Want to go to beer paradise? In this case, you need to go to Belgium! In this country, a real cult of this foamy drink. It is for Belgians the same as wine for the French. It produces more than 600 types of beer in a variety of styles. At the same time, each Belgian beer whose varieties are described in this article has a unique taste and is unique in its own way.
Germany, in comparison with Belgium, has a larger number of breweries, the same Czechs drink more liters per year per person, while the centuries-old love of Belgians for brewing art is multifaceted and deep, like culture and national cuisine, rooted customs that for another person may seem awesome and weird.
It is difficult to explain why such a festive and diverse culture was formed here. Probably, the reason for this was the dirty water of the Middle Ages, instead of which they often drank this drink of church production. The abbeys promoted the spread of artisanal methods, the purity and locality of the product, which today have become fashionable in the food world.
Little Belgium is a country of regions, each of which is proud of its individuality. The special taste, style and recipes of Belgian beer are appreciated here. Thoroughly exploring all its diversity is a job for life, now we will consider the most popular varieties.
Floris Kriek (Belgian Cherry Beer)
Cherry exotic, refreshing, light top-fermented beer, which has the aroma of freshly picked cherry. It is moderately sweet, with a slight bitterness in the aftertaste. This Belgian cherry beer is made from water, hops, wheat and barley malt. Fresh cherry juice is added to the finished drink .
In this beer, the juice is 30%. It is consumed slightly chilled, like its fruit counterparts Huyghe Belgian Floris, without the risk of getting drunk due to low alcohol levels (3.6%). The danger lies in the excessive use of this amazing drink, because its taste is actually indescribable and requires frequent repetition. The cost of a glass of drink is about 180 rubles.
Trappiste (Trappist beer)
6 out of 8 Trappist breweries are located in Belgium. Westmalle - Trappist Brewery - launched its first drink in 1836. Trappiste is a constant commitment to cleanliness, tradition and quality. This Belgian beer is produced in small quantities in monasteries, which gives it exclusivity.
Interestingly, the six existing brewing abbeys are located throughout the country, with each representing its own locality. So, Achel is located on a green, flat area near the border with Holland. Chimet is located near the French border among the forests; Orval - far in the south; Rochefort - near the hills and forests of the Ardennes; Westmalle - in the east, near the once powerful power of Antwerp; Westletern is located near the North Sea.
The cost of a glass of this beer is around 250 rubles.
Lambic (Lambic)
Lambic is a traditional beer that is produced in Payottenland, near Brussels. This Belgian beer is made by natural fermentation using wild yeast. This makes it dry, like cider or wine, with a slightly bitter and sour taste. The drink is aged for three years in barrels of sherry or port.
Lambics are often sweetened or mixed. They are released in various styles, some of which only recently could be recognized by an international audience. The cost of a bottle of 0.5 l - 180 rubles.
Abbey (abbey beer)
Belgium owed its education to brewing culture to monks, most of whom arrived in the country as refugees during the French Revolution - at that time violent anti-church revolts broke out. The Belgian Abbey beer can be used as a brand, as well as as a link to this historic event, while the production of a certified drink is associated specifically with monasteries. Some of its varieties today bear the names of famous abbeys.
Both Abbey and Trappist
beer brands include several types of drinks at once, which differ in composition and strength, for example, the classic types of Dubbel, Tripel and Enkels, which reflected the Holy Trinity, and also presented the real strength of the drink. Some brewers today make Quadrupel, a particularly strong beer. A glass costs about 100 rubles.
Golden Ale (Golden or Light Ale)
This Belgian beer can be rich and strong, with a golden hue, as well as lighter in strength and hue. Golden ales are not very drunk, and they are not flavored with spices. In their preparation very often use malt pilsner.
It should be noted that Duvel beer is a sample of Belgian golden ale. By the way, the devilish images can be traced in all kinds of golden ales. The Belgians themselves adore them; in Wallonia you will find them everywhere. The cost of a glass is about 300 rubles.
Belgian white beer
This beer almost disappeared in the 1970s, when a young entrepreneurial farmer began to revive local traditions.
Often Belgian brewers add spices to their beer, coriander is the most popular of them. This is a reminder of the time when the drink was brewed without any hops, seasoning it with a mixture of different spices and herbs. Light white beer perfectly refreshes, especially in summer. The average price of a glass of such a drink is 130 rubles.
Red Ale
This is the real pride of West Flanders. When making it, they use a special dark malt that gives a red tint. At the same time, to improve its quality, young beer is mixed with already aged.
This ale has a slightly sour taste. It is prepared by natural fermentation, with up to 2 years aged in oak barrels. Typically, tasters in it reveal slightly bitter and saturated fruity notes. Interestingly, red ale tastes more like wine. A bottle of this ale will cost you 150 rubles.
Brown Ale
West Flanders, as we have already learned, is famous for its red ale. But her neighbor from the east is brown.
Oud Bruin is a blend of aged and young beer. It is similar in taste to lambic. Many varieties of this drink softens and brightens the addition of fruit flavors. A bottle of such beer on average will cost you 280 rubles.
Saison (seasonal beer)
In the wet, cold winter months, farmers in distant Wallonia set up brewing boilers to make ale not too strong and refreshing.
It is sometimes cooked with spices, as well as with wheat. The strength of such a drink is at least 5%. Seasonal beer costs an average of 190 rubles.
Stout
Forget the simple Guinness! Belgian Stout beer is stronger, more complex and less sweet. Guinness, a giant in the beverage industry, even released a version of its Stout to sell it to a Belgian beer lover.
Gueuze ("Gez") is a fermented bottle lambic that has been improved and aged for twenty years. Faro ("Faro") - a variant less strong with sugar. Belgian beer Kriek ("Scream") has sour cherries in its composition, giving the drink a sour, dry taste. Fruit lambics today are very popular in many countries, although many of them are not genuine lambics.
The price of a glass of such beer is 300 rubles.
And this is only the beginning, only a brief acquaintance with the most popular varieties of local beer. Although there are many more amazing features. For example, each brewer has special glasses made for his own brand of beer. Also interesting are the science and art of serving beer to various national dishes.
It remains only to go to this amazing small country and arrange a real gastronomic tour, while tasting all kinds of Belgian beer!