in the description of beer also appears dry, so in the end in English, what does the word dry mean in alcohol? In fact, it is very simple, it represents low sugar or no sugar, and the more "dry" the type, the lower the sugar. Because of beer or various other alcoholic beverages, the role of yeast occupies an absolutely critical position in the fermentation process. The so-called yeast, in essence, is actually a fungus, flora, then the flora in the activity or survival, the need for energy (Energy), sugar is a very good conversion of energy components, the flora is constantly decomposing sugar to obtain energy to survive. Therefore, in the process of fermentation, the type of flora and the time of fermentation determine how much sugar remains. Under this concept, the less sugar is retained, the more it is called dry. The aforementioned "spicy" is a common Japanese translation of "dry type".
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Saison Dupont (6.5% ABV), first brewed by Saison Dupont in 1844, is a Saison beer from the province of Hénaut (The aforementioned Province of Hengevin, in western Belgium, bordering France). Thirty years ago, this farm beer from the western region seemed to be slowly disappearing as sales and popularity declined, but today, Cysone has made a surprising comeback, with about 20 Cysone-style brands on the market today. This dry beer starts in a more sour way, from the fruity aroma of citrus (lime, lemon, orange), to the smell of freshly mowed grass or even hay, but eventually hops will prevail and end with a more bitter aftertaste, which is characteristic of farm beer. Saison DuPont is usually bottled for 36 months before it is launched.
Saison Dupont © beertourism.com
2) Saisonneke Extra (4.4% ABV), Sessonek Special Brew, a farm beer brewed by the Bergoo Brewery. Usually in a 330 ml bottle with a low alcohol content and a fresh hop aroma with a pleasant bitterness in the aftertaste.
Saisonneke Extra © Flickr
3) La Saison d'Epeautre (6% ABV), Saison de Epout, a typical, old-school Belgian farm beer. Pour out a clear gold color, the head is moderately blistered, and carbonation is slightly visible. With a slight bread flavor, fruity notes of pear, gooseberry and green apple, slight notes of pepper and floral hops, semi-dry style, velvety texture, it is a very mild and balanced beer.
La Saison d'Epeautre © Untappd
4, Special Belgian Spéciale Belge
It's a strange-sounding category that was created in the early 20th century in a race to create a continental Lager that would compete with British Ale, imported from Britain. The palm beer company Palm, mentioned above, was the protagonist of the competition, the name "Grand Belgian", and was also proposed by van Roy, the company operator at the time, who rebuilt the de Hoorn Distillery de Hoorn after the First World War and renamed it Palm. Grand Belgian is a medium-intensity beer with a red or copper color. Yeast has a subtle fruity taste and a loose malt taste (like toast). But overall, they are considered balanced and easy to drink. In addition, there are many categories that call this category Amber Bier, that is, amber beer.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Bolleke De Koninck (5.2% ABV), Boreck, is a beer produced by de Koninck Brewery De Koninck, bright and wonderful amber, with a slight caramel flavor and creamy head foam. This beer has been the signature beer of the famous port city of Antwerp since 1952.
Bolleke © chesterbeerandwine.co.uk
2) Palm Spéciale (5.2% ABV), Premium Palm, no doubt the wine named after Van Roy, also known as Spéciale Belge. Inherited from the Brabant brewing tradition, it is a top fermented beer, light amber with aromas of caramel, honey, orange, creamy foam head, soft and light taste.
Palm Spéciale © boozebud.com
3) Spécial De Ryck (5.5% ABV), Derek Grand, started in 1920, typical belgian amber ale, with a lighter gold color of its kind, familiar malt and fruity aromas, low caramel flavor, drier and slightly bitterer than similar taste, and has twice won the bronze medal at the Beer World Cup.
