Given the title of my blog, I think I am long overdue for a posting about one of my favorite Belgian things: beer. I love that chocolate, cheese, beer, and wine are an art in French/Belgian culture.
The presentation and service are often just as important as the beer itself. Each beer in Belgium comes served in a glass unique to that beer. It is sacrilege for the Belgian’s to drink beer out of the wrong glass. The streets of Brussels are lined with cozy cafes and bars filled with hundreds of varieties of beer. The Belgians love to lounge for long hours sipping on beer and chatting the day away.
One of my favorite Belgian beers is Tripel Karmeliet. Tripel Karmeliet is still brewed using the same recipe from 1679 developed in a former Carmelite monastery. It is made with three kinds of grain: wheat, barley, and oats. The beer has hints of vanilla and citrus. Try it if you ever get the chance!
My other favorite beer is a classic Trappist monk beer called Westmalle Tripel. Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9,5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a hop scent. This beer is much newer and only dates back to 1934 when the new Trappist brewing hall came into use. This beer also has a light touch of vanilla. I guess I like those vanilla beers!
My favorite bars in Brussels are Brasserie De L’Union in St. Gilles and Bar Des Halles in the trendy Saint Gery district of Brussels.
If you ever have a chance to sample a Belgian beer I highly recommend it.
Beer, Chocolate, and Frites 