Monday musing: Tradition made simple

It’s stunning how often the word tradition popped up last week when talking with Belgian brewers (doubly so since relatively little time was spent in the presence of brewers — this is a big little country, incredibly diverse). Expected during Bruxellensis: The Festival of Characterful Beers, but a surprise at a festival we stumbled upon down near the Belgian-French border.

Like we had any idea what to expect from a small town event, supplemented with line dancing and sponsored by the Lions Club. We went because they had flyers at the In Flanders Field museum in Ieper. After a few fascinating but grim hours at this museum you can definitely use a beer.

Anyway, these discussions about tradition are not about whether they brew on antique or new equipment, or if they are using 21st century or ancient recipes. They are about the beers themselves, about flavor.

I could pass along a thousand words based on these recent conversations, but why when three from Gust Simons of Brasserie Dupont will do?

“Tradition is fresh.”

 

#10 – Where in the beer world?

Where in the beer world?

If you know where in the beer world this photo was taken please leave a comment.

Don’t worry about being the first to answer – your comments are welcome at any time.

Yes, this makes two photos in the first ten in this series featuring cobwebs, but consider that your hint.

If you are wondering what this is all about visit here or here.

And if you’d like to see a larger, slightly artsier, version of the photo look here.

 

Spotted in Brussels: Bottles of Westvleteren

We’re bunking (for one more night in Brussels) less than two blocks from maybe 10,000 beers you probably want to drink.

The best deals are in the grocery stores — not nearly the selection of bottle shops and not what I’m really looking for, but dang solid. Bottles of Chimay, Westmalle, Rochefort and Orval all go for between a euro and €1.50. A 75cl bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve is €2.90.

Anyway, the news. I wasn’t looking for Westvleteren beers since we plan to stop by the cafe next week. But I spotted a crate at de Bier Tempel. Details at Brew Like a Monk.

 

Budweiser American Ale coming, but we’re going

Budweiser American AleWe’ll be in Brussels (still thinking about this) on Sept. 15, the day Budweiser American Ale officially debuts on draft. We’ll be in Stuttgart at Germany’s second largest beer festival on Sept. 29, the day the first bottles of American Ale go on sale.

Will the American beer world have been transformed by the time we return in December?

I think not, but you might disagree based on the amount of words already generated in beer blogs and at the beer rating/discussion sites (one example). Anheuser-Busch has done a great job of creating interest in American Ale ahead of its release. Of course it helps to have millions of advertising dollars to spend during the Olympics.

And for POS (point of sale advertising), like the tap handle pictured, that evokes a the same classic American tavern/saloon feel many smaller breweries and the places that serve their beer have taken advantage of for more than 20 years.

Not that A-B has done everything right. For instance, this from a company press release:

“Budweiser American Ale defines a new style of ale – The American Ale – with the full-bodied taste profile of the amber ale style, yet remarkably smooth and balanced,” said Eric Beck, brewmaster for Budweiser American Ale.

There’s an arrogance in that quote that begs for a separate post with a snippy headline.

That aside, A-B is providing support that the Michelob Specialty beers didn’t receive a decade ago, and seeing of the powerful Budweiser name offers the same sort of halo effect (no, I didn’t mean with you) it did for Bud Light way back when.

So what does Budweiser American Ale it taste like? I don’t know, but you can check here (Lew Bryson), here (three stars), here (a “huge splash”) and here (“not bad”).

No surprise. Pacific Ridge (5.6% abv, 35 IBU) and American Hop Ale (5.6% abv, 50 IBU) were both solid beers. The thing is . . . neither found an audience, at least big enough to satisfy the corporate decision makers.

Will BudAle?

I don’t expect that will be decided by March. We’ll be passing through St. Louis then, so I hope to visit a tavern with a big Budweiser eagle in the window to see what the locals are thinking . . . and drinking.