Saturday, August 26, 2006

Belgian Beer no.77: Belgian Beer Paradise

If you will ever make it to Brussels, finally past the Belgian Beer bars, then you might pay a visit to the Belgian Beer Museum. The beers they serve are very much your 'standard' beers. The idea behind these beers is to take you through the different types of Belgian Beers.

Never short of a Belgian Beer we are!

Tagged with:

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Belgian Beer no.76: Witkap Stimulo

I already mentioned the brewery visit. Besides the (known) Witkap series – the Stimulo, the Dubbele and the Tripel, we discovered some more beers … but no, didn’t try them all out. There is a limit, even in Belgium.

However just to take you trough the range of the beers available at the Slagmuylder Brewery: the three Witkaps (they can all be seen in the picture). Furthermore, there is the Greut Lawauitj, the Slag (a lager beer), the Helles (again pictured), the Tafel Hell, the Oud Bier, the Paasbier (Eastern beer), and the Christmas beer. We promised ourselves we’ll go back to buy one of each, so eventually I’mm sure they’ll grace the pages of this blog.

Cheers!

Tagged with:

Friday, August 18, 2006

Belgian Beer no.75: Passendale

Passendale. Another Belgian Beer to add to the list.
Last weekend was spent at the Fiesta Latina and the cheese festival in Passendale. Our attitude was: whilst in Passendale, do like the Passandalianists. Eat their cheese, drink their beer.
The Passendale beer is a pale ale style of beer, your straight forward blond beer. There is also the Passendale dark, which we did not try out. I know people will say it is an average beer, which does not live up to the reputation of Belgian Beers. However, in the middle of Passendale, eating their local cheese this beer was just great.

Tagged with:

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Brewery Visit: Slaghmuylder

Remember Belgian Beer no.54, Witkap Tripel? Well if not you can always check it out again. The interesting thing though is that whilst writing about it, I came across their ‘Open Day’ announcement. So guess where we spent the 13 August? At the Slaghmuylder Brewery. A family affair, the brewery is usually not open for visits … but then they have the Open Days.
There was a brewery visit and the explanation of the actual process. There was a beer tasting. And there was a BBQ. Pure Sunday bliss.
What you will find is that many breweries around Belgium are organizing Open Days, or visits to their brewery. A list of breweries can be found under my ‘Breweries’ link, on the right. When you come to Belgium, try to find out which brewery is open, as trust me, they are most definitely worth a visit. And you just can’t beat the tasting prices, which are at 1,50euro a beer!
PS: Glibbidy, hope you enjoy this one!
Tagged with:

Belgian Beer no.74: de Koninck

On our recent two day trip to Antwerp all we did was hide from the rain, eat good food and try the local Belgian Beer. A popular amongst the Antwerpists (?), de Koninck is a great Belgian Beer. The website reads ‘De Koninck. A taste of Antwerp’. Very much their own local beer which I can certify, they absolutely love (in Antwerp). And a great beer it is too. Very refreshing, very clean.

The De Koninck Brewery brews only three beers: the brown, the blonde and the winter de Koninck. So if ever in Antwerp make sue to try some out. You won’t be disappointed. And if you really want to impress, then you'll ask for a 'bolleke' which means the shape of the glass in Flemish but has become synomymous with the de Koninck beer ... so everyone will understand you.

And something of a tradition, I didn’t repeat since Belgian Beer no. 56, the usual recipe to go with the beer.

Chicken liver in sour-sweet de Koninck (serves 4)
500gr chicken liver
1/2dl red wine vinegar
1dl boiled down de Koninck blond
20gr chives
50gr wild rice
50gr honey
2dl demi glace
40gr butter
50gr rice
Salt and pepper

Allow the honey to caramelize slightly, extinguish with red wine vinegar.
Add demi glace and the beer.
Prepare the sauce for use with butter.
Boil the wild rice separately from the white rice; after sufficient boiling time, add a bit of pepper, salt and olive oil.
Cut up the chives very fine.
Fry the chicken liver rosé and flavor with salt and pepper.
Press the rice into a timbale and pour it down onto a hot plate, coat underneath the sauce and arrange the degreased chicken liver, sprinkle the whole with chives.
(recipe taken from de Koninck website)
Tagged with:

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Belgian Beer no.73: Pere Abbe

A typical brown beer, malty and with hints of burned toast ( ?). Brewed by the De Bocq Brewery, just like the following ones: Applebocq (as the name says it an apple beer. I got to try this one out at the last Belgian Beer Festival and it was great. Will try it again this year and write about it as well).
Furthermore, the Blanche de Namur, the Saison Regal, the St. Benoit, the Triple Moine, the Deugniet, the La Galoise (love the glass for this one), and the Regal Christmas.

I am just surprised I haven’t tried any of these yet!
Tagged with:

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Belgian Beer no.72: Cantillon

This is one of those beers you have to try, but I doubt you’ll like it. I didn’t. A cross between wine and beer, the Grand Cru Bruocsella is a lambic beer. This means a different process, the beer being kept in oak barrels for 3 years. Almost like wine, but not wine. And trust me you can taste this difference.
It can be kept for years, and is considered to be an aristocratic beer. Very Brussels beer – so indeed give it a try when here. The experience is worth it because it is very different from what you expect of Belgian Beers.

Other beers brewed by the Cantillon Brewery are the Gueuze, the Kriek, the Rosé de Ganbrinus, the Iris, the Vigneronne, the St. Lamvinus, the Fou Foune and the Lou Pepe. Prhaps a visit to the brewery will be in order to try all these beers out.