The Belgian Selection
Belgium produces the most varied collection of beers in the world; Roger Protz reveals what the beer lover will find there
Belgium is the cornucopia of the beer world. It froths and foams with a vast and diverse offering of the fruits of barley and wheat. A small country rent by political and linguistic antagonisms, united by its passion for beer.
This passion is not confined to connoisseurs and brewers. It spills over into bars and restaurants. Waiters and bar staff will present customers with beer menus and discuss the merits of particular brews or the best beery companions for certain dishes.
Often bottles come wrapped in coloured tissue paper and have Champagne-style cradles and corks. Beers are labelled Grand Cru as if they were as important as wine. Quite right, they are as important as wine.
The casual visitor to Belgium, faced by umbrellas and awnings announcing the ubiquitous availability of Stella Artois, could be excused for thinking the country is yet another haven for global lager brands. There are indeed several examples of what the fastidious Belgian call pils. But there is more, much more. The less than casual visitor will know of the remarkable ales brewed by a handful of monks in the seclusion of their cloisters. The acclaim for these monastic brews has spawned – not without controversy – a far bigger cluster of commercial “abbey” ales.
Belgium is also home to perhaps the oldest form of brewing in the world. Lambic and gueuze beers, produced by “wild” or spontaneous fermentation, feature in the paintings of Pieter Bruegel, sour and rustic drinks that have been made and consu.....
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By Roger Protz
Section : International Focus
Page number : 33
