Friday 21 November 2008

Going Belgian (part one)

Our friend Stu from SOBA, the co-producer of the very drinkable Yeastie Boys' beers, brings you your regular Friday afternoon Beer O'Clock post. This afternoon, the delights of going Belgian:

logo_marques When people think of Belgian beer they usually think of one of the many local Belgian-themed beer cafés and their big bowls of mussels with pomme frittes (a fancy term for fries) with mayonnaise. Some people may think of the fact that the beers are generally quite high in alcohol, should be approached with caution, and are somewhat “funky” (I’m sure the odd business lunch has turned into a rather funked up afternoon).

In truth, the beers you taste in the Belgian-themed bars, besides one (sometimes two or three), are about the least funky beers Belgium has to offer. Nonetheless they are usually excellent beers and well worth an investigation.

leffeTap beers at these bars are generally the decent Stella Artois (a better local drop than its green-bottled nemesis and European neighbour), the deliciously quaffable Hoegaarden, the lightly-spiced and highly-drinkable Leffe ‘brothers’ (Blond and Brune) and the cherry-infused Belle-Vue Kriek. All good beers, usually served in smart glasses and in very good condition.

The bottled range branches out through some of the more interesting drops (and interesting glasses) from Hoegaarden, Chimay, Westmalle and Belle-Vue, as well as the omnipresent Duvel, the funnily named Kwak and its unusual glass, the marching elephants and crocodiles of Delirium Tremens, and the dangerously drinkable Gulden Draak (a 10.5% liquefied Christmas cake). Thinking about these beers makes me want to sneak down to my local Belgian-themed bar and sip the afternoon away, with a few friends and a whole lot of conversation.

bel-rodenbach For the more adventurous, the funkier beers in these bars are Orval and – very occasionally – a beer from the Frank Boon range or Rodenbach Grand Cru (I was once told by staff at Wellington’s Leuven that Rodenbach had been removed from the beer list because it was returned too often - it seems that its fruity “balsamic vinegar” character was not appreciated by the average drinker). We’ll look further into the more funky Belgian ales next time.

It is a shame that corporate practice prevails and these bars don’t have a policy of stocking some of New Zealand’s better Belgian-styled beers, such as Emerson’s JP (an annual release), Tuatara Ardennes or Mac’s Great White. They’re all as good, or better, than most of the imports. Another top New Zealand ‘Belgian’, though only available at the Mt Eden brewpub is Galbraith’s Resurrection – it even comes served in a chunky Belgian-style goblet.

When I was last in Auckland (earlier this year to see an excellent PJ Harvey make mediocre piano-playing a fantastic experience) I felt almost ashamed for having done a “30-something version of McDonald’s” by lunching at Occidental. In reality it was anything but – I had a couple of glasses of Orval, undoubtedly one of the very best (and most remarkable) beers in the world, and a very competent meal.

Many of these beers are available in the better supermarkets and bottle stores around New Zealand, while an even wider and more interesting range is generally available at the more specialised liquor stores. My picks are Rumbles in central Wellington, Regionals Wines and Spirits by New Zealand’s best test cricket venue, New World in Island Bay and the online Beer Store. Do you go Belgian and, if so, where?

Cheers, Stu

4 comments:

Greig McGill said...

I went Belgian in Belgium. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I think I told you this over beers. Anyway, there was nothing wrong with the beers. The Westvleteren 12 is every bit as deserving of "best beer in the world" (subjectively, of course) as ratebeer would have it. The downside is that most of these beers are strong, travel well, and have been found in NZ in one form or another to those who patronise places like the Beer Store, Hamilton Wine Company, and Regional Wines and Spirits. Why is that a downside? Travel to the other side of the world, and the beers taste great, but just like they do here in NZ. The good news is... we live here. Avail yourself of the aforementioned retailers. Expose yourself to some of these flavours. We are luckier than we often think.

Anonymous said...

Belgian beer is comparatively cheaper here in Sweden than back home bizarrely, even given the crippling taxes on alcohol. The trick is finding anything more in the way of Trappist beers than Westmalle or Chimay at the state-controlled liquor stores. The best bet is a bar (which I am coincidentally off to tonight) called Delirium - any true beer fans stopping through Gothenburg should mark it down as a must-visit, as it's beer list (known as 'the Bible' for its gargantuan size) features most beers I've ever heard of and heaps I've never heard of (over 2000 in-house).

Orval will be on the menu tonight now that its on my brain.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip DenMT (lucky you!). Hopefully I'll get to act on it one day...

Even more beers than DC's legendary "Brickskeller".

Anonymous said...

Greig - my thoughts on W12 were not as positive. I'm certainly looking forward to another taste (have another bottle in the cellar, which the Yeastie Boys will crack at some stage no doubt).