"Beer Paradise"
Belgium offers more than 600 different beers, acclaimed
worldwide for their
variety, real flavour and character. Some
Belgian beers are elaborated by spontaneous fermentation from wild
yeasts existing in the environment (lambic, gueuze, and fruit beers
made from lambic). Some are of bottom fermentation (lager)
type, others
of high fermentation (strong golden ale type, white beer,
specialty,
abbey and Trappist beers); some are of mixed fermentation (sour or
Flemish brown-red beers). Many aren't filtered, and some are subjected
to a second fermentation in the bottle, improving with years,
much like wine. For the uninitiated, some are scarcely recognisable as
beers. Yet they represent some of the oldest traditions of brewing.
"Beer Culture"
Beer in Belgium is not just a drink: it is an essential part of social
life, culture and tradition. The diversity of Belgian beers is
reflected in the variety of shapes of their bottles, their evocative
names and pictorial labels.
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And most important: each beer deserves its
uniquely designed glass, the shape of which is supposed to enhance its
taste, colour and optimal froth appearance. Serving and
drinking beer
is an art: it must obey strict rules as to the proper
temperature and
presentation, amount and shape of froth, yeast sediment, etc.
Discovering Belgian beer
A trip to Belgium is mandatory for the
one who really wants to encounter the most rare and singular Belgian
beers, and discover the "Belgian beer culture". Nonetheless, Belgian
beers have become fashionable, and a growing number of them become
widely available outside Belgium.
About half of
Belgian beer heads for a foreign destination. With figures next to 9
million
hl. a year, Belgian beer export scores very well, mainly in France,
Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, and outside the European
Union, in the
US and Canada.
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