History of a much loved drink - Belgian Beer
The alcohol content of these beers is much higher than many other varieties from around Europe and some have a content as high as between 6 and 8 per cent. The reason for this being that a law was brought into force which prohibited the sales of spirits in public houses. At the time beer was classified as being a spirit and to get round this law breweries increased the alcohol content in them. However, this law was then lifted in 1983.
As previously mentioned Belgium now produces around 500 different types of Belgian beer and they fall into one of several different categories. Below we take a look at just what these different categories of beer are.
Trappist Beer ? This is a beer which is brewed in one of 6 monasteries in Belgium and in order to qualify as being such a beer the complete brewing process is either carried out or overseen by Trappist monks at their monastery. On each bottle of beer appears the authentic Trappist Product Logo and this clearly indicates to the drinker that the monastery producing the beer has complied with various rules that have been laid down by the International Trappist Association.
Lambic Beer - This beer is unique to Belgium and produced through the spontaneous fermentation of wild yeasts and which grows in abundance near the country?s capital Brussels. The actual fermentation process of this particular form of Belgian beer can take a considerable period of time. Some beers their fermentation period is 3 to 6 months, and for others the period is between 2 and 3 years.
The fermentation process used to make this type of Belgian beer provides it with a very distinctive flavor and is not to everyone's tastes. The problem is that the beer can taste dry, cidery and vinous and this results in a sour aftertaste when drunk.
Fruit Beers - These are made using Lambic beer and will contain either a fruit concentrate or fresh fruit in them. The most commonly produced and drunk of the fruit beers is Kriek which contains cherries, but there are many other varieties including those made using blackcurrants, raspberries and peaches. Once the fruit has been added to the Lambic beer a second fermentation process takes place.
White Beers - These Belgian beers are very popular in Belgium and the main ingredients used in them are wheat hops and spices along with orange peel and coriander. But there are many different varieties of this beer, each with their own distinctive flavor which comes from the various different brewing methods and ingredients used by the breweries in its manufacture.
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About the Author
It is very easy to see how belgian beer is so loved amongst beer and ale lovers throughout the world. Belgian fruit beer as mentioned above is also loved but it can be a very distinctive taste.
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by: PatrickAnthony
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