When it comes to the glories of European culture, not everybody's mind turns first to Belgium. But when it comes to beer they take a lot of beating. I spent nine years of my life in Belgium man and boy - I toasted the end of my O Levels with bottles of Stella Artois and then broadened my horizons somewhat when I returned as an adult. If I had to limit myself to the beers of only one country, it would be Belgium.
Why? I think it comes down to a powerful combination of tradition, innovation and a demanding clientele .Brewing is deeply rooted in Belgian society. There is, literally, a strong element of religion about it. It all starts with the legend of Arnold of Soissons, the 11th century Abbott of Oudenberg who - divinely inspired - exhorted the local populace to drink the beer from his abbey to put an end to a plague. He became the patron saint of Belgian brewers, and it is in his name that the brewers progress every year to Brussels Cathedral to participate in a service of thanksgiving for beer and brewing.
(Modern cynics might point out that the plague was probably cholera and that it was simply a case of boiling the water. But it felt like a miracle at the time and, to be fair, many people in England were still arguing 800 years later that cholera was caused by bad smells)
This religious connection has brought the discipline of the monastic orders to brewing. Helped by the fact that French taxes on beer drove a lot of monks - if that is the right collective noun - across the border. Unlike the Germans (and I have nothing against German beer), Belgian brewers do innovate in terms of methods and ingredients, and produce a dazzling variety of beers. But they understand the principles of what they are about, which is why it always seems to work.
And it has to, because their customers demand it. Belgian beer consumption focuses on quality not quantity. The typical Belgian beer drinker (who may be a young man, but may also be his grandmother) expects to drink slowly and savour, usually with food.
The challenge I sometimes get when serving a Belgian beer to a friend is along the lines of "hmm, nice to try, but I couldn't drink pints of it". No, you couldn't. It tends to be stronger. Even the standard-issue pilsners like Stella, Jupiler and Maes are 5% ABV. Incidentally, the Belgians find it very amusing that Stella is marketed in the UK as something premium and special. You just have to approach it with a different mindset.
For those seeking to broaden their experience and try a few things, there are a few categories to explore
- mid-strength abbey-type ales. Often around the 6-7% ABV mark. Leffe Blonde is easy to get hold of in the UK. I would also recommend Grimbergen
- "saisons" - sharp, summer ales originally designed to refresh harvest workers. Saison Dupont is a really good one
- red ales - a very different taste to anything you will find in England - quite sour, which is not everyone's taste but can be very refreshing. Rodenbach is the classic one. Duchesse de Bourgogne is a personal favourite of mine with its overlay of sweetness.
- wheat beers - definitely worth a try if you have only tasted beers made with barley. Start with the readily-available Hoegaarden, then look for others like Brugse Wit
- Gueuze / Lambic - a wonderfully anarchic Belgian concept. Beers produced by spontaneous fermentation with natural yeast, often brewed with fruit (Kriek contains cherries; Frambozen has raspberries) to counteract the sourness. Try it once. You may not like it - it is like no beer you will have ever tasted before - but give it a chance.
Then you get to the big boys - the triple- and quadruple-fermented beers, often associated with the Trappist abbeys. They are very strong, but the best ones have such a glorious rich flavour that you don't think about the strength - Special Brew they are not although no, you can't drink pints of them...
My personal all-time favourite is the Tripel from the abbey of Westmalle. Other shining stars include the "Radieuse" from the abbey of Leffe, the Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel from the Halve Maan brewery in Bruges, or the Abt 12 from the St Bernardus brewery. If you ever get a chance - and you may not, given that it is very hard to find outside Belgium - try the "12" from the abbey of Westvleteren. My Belgian-born son recently sourced me a bottle on a visit to Brussels, and I am saving it up for a very special occasion.