Beer facts
We would like to pass on some basic beer facts, before setting you off on your voyage of discovery through our vast beer culture. We are more than happy to provide you with the basic knowledge and leave the practical experience up to you. No doubt our website will provide you with the necessary tips and recommendations on where to go!
What is the difference between a brewery and a beer company?
Did you know that the word brewery is used to refer to businesses that possess a real brewing installation or brew-house and actually use this equipment for the production of their beers?
Beer companies or brewing companies on the other hand are businesses owning one or several personal and original beers. Their main business activity, however, is the marketing of these beers, as they do not possess their own brewing equipment to produce them.
SOURCE: Zythos, www.zythos.be
Healthier than water?
Back in the Middle Ages most people brewed their own beer at home. One of the reasons for this was the lack of clean drinking water. The first commercial breweries only saw the light of day as a consequence of urbanisation. From that point onwards, the production of beer was carried out in a more professional manner.
As the lack of clean drinking water was most pressing in the towns, it also meant that there was a bigger demand for beer in those areas. Soon every town was to have its own breweries. The locals also preferred to drink the local brews, as no import duties were due on these, making them cheaper than beers from other towns. Many towns developed their own brewing traditions at this time, which led to a vast and diversified offer in the long-term.
SOURCE: Aha! Geschiedenis van Wetenstappen in Leuven, a project of the town of Leuven in collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven. For more information, visit www.leuven.be/wetenstappen.
Catholic beer
Abbeys have played an important part in improving the quality of beer. Monks tended to brew beer for their own consumption but, occasionally, sold it as well. The "Lent beers" they produced for themselves in particular were very strong and of high quality. When Protestantism sprung up in many of the 'real' beer countries (such as Germany) most of the abbeys disappeared, along with their special beers, so that only the larger, urban breweries remained. The Southern Netherlands, however, remained catholic and that is why the wealth of abbey beers in this region survives to this day.
SOURCE: Aha! Geschiedenis van Wetenstappen in Leuven, a project of the town of Leuven in collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven. For more information, go to www.leuven.be/wetenstappen.
Belgium, country of beer
When lager was invented in 19th century Bohemia (an area of what is now the Czech Republic), our neighbouring countries switched the bulk of their production to this variant. In Belgium, however, the abbey beers, Geuze beers and so-called "white" beers did not lose in popularity, a fact that can be partially attributed to local preference and food culture. Another reason, however, is that many of the smaller breweries did not possess the necessary means to invest in lager production at that time. This is why a large diversity in beers still exists here, making Belgium a real beer country. It is remarkable to think that social and religious evolutions from times long past still influence our current daily eating and drinking habits.
SOURCE: Aha! Geschiedenis van Wetenstappen in Leuven, a project of the town of Leuven in collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven. For more information, visit www.leuven.be/wetenstappen.
What makes Belgium so unique as beer country?
According to beer connoisseur Jef Van Den Steen there are three main reasons why our country is so unique when it comes to brewing beer and its beer culture.
1. All the traditional fermentation methods that developed over the centuries are still being applied to this day:
a. Spontaneous fermentation
b. Mixed fermentation
c. Top-fermentation
d. Bottom-fermentation
Top-fermentation, for instance, is completely prohibited in The Netherlands.
2. In Belgium you will find all possible alcohol contents, ranging from low to very high (12°).
3. Belgium also still offers all the different types of beer, i.e.
a. Scotch
b. Lager (Pils)
c. Lambic
d. Wheat and White beer
e. Top-fermenting beers: seasonal beers, abbey beers and Trappist beers
f. Beers of a mixed fermentation (dark or brown ales and the like)
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author
The oldest brewery
The oldest brewery in Belgium is located in Flanders. Brewery Roman was established in 1545 and has remained within the same family ever since!
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author
The first lager
The first lager to see the light of day in Belgium was Cristal. It was launched in 1928 by brewery Alken located in the province of Limburg. As many Belgian breweries were unable to produce bottom-fermenting beers at that time, it was hailed as a true revolutionary product. The Alken brewery took up the cudgels for pure lager and laid the base for the Belgian lager industry. The Cristal lager is still brewed according to the original recipe today and has an alcohol content of 4.8%.
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author, www.cristal.be
Has the lager "Stella" really been around since 1366?
No, not really. The year ‘1366' in the Stella logo refers to the year in which brewery Den Horen, the oldest predecessor of brewery Artois, was established. 'Stella' itself does definitely not date back to then, which is probably for the best, as beers that were brewed at that time would seem much too bitter, nearly undrinkable to us nowadays. It was decided to mention the year in the logo as a kind of quality label. It implies a respect for tradition and reliability: something that has been around for such a long time has to be good.
SOURCE: Aha! Geschiedenis van Wetenstappen in Leuven, a project of the town of Leuven in collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven. For more information, go to www.leuven.be/wetenstappen.
Trappist or abbey beer?
A Trappist beer is a kind of abbey beer though not every abbey beer is a Trappist beer. Trappist beer is a beer that is brewed by so-called 'Trappist monks', belonging to the Order of Cistercians. There are seven genuine Trappist beers: six of those are produced in Belgium, one in The Netherlands.
SOURCE: Aha! Geschiedenis van Wetenstappen in Leuven, a project of the town of Leuven in collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven. For more information, visit www.leuven.be/wetenstappen.