The Derek Grand Spécial De Ryck © brouwerijderyck.be
5, Belgian wheat beers
Belgian wheat beer (also known as "white beer" or "Witbier") is a pale, hazy beer brewed using 30%-60% raw wheat. Coriander seed and Curaçao orange peel (1) are often added to highlight the mild fruity and spicy characteristics of white beer yeast. Belgian wheat beer is delicate and medium intensity, making it the most refreshing choice in summer.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Sint Bernardus Wit (5.5% ABV), St. Bernard's White Beer, is one of the few monastery-style white beers. The beer is said to have been made by Pierre Celis, the godfather of white beer, who was a reviver of Belgian white beer and saved the fate of The Belgian beer from extinction. St. Bernard's white beer has aromas of coriander seeds and lemon, the taste is full and medium, reminiscent of the brand founded by the godfather of white beer himself, and the "Hoegaarden" (Hoegaarden) has been introduced in China for many years.
St. Bernard's White Beer Sint Bernardus Wit © Pinterest
2) Jan de Lichte (7.5% ABV), Jan de Lichte, the name of this beer is very dramatic, first it is a person's name, and then this person, he is a famous outlaw and gang leader in 18th-century Flanders. He led a gang of gangsters during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48) and committed burglaries, robberies and several murders in Flanders, before being arrested and executed in 1748. Still familiar with coriander and lemon aromas, the cloudy straw-colored wine body is mediumly carbonated, the head foam dissipates quickly, it is light and dry, and the bitterness is low.
Jan de Lichte © ryansbooze.com
3) Blanche de Bruxelles (4.5% ABV), Brussels white beer, the modern version began in 1989, but its brewery Lefebvre is a family-owned brewery operating since 1876. Brussels white beer is a highly fermented beer with a lighter milky white of its kind, but with a rich head of foam and the ingredients are the 40% wheat, coriander seeds, bitter orange peel or Curaçao orange peel that we are familiar with. Gradually, Brussels white beer also became one of the symbolic labels of the city.
Brussels white beer Blanche de Bruxelles © beerplanet.net
(1) Curaçao: Dutch/Portuguese Curaçao, was a Dutch colony in the southern Caribbean, but the colonists earlier than the Dutch were Spaniards. Later, during the 80-year War of Independence between the Netherlands and Spain, the Dutch seized colonial control of the island. The most famous story about Curaçao is that during the Great Voyages of Europe, sailors were threatened with scurvy due to a lack of vitamins, and some sick Portuguese or Spanish sailors were left behind in the place now known as Curaçao. Later, when their expeditionary fleet returned to pick them up, they found that the sailors' scurvy had been cured to varying degrees, or even fully recovered. After investigating their diet, it was found that they ate a lot of local fruits, and before they could figure out that the fruits were rich in vitamin C, the Portuguese called the island IIha da Curaçao, meaning The Isle of Cure "Healing Island", which gradually continued to become the name of the island. Therefore, Europeans still have a sacred obsession with the fruits produced in Curaçao and pass them on to their dietary ingredients.
Willemstad of Curaçao, with its colorful architecture with Dutch features © Matthew T Rader /Wikipedia
6, Oud Bruin, Oud Bruin
Udbrunn is a family of red or brown beers with caramel chocolate malt flavors and complex red fruit combinations. They are usually both sweet and sour, sometimes showing a dry tannic aftertaste, like vintage red wines.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) Rodenbach Vintage (7% ABV), Rodenbach Vintage, a unique, balanced flavour with a long fruity flavish reddish brown beer, matured for 2 years in the finest oak barrels and then carefully sampled and selected. The 2015 rodenbach in the image below has aromas of apple combined with caramel, wild honey, chocolate and oak, in addition to hints of vanilla, cherry and licorice, making the overall taste rich and balanced, like a premium wine. Rodenbach Vintage has also won numerous awards at all levels of the world's beer competition.
Rodenbach Vintage rodenbach vintage © horecamagazine.be
2) Cuvée des Jacobins (5.5% ABV), Jacques Bimpe, this beer is from vanders Ghinste, the van der Günster brewery we mentioned earlier, the distillery that produces Omer Omer Golden Ayle. This is a true spontaneous fermented beer that allows wild yeast to function naturally through early exposure to the air, and then continues to mature for 18 months in oak barrels produced in France, giving this beer a certain aroma of lactic acid and cherry, with an oaky feel, although complex but balanced in taste.
