Belgian beer: varieties, prices, photos

Do you want to go to beer paradise? In this case, you need to go to Belgium! In this country, this cult of this foamy drink. It is the same for the Belgians as for the French wine. Here, more than 600 types of beer are produced in a variety of styles. In this case, every Belgian beer, whose varieties are described in this article, has a unique taste and is unique in its own way.

Germany, in comparison with Belgium, has more breweries, the same Czechs drink annually more liters per person, while the centuries-old love of the inhabitants of Belgium for brewing art is multifaceted and profound, like culture and national cuisine, entrenched customs that for another person May seem surprising and strange.

It is difficult to explain why this festive and diverse culture was formed here. Probably, the reason for this was the dirty water of the Middle Ages, instead of which they often drank this beverage of church production. Abbeys contributed to the spread of artisanal methods, purity and localization of the product, which today in the food world have become fashionable concepts.

Little Belgium is a country of regions, each of which is proud of its individuality. Special taste, style and recipes of Belgian beer are appreciated here. To thoroughly explore all of its diversity is a lifelong work, now we will consider the most popular varieties.

Floris Kriek (Belgian cherry beer)

Cherry exotic, refreshing, light beer of horse fermentation, which has the aroma of freshly picked cherries. It is moderately sweet, with a slight bitterness in the aftertaste. This Belgian cherry beer is made from water, hops, wheat and barley malt. In the finished drink is added fresh cherry juice.

In this beer, juice is 30%. Used slightly chilled, like its fruit counterparts Huyghe Belgian Floris, without the risk of getting intoxicated due to low alcohol levels (3.6%). The danger is the excessive use of this amazing drink, because its taste is really inexpressible and requires frequent repetition. The cost of a glass of drink is about 180 rubles.

Trappiste (Trappiste beer)

6 of 8 Trappist breweries are located in Belgium. Westmalle - Trappist brewery - produced its first drink in 1836. Trappiste is a constant striving for purity, tradition and quality. This Belgian beer is produced in small quantities in monasteries, which gives it exclusivity.

Interestingly, the six existing brewery abbeys are located throughout the country, with each of them representing its own locality. So, Ahel is located on a green, flat terrain near the border with Holland. Shime is located near the French border among the forests; Orval - far to the south; Rochefort - near the hills and forests of the Ardennes; Westmallah - in the east, near the once powerful state of Antwerp; Westwesteren is located near the North Sea.

The cost of a glass of this beer is around 250 rubles.

Lambic

Lambic is a traditional beer that is produced in Paiottenland, near Brussels. This Belgian beer is made by the method of natural fermentation using wild yeast. This makes it dry, like cider or wine, with a slightly bitter and sour taste. The drink is aged for three years in barrels of sherry or port.

Lambiki are very often sweetened or mixed. They are produced in different styles, some of which have only recently been recognized by an international audience. The cost of a bottle of 0.5 liters is 180 rubles.

Abbey (Abbot Beer)

Belgium the formation of a culture of brewing owes to the monks, the bulk of whom arrived in the country as refugees during the French Revolution - at that time brutal anti-church uprisings broke out. Belgian Beer Abbey can be used as a brand, as well as a link to this historic event, while making a certified drink is associated with monasteries. Some of its varieties still bear the names of the famous abbeys today.

Both abbat and trappist beer brands include several types of beverages that differ in composition and strength, for example, the classic species Dubbel, Tripel and Enkels, which reflected the Holy Trinity, and also presented the real fortress of the drink. Some brewers today make Quadrupel beer - especially a strong variety. The glass costs about 100 rubles.

Golden Ale (golden or light ale)

This Belgian beer can be rich and strong, with a golden tinge, and also lighter in strength and shade. Golden eli are not very intoxicating, but they are not flavored with spices. In their preparation very often malt pilzner is used.

It should be noted that Duvel beer is a sample of the Belgian gold ale. By the way, diabolical images can be traced in all kinds of golden aleys. They are beloved by the Belgians themselves, in Wallonia you will find them everywhere. The cost of a glass is about 300 rubles.

Belgian white beer

This beer almost disappeared in the 1970s, until a young enterprising farmer began to revive local traditions.

Often Belgian brewers add spices to their beer, coriander is the most popular of them. This is a reminder of the time when the drink was cooked at all without hop, seasoning it with a mixture of different spices and herbs. White, not strong beer perfectly refreshes, especially in the summer. The average price of a glass of this drink is 130 rubles.

Red Ale (red ale)

This is a real pride of West Flanders. Making it, use a special dark malt, giving a red tint. At the same time to improve its quality, young beer is mixed with already seasoned.

This ale has a slightly sour taste. It is prepared by the method of natural fermentation, with up to 2 years aged in oak barrels. Usually tasters in it reveal slightly bitter and rich fruit notes. It's interesting, but red ale more like wine. A bottle of this ale will cost you 150 rubles.

Brown Ale (brown ale)

West Flanders, as we have already learned, is famous for its red ale. But her neighbor from the east is brown.

Oud Bruin is a blend of seasoned and young beer. He is close in taste to the lambic. Many varieties of this drink softens and brightens the addition of fruit flavors. A bottle of this beer will cost you 280 rubles on average.

Saison (seasonal beer)

In damp, cold winter months, farmers in distant Wallonia set up brewing boilers in order to cook not too strong and refreshing ale.

It is sometimes brewed with spices, as well as with the use of wheat. The fortress of such a drink is not less than 5%. Seasonal beer costs an average of 190 rubles.

Stout (Stout)

Forget the simple Guinness! Belgian Stout beer is stronger, more complex and less sweet. Guinness, the giant of the beverage industry, even released a version of its "Stout" in order to sell it to a Belgian beer connoisseur.

Gueuze ("Goz") is a fermented bottle lambic, which has been improved and maintained for twenty years. Faro ("Faro") - an option less strong with sugar. Belgian beer Kriek ("Creek") in its composition has acid cherries, giving the drink an acidic, dry taste. Fruit lambics today are very popular in many countries, although many of them are not genuine lambics.

The price of a glass of this beer is 300 rubles.

And this is only the beginning, only a brief introduction to the most popular varieties of local beer. Although there are many more amazing features. For example, each brewer has special glasses made for his own brand of beer. Also interesting are the science and art of serving beer to various national dishes.

It remains only to go to this amazing little country and organize a real gastronomic tour, while trying all kinds of Belgian beer!