Beer in Belgium
[7][8] In Belgium, beer was already produced in the Roman era, as evidenced by the excavation of a brewery and malthouse from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD at Ronchinne.
[9] During the Early and High Middle Ages, beer was produced with gruit, a mix of herbs and spices that was first mentioned in 974 when the bishop of Liège was granted the right to sell it at Fosses-la-Ville.
From the 14th century onwards, gruit was replaced by hops, after the example of imported beers from northern Germany and Holland.
Monastic brewing would only receive some renown from the late 19th century onwards, when the Trappists of Chimay produced a brown beer that was commercially available.
Only ten monasteries currently meet these qualifications, five of which are in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Austria, one in Italy and one in the United Kingdom.
The current Belgian Trappist producers are: In addition to the above, a lower-strength beer is sometimes brewed for consumption by the brothers (patersbier) or sold on site.
[19][20] The requirements for registration under the logo include the monastery having control over certain aspects of the commercial operation, and a proportion of profits going to the abbey or to its designated charities.
Several monasteries, however, maintained "working" breweries for 500+ years before the French regime disrupted religious life (1795–1799).
[16][20] Modern abbey breweries range from microbreweries to international giants, but at least one beer writer warns against assuming that closeness of connection with a real monastery confirms a product's quality.
However, ten years later, a young farmer by the name of Pierre Celis in the same village decided to try reviving the beer.
Duvel is the archetypal Belgian blonde ale, and one of the most popular bottled beers in the country[32] as well as being well known internationally.
Lambic is a wheat beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels) by spontaneous fermentation.
The beer then undergoes a long aging period ranging from three to six months (considered "young") to two or three years for mature.
It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.
Some, such as Vieux Temps [nl], were based on British styles to please troops stationed in Belgium during World War I.
[39] The style of Westmalle's Tripel and the name was widely copied by the breweries of Belgium,[40] then the term spread to the US and other countries.
Typified by Rodenbach, the eponymous brand that started this type over a century ago, this beer's distinguishing features from a technical viewpoint are a specially roasted malt, fermentation by a mixture of several 'ordinary' top-fermenting yeasts and a lactobacillus culture (the same type of bacteria yoghurt is made with) and maturation in oak.
The result is a mildly strong 'drinking' beer with a deep reddish-brown colour and a distinctly acidic, sour yet fruity and mouthy taste.
Some bars serve a glass of draft lager with a small amount of table beer added, to take away the fizziness and act as a sweetener, in Limburg it is referred to as a "half om".
A tulip glass not only helps trap the aroma, but also aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation.
Flute glasses display the lively carbonation, sparkling colour, and soft lacing of this distinct style.
Chalices and goblets are large, stemmed, bowl-shaped glasses mainly associated with Trappist and Abbey ales.
[citation needed] These days, Belgian beers are sold in brown- (or sometimes dark green-) tinted glass bottles (to avoid negative effects of light on the beverage) and sealed with a cork, a metal crown cap, or sometimes both.
[citation needed] Virtually every Belgian beer has a branded glass imprinted with a logo or name.
Although many major brands of beer are available at most supermarkets, off-licences located throughout the country generally offer a far wider selection, albeit at somewhat higher prices.
[61][62] Some draught-beer brands produced by AB InBev – Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe – are available in several European countries.
Such brands include Brasserie Brunehaut, Karmeliet, Kwak, Maredsous, Mont Saint-Aubert, Delirium, Palm, Rodenbach and St.
One is carbonade (French) or stoverij or stoofvlees (Dutch), a stew of beef cooked in beer, similar to Boeuf bourguignon.
[67] "Zythos" is the name of the main consumer's organization, successor to the earlier OBP (Objectieve Bierproevers).
The Knighthood of the Mashstaff honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to brewing, and pays tribute to Gambrinus and Saint Arnold.