Cuvée des Jacobins © beertourism.com
3) Liefmans Goudenband (8% ABV), Livermans Gold, this beer has a darker brown color in its class and is a mixed fermented beer, meaning it ferments spontaneously and then bottled. And because of its high alcohol content, this beer will delay the functioning of the microflora, and in order to ensure that everything is perfect, The Lieffmans Gold Standard will stay in the bottle in the cellar for up to 10 years. In the end, all the waiting is worth it, and with the long fermentation time, it acquires a beautifully balanced fruity taste, with a lower pH and herbal notes, which also leads to its fruity taste more like preserved fruits such as nuts or raisins, and the aftertaste is more complex and changeable.
Liefmans Goudenband © beertourism.com
7, Lambic beers
Lambic is a beer that has been brewed in the Partotenland region since the 13th century, and its biggest feature is the process of spontaneous fermentation in the open air and then aged in oak barrels, which sets it apart from most other products fermented using brewer's yeast. But Lambic pulp is almost impossible to eat and disgusting, so in order to drink, Lambic needs to be mixed with different flavor styles at different stages of fermentation, and then a variety of Lambic derivatives are born, usually at least two or more beer mixtures, usually mixed with fruits, such as cherries, plates and apricots.
This category of beer can be tried as follows:
1) 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze (6% ABV), Triple Fontenin Udegevuds, this beer is a mixture of self-fermented lambics for 1, 2 and 3 years old, unpasteurized and filtered, and continues to mature in bottles for at least a year. The aging and natural carbonation in the bottle create a champagne-like texture in this beer, with aromas dominated by apples, herbs and dried fruits.
Triple Fonteinen Oude Geuze 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze © beyondbeer.de
2) Boon Kreik Mariage Parfait (8% ABV), Crick Mariachi Parfit, produced at Boon Brewery, and when we look at Kreik, we know it's cherry-flavored. This beer consists of 18 months of Lambic, with 400 grams of fresh wild cherries added per liter, then continues to mature in oak barrels for 6-8 months, before storing the bottles in a cool, dark cellar for 2 years if possible. This brewing process gives it the perfect combination of cherry and oak, with a red wine-like aroma.
Kreik Mariage Parfait © boon.be
3) Fou's Founne (Lambic with Bergeron Apricots (1)) (5.0-5.5% ABV), Foyn Bergeron Apricot, from Cantillon Distillery. Moderate alcohol content, 300 grams of fresh apricots with one liter of Lambic, short aging time to maintain the freshness of the fruit. This beer is a well-received category of Lambic fruits and is very popular with the public, and most tasters on the BeerAdvocate website give it a rating of close to 4.5 (5 out of 5).
Fou's Founne © cantillon.be
(1) Bergeron Apricot: Bergeron apricot, is a classic French apricot tree variety, a large and charming yellow-orange fruit with red blush, sweet aroma, slightly juicy. Famous for the Bergeron Jam Reserve (PDO) in France.
Bergeron Apricots © Andia / getty images
Beer festival in Belgium
There are many great places to enjoy beer throughout Belgium, and beer events are held almost every week of the year, so you heard "weekly" correctly. If you can arrange your time, you can combine it like this: the traditional Oktowels (Zitos Zythos, Bruges Bruges, or Belgian Beer Weekend of Belgian Beer Week); Modern Beer Festival (Brussels Beer Festival BXL Beer Fest or Antwerp Billie's Craft Beer Fest); Or the niche beer festival (Oud Bruin Fest, the Kerstbierfestival, the Poperinge Hop and Beer Festival, or the Lambic Round Table Oktoberfestival, or the Lambic Round Table Oktoberfest Toer de Geuze).
Focusing on the "Cultural And Cultural History", let us explore and move forward together in the two themes of tourism and food.