Unique, Varied, Belgian
By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

Belgium is freaking tiny, a jagged blob of land sandwiched between the economic powerhouses of Europe. But when it comes to beer, the nation looms large in the world’s consciousness.

But you guys know this by now. Belgian beer is everywhere these days. It seems like the stuff gets dropped off in oil tankers. And once the Belgian beer craze hit American shores, many independent brewers copied, perfected, and screwed with traditional Belgian recipes to make a new wave of strong, aromatic flavorful beer with a distinct homage to the land of Brabant and Wallonia.

Thing is, even if some beers are sold as ‘Belgian style,’ there’s no one Belgian style, Tripel, Abbey Ale, Witbeer, Saison, Lambic, it seems there are as many genres of as there are farmhouses in the Belgian countryside. When an American beer is labeled ‘Belgian Style,” it’s safe to say you’re getting something strong, maybe spiced with coriander. But brewers who take Belgians seriously will typically aim at a particular style.

Often, that style is abbey ale, the type traditionally brewed by Trappist monks, and less traditionally pumped out of any number of secular brewhouses. Fruity, citrusy, with a color ranging from pale brass to sunset orange, Abbey beers have become the face of the Belgian brewing nation, and the basis for experiments in Belgitude for many an American indie beer hacker.

In Belgium, traditionally, abbey ales come in ‘singel,’ ‘dubbel’  tripel.’ and ‘quadrupel,’ Reflecting the beer’s strength. Most American brewers never bother with the single, and few the dubbel. In keeping with our national tradition the tendency is to go right for the throat (and liver) with the tripel and quadrupel, both of which can knock a Russian on his ass. Maredsous 10 and Chimay White are classic Tripels from Belgium. Le Fin du Monde, from Montreal’s Unibroue, is a delicious North American expression of the style.

While abbey ale is the old standby, another Belgian style has been finding favor among American brewers and consumers alike. Saison is, as you can guess, a seasonal beer,, originally brewed before the warm months of summer made unrefrigerated brewing impossible.  Saisons are earthy, spicy and strong. Cooperstown’s Brewery Ommegang makes the excellent Hennepin in this style, or you could pay dearly for Saison Dupont, which many consider to be among the finest beers in the world.

Regardless of style, Belgian beers have characteristics that set them apart. Primary among these is the brewers’ embrace of microflora. The old-time, Belgian beermaker approached the brewing of his beverage as more of a craft than a science. So while the Germans, Dutch, and Scandinavians were wallowing through the nascent field of microbiology to isolate yeast strains and sanitize everything, your plucky Belgian was less, shall we say, fastidious about the behavior of yeast. In some beers, such as lambic, brewers happily left vats of cooling wort open to the naked air, trusting that something good would land in them and ferment the beer. The best results were skimmed and cultured, the thus-accumulated yeast becoming a signature piece of future brews.

This barely scratches the surface of Belgian Beer styles. The spectrum contains all kinds of wacky flavors, some fruity, some sour, some just plain bizarre. Tasting Belgian beer is a culinary adventure in its own right, and you’re well advise to dive in and try the stuff you’ve never heard of. The beers of Belgium may be different, but never will they be boring.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http:://www.beercraftsite.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com.