Faithful readers may recall your intrepid liquor reporter’s ongoing love affair with the beers of Belgium, the wild and wacky country of 500 different beer styles.
For the new readers in the audience, Belgium is home to the world’s most varied types and selection of beers, with nearly 500 standard styles. I’d be hard pressed to think of more than a dozen common styles in Canada, so I’m feeling a wee bit of beer envy right about now.
I was still feeling jealous until I stopped at the local pub for breakfast on Saturday morning, and realized that it was ok to have a beer before noon, as long as the brewery was in a later time zone. Stella Artois for breakfast!
In addition to being the wellspring of so many different styles of beer, Belgium is home to the giant beer conglomerate known as InBev, which is the world’s largest brewery company by volume. Budweiser’s parent company is a distant third, which gave me the warm fuzzies.
Anyway, back to InBev – I’m sure you’ve heard of some of their more popular brands, which include Stella Artois, Beck’s, Bass, and yes, even Labatt Blue. That’s right, our so-called Canuck beer has been owned by a Belgian conglomerate since 1995. Perhaps if young Justin Trudeau wins the upcoming federal election, his first act as Prime Minister will be to invade Belgium for their vast beer reserves?
While the light and refreshing Stella Artois remains Belgium’s best selling export, the country is best known for their old-world traditional beers.
Back in the middle ages, the wise monks in the abbeys would use their knowledge of fermentation to run small commercial breweries that would supply the local villagers with beer. Oddly enough, their Trappist order requires abstinence from alcohol, so the proceeds are used to support the monastery and fund their charitable efforts. There are only seven Trappist breweries (ie brewed by honest-to-goodness monks in a Trappist monastery) left in the world, and six of the seven are in Belgium.
Luckily, it is getting easier to find Belgian-styled beers made right here in Canada, as the flourishing craft beer movement sees more adventurous young brewers trying their hand at exciting new beer styles.
From south of the 49th parallel, Ommegang Brewing in upstate New York has been hitting the North American market with high-quality Belgian-styled ales for almost 20 years. The Ommegang Brewery is currently owned by the famous Duvel Brewery, which has been making beer in Belgium since 1871, so you can’t get much more authentic than that.
Closer to home, Dageraad Brewing opened its doors in greater Vancouver just over a year ago, and is making beers in the old Belgian tradition.
Unlike the German brewers, with their strict Reinheitsgebot regulations about permissible ingredients in beer, the Belgian brewmasters take an anything-goes attitude to their beer styles, often adding fruits, spices, and exotic yeasts to make beers that defy categorization.
The upstart Dageraad Brewing in Vancouver is no exception, with three different brews on tap, all made from classic Belgian recipes.
The Dageraad Blonde Ale weighs in at a hefty 7.5% ABV, which is not uncommon for Belgian beers. Malt is the primary flavour, but the flowery aroma from the European hop varietals blend with a secret mix of spices to make an exceptionally complex brew, easily the equal of any pint your intrepid liquor reporter has quaffed in Antwerp or Brussels.
The Dageraad Amber Ale is a more newbie-friendly brew, and combines the complexity of Belgian Ales with the easy drinkability of British Pale Ales. At only 6% ABV, it is lighter than many Belgian beers, but still stronger than the 5% that macrobeer drinkers are accustomed to. An all-around session beer that still has plenty of flavour for the beer nerd and novice alike.
The final brew in the trifecta is the Dageraad Randonneur Saison, a traditional farmhouse ale that was originally brewed for farm labourers in northern France and southern Belgium. Made to be a refreshing respite from hard labour, the Saison brewing style tends to be have floral aromas and a peppery aftertaste.
So, expand your beer horizons by ordering a Belgian beer from your local bartender, or picking up a six-pack from your friendly neighbourhood booze merchant!
