WHY MOSTLY BELGIAN BEER?

Belgian beer comprises the most varied and numerous collection of high-quality beers in the world , and varies from the popular pale lager to the esoteric appeal of lambic beer and Flemish red.

Belgian beer-brewing’s origins go back to the Middle Ages, when monasteries began producing beers. Belgian beer production was assisted by the 1919 Belgian “Vandervelde Act”, that prohibited the sale of spirits in pubs, inducing the market to produce beers with a higher level of alcohol. The Vandervelde Act was lifted in 1983.

High esteem of Belgian beer is supported by beer writers such as the late Michael Jackson. In Belgium there are approximately 125 breweries in the country, producing about 500 standard beers. When special one-off beers are included, the total number of brands of Belgian beer exceeds 1000.

Anyone who knows anything about beer will recognise Belgium as one of the world’s most prolific brewers. Perhaps it’s Belgium’s long history in brewing that has led to the country being such a leader in the amber nectar; indeed, Belgium’s beer making origins go back to the Middle Ages, when Trappist monks started experimenting with brewing techniques.

Belgians love their beer, and amazingly the health properties of the drink have even led the government to introducing it into the school lunch menu!

There are approximately 125 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries; in Europe only Germany, France and the United Kingdom are home to more breweries. Belgian breweries produce about 800 standard beers. When special one-off beers are included, the total number of Belgian beers is approximately 8700.

Belgian beers can be roughly split into eleven categories, including Pils, Amber, White, Abbey, Trappist, Geuze/Lambic, Fruit, Strong Pale, Strong Brown, Red Brown, and regional or town beer.

Belgian beers have become fashionable, yet the pleasures they offer have been truly explored by only a discerning minority of drinkers. The rule, never ask for “a beer” applies especially in Belgium. Such a request will bring forth a perfectly acceptable lager of a type, but one that could just as easily be found in many other countries. The great beers of Belgium are not its lagers. Its native brews are in other styles, and they offer an extraordinary variety, some so different from more conventional brews that at the initial encounter they are scarcely recognisable as beers. Yet they represent some of the oldest traditions of brewing in the Western world.

No other country (even those with far more breweries) has among its native styles of beer such diversity, individuality, idiosyncrasy and colour. Nor does any other country present beers so beautifully. Belgian brewers often use wired and corked Champagne bottles, and serve each beer in its own shape of glass, ranging from flutes to snifters and chalices. It is something of a Belgian speciality to bottle beers with a sediment of live yeast, so that they can be laid down to mature. This technique is usually indicated on the label by the phrase “re-fermented in the bottle” (Refermentée en bouteille / Hergist in de fles )

Virtually every Belgian beer has a branded glass. Beyond the basic shape of the glass (wide-mouth goblet, curvaceous tulip glass, tall pilsener, etc), each glass is imprinted with a logo or name. The brewery usually selects a glass form to accentuate certain qualities of their beer. A goblet, for example, lets the drinker’s nose inhale the beer’s aroma at the same time the mouth is drinking in the liquid. A tulip glass, for example, is very good for foam retention.

Each has distinct criteria, for example:

Trappist beers are brewed in a Trappist Monastery, and to qualify the entire process must be carried out or supervised by Trappist monks on the site of the monastery. Only seven monasteries currently meet this qualification, six of which are in Belgium – the other is in the Netherlands. Because of this way they are categorised, in terms of flavour and style, one Trappist beer has little in common with another.

Gueuze and Lambic are unique to Belgium, and are distinguished by their tart tastes. Lambics are brewed via a method of spontaneous fermentation by wild yeast, which are said to be endemic to the vicinity of Brussels and the Senne Valley.

Pilsner-style lager, also called Pils, is a common, bottom fermented lager which are recognized for their light colour and smooth taste. These are by far the most popular style of beer and make up almost 75% of all Belgian beer production.

Pils/Lager | White Beers | Trappist Beers | Blond Beers | Amber Beers | Saison Beers | Dark Beers | Fruited & Spiced Beers | Lambic/Gueuze | Seasonal |