Hops
Hops has medicinal powers: it acts as a relaxant and is sleep-inducing. For this very reason it is often mixed into tea blends as well. Hops also contains phenols. These chemical compounds closely resemble the female hormone oestrogen and therefore provide relief from discomfort associated with menopause. It is even claimed that because of these phenols the blood of beer-drinking elderly men contains more female hormones than that of their female peers.
SOURCE: the website of wellness centre Armona-Villa
Bog myrtle
Did you know that bog myrtle (or sweet gale) is the predecessor of our hops? Bog myrtle, which was traditionally used in the brewing process, has a more pronounced bitter taste, though.
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author
The term 'zytholoog'
The term 'zytholoog' (or zythologist in English) was invented by beer expert Jef Van Den Steen by analogy with the term 'oenologist', which indentifies a wine connoisseur. The term itself is a combination of the two Greek words 'zythos' and 'logos', referring to beer and knowledge respectively.
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author
How to pull the perfect beer
A properly pulled beer should be the standard applied by every true beer lover. A skilled professional from the hotel-restaurant-café sector will be more than happy to tell you how it's done. But how do you pull a proper glass or pint of beer? It will, first of all, depend on the type of beer. A lager should be served very cold. Not ice-cold, mind, as the general rule is: the colder the beer, the fewer aromas are released. That is why other beers are at their best when served 'at room temperature'. The ideal beer glass has a nice round belly and a narrow neck, as a matter of fact! A good sense of smell is also very important when tasting and enjoying beer.
SOURCE: Nelly Govaert, beer connoisseur, member of the OPA- Aalst beer tasting society.
Women and beer
It might sound like a cliché but the 'woman & beer' combination is still often frowned upon these days. A woman sitting on the terrace of an outdoor café and sipping a strong beer is often still frowned upon while a woman at the next table, sipping a glass of wine (which contains a much higher level of alcohol), is accepted more readily.
Women are in general better tasters than men! The reason for this is that their sense of smell and taste is better developed than that of men.
SOURCE: Nelly Govaert, beer connoisseur, member of the OPA- Aalst beer tasting society.
For those who wish to know more about 'women and beer', the organisation DAVIDFONDS is organising a lecture on women and beer in Hofstade on 24 April
The origin of the 'brasserie'
The word 'brasserie' originates from France. At the end of the 19th century many breweries in the Alsace region of France were forced to cease production in view of the transition to brewing bottom-fermented beers. Those breweries that survived set up shop in Paris, where they then started to serve beer with the meals served in the pub. This practice had not been seen before. It was at this time that the term 'brasserie' was introduced, to refer to a pub-diner or bistro dishing up popular fare, served with beer. The term subsequently got introduced in Brussels.
SOURCE: Jef Van Den Steen, beer connoisseur and author
Beer tasting
During a beer tasting session it is preferable to sample the various beers in ascending order of alcohol content, for alcohol is a flavour enhancer.
The subtle aroma and flavour of beers with lower alcohol content will become less perceptible after one has sampled beers of a higher alcohol content (i.e. with a more pronounced or enhanced flavour).
Often bread will be served at such occasions to neutralise the taste buds on the tongue.
SOURCE: Nelly Govaert, beer connoisseur, member of the OPA- Aalst beer tasting society.
Those who wish to participate in a beer tasting session and learn how to distinguish the wide spectrum of beer flavours can book a session at one of the hotels, restaurants or pubs that offer beer tasting sessions presided over by a beer connoisseur. Click here to consult the list of participating establishments.
At the official launch of the 'Best of Beer in Flanders' campaign, the representatives and directors from the tourist industry in the 5 Flemish provinces took part in a beer quiz hosted by Jef Van den Steen.
Below you will find the questions of this beer quiz as well as the corresponding answers.
How many Trappist beers are there in Belgium?
Answer: 6 in Belgium
Bonus question: What is the name of the only Trappist beer brewed in a neighbouring country?
Answer: La Trappe, brewed in The Netherlands
Which river meanders through the region where they brew Lambic beer?
Answer: the river Zenne (province of Flemish-Brabant)
The type of beer known as ‘Oud-bruin' (or old brown (ale) in English) is characteristic of a specific Flemish province. Which one?
Answer: the province of West-Flanders
Bonus question: give the name of an 'old brown ale'.
Answer: Rodenbach
Which Flemish brewery has been around for nearly 500 years, being passed on from father to son?
Answer: brewery Roman/Mater in the province of East-Flanders, established around 1545
What is the name of the oldest lager in Belgium?
Answer: Cristal
Bonus question: State the name of the brewery and the province where this lager is brewed.
Answer: brewery Alken in the province of Limburg
Brewery De Koninck in Antwerp serves its beer in 4 different glasses. What are the names of these glasses?
Answer: De Koninck beer is served in four different glasses known as "bolleke", "prinske", "prinseske" and "handje" [new since 2008]"; beer brewed in Antwerp (at the corner of the Mechelsesteenweg and Boomgaardstraat). This brewery celebrated its 175th birthday in 2008.
Voor wie een bierdegustatie wil bijwonen en wil leren hoe men best het rijke smakenpallet van onze bieren kan onderscheiden, kan een afspraak maken met een van de horecazaken die bierdegustaties onder leiding van een bierkenner aanbieden in hun zaak. Klik hier voor de lijst.