Belgian Beer

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A Unique Belgian Beer, Gueuze

A Belgian beer style you may have never heard of, Gueuze is a traditional blend of young and old Lambic beers. This blend of old and young Lambics creates a truly unique flavor. Since Lambic beers are created only in one place in the world, the Senne valley in Belgium, these beers are rare outside of Belgium. Lambic that goes through a second fermentation with sour cherries in the fermenter results in Kriek, which is closely related to the Gueuze style.

Gueuze is a dryer, more intense, and fruitier style of Lambic beer. There is very little hop flavor or bitterness to a Gueuze since aged hops are typically used. Since Lambic beers are produced by wild yeasts and open fermentation, some flavors which come through are cider, tart cherry and green apple.

In Belgium Gueuze is traditionally served in champagne bottles, and poured into a glass unique to each brewery. I recently was able to sample a Mort Subite Gueuze, which went perfectly with Mussels and Frites in a Belgian street cafe.

Dubbel, A Great Belgian Beer

If you are like me, you probably drink beer fairly regularly. You may have even tasted several Belgian beers at a local bar. One of the most popular Belgian beers in the United States is Stella Artois. A lot of the local bars I visit seem to have Stella on tap these days. But, what other Belgian beers are available?

I recently visited the cities Brussels and Brugge in Belgium for a taste of some unique Belgian beers. There is nothing better than a fresh from the brewery caramel brown Belgian Dubbel. Dubbel is a rich and malty beer with some hints of spice. There is not as much fruitiness as some Belgian Strong Dark Ales. Most often there is a mild hop bitterness without a lingering hop flavor. Caramel flavors in the Dubbel come from the use of dark candy sugar in the brewing process. The average alcohol by volume in a Dubbel ranges from 6.5-9.0%.

Dubbel beer is traditionally brewed in Trappist breweries by monks. There are “Abbey Dubbels” brewed by non Trappist breweries that attempt to replicate the style.
Some of my favorites I tried in Belgium were Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Trappist Westvleteren 8, and Chimay Premiere. When ordered at a bar in Belgium, these beers are always served in their own unique glass.

Check out Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them

Welcome to Belgian Beers!

On a recent trip to Belgium, I had an awakening to the very tasty world of Belgian Beer. There were so many different breweries and varieties to try! Each brewery had its own glass and style. There are Trappist, Abbey, Farmhouse, Lambic, Modern and Traditional style breweries throughout Belgium.

On this blog, I will be talking about various styles of Belgian beer. Also, I will discuss how to homebrew some of your own Belgian beer styles. I have put up some links to books and other information I have found about Belgian beer, which I hope you enjoy.

Please don’t hesitate to leave comments about your favorite Belgian beers and styles!