A Quick Guide to Belgian BeersSince we educated you on hops and the American IPA, it only makes sense to follow it up with a guide to styles from one of the oldest brew cultures around: Belgium. The Belgians have been brewing beer for 2,000 years and have a very nice repertoire of very distinct and delicious beer styles! What follows is the “Quick and Dirty Guide to Belgian Beer Styles” courtesy of the kitchn: • Belgian White or Witbier - These cloudy pale beers are brewed with some unmalted wheat along with the regular malted barley, giving this beer its characteristic wheaty flavor and thick creamy texture. They are traditionally flavored with coriander and orange peel and have a very low bitterness. At Datz, try the Blanche de Bruxelles and Avery White Rascal.
• Lambics - Bring on the funk! This style of beer is "spontaneously fermented," meaning that the wort is open to the air, allowing any local yeasts and bacterias to take up residence in the beer (like sourdough bread). The result is a range of flavors ranging from very sour to candy-sweet to barnyard-like. But don't knock it until you try it! There are three main kinds of lambics that you'll actually see outside of Belgium (there are some American brewers starting to experiment with these styles, but we'll talk about them more when we get to the American beer guide): • Saisons or Farmhouse Ales - A warm fermented beer using open, natural fermentation, and brettanomyces yeast to give a earthy, funky aroma and flavor. Many breweries also add herbs and spices to compliment the flavors. Try Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang, Bam Biere from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, and Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale from Smuttynose Brewing. • Dubbels - These are dark amber-brown beers with a lot of rich, roasted malt flavors. They can be somewhat spicy and with fruity characteristics. At Datz, try Chimay Premiere