Guest Blog: Belgian Beer by Tim Mckee

Recently, we took trip to Brussels, Belgium. While visiting, we did quite a bit of sightseeing and tried different local foods and beer along the way. Great beers are to Belgium as great wine is to France, the varieties are many and all very good. Belgian Strong Ales (BJCP Style 18) otherwise known as Abbey style beers and Sour Ales (BJCP Style 17) are two styles of beer that are unique to Belgium; each with many variations. This post will cover Strong Ale styles and a later post will cover sour Lambics.

Abbey beers come in several major styles, all with rich and unique flavors. All Abbeys use a similar style of yeast that lend a characteristic aroma and flavor to the beer. Each one puts its own stamp on their beer through unique recipes and production methods. The first Strong Ale style is the Belgian Dubbel: darker and a bit sweeter, usually between 6-7% ABV. The second Strong Ale style is the Belgian Tripel: paler, drier and generally between 7-9% ABV. A third style of Abbey beer is the Quadruple: with ABV values ranging from 8-11%, is a bit over the top to my taste.

The most famous and popular of the Abbey style beers are made by Trappist Monks. The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict; the fundamental tenets are that each monastery must be self- supporting. Monasteries generally use the sale of beer, cheese and bread to achieve these goals. There are 170 active Trappist Monasteries in the world, one of which is close to Cincinnati in Bardstown, KY. Only 7 monasteries actively brew Trappist beer. Of those, 6 are in Belgium and 1 is in Holland. Since the Middle Ages monks have used the profits from the sale of the beer to fund living expenses and upkeep of the Abbeys. All extra profits are donated to charity.

Six of the seven Trappist brands are available for sale in the US market. The 7th and most difficult beer to obtain is Westvleteren. Yearly production of Westvleteren is only 60,000 cases and this amount has not increased since 1946. The monks do not use a distributer and beer is sold only by the case. You must call the abbey at certain times and make a reservation to pick up your beer. Despite being an extremely rare beer, Westvleteren has won a significant following, including being voted as the Best Beer in the World in 2005. Beer rating websites routinely rank it near the top year after year. We had the opportunity to try a ‘Westy 8’ during our trip to Belgium and very much enjoyed it. Westvleteren is a Dubbel style with thick, rich, malty taste and full of plum and fig flavors. At 9 Euro a bottle it isn’t a beer we will drink all the time, although it was nice to see what all the fuss is about.

Our favorite bar in Brussels was fortunately very close to our hotel. It was called Delirium Café named after its best-selling beer, Delirium Tremens. The beer is a Belgian Tripel with a label featuring what appears to be an intoxicated pink elephant. Delerium Tremens is around 9.5% ABV and was elected as the best beer in the world in 2008. Delirium Café holds the Guiness Book of world records for number of beers available, claiming over 2400 different beers. The beer menu was as thick as a telephone book, so we did not verify by counting. In addition to beer, there are separate bars on the same block for whisky, rum, vodka, tequila and absinthe; each with hundreds of different varieties to try. Delirium Café, a destination unto itself, is in a tourist trap area of Brussels, but was neither terribly overcrowded nor crazy while we were there.

One of the things I really enjoy about Belgian Beers is that each is served in a unique glass. There are a wide range of style and shape to accent the aroma and flavor of each beer. See the photo of Mary Pat enjoying one of her favorites, the Kwak. Its glass looks like something from chemistry lab complete with a wooden cradle to pick it up. The glass makes a “Kwak-ing” noise when you drink from it. All respectable Belgian bars keep the glasses for each of the beers they serve.

A trip to Belgium is worth it just for the seemingly endless variety of beer. Then add in good food, nice people and great surroundings, you have the makings of a great vacation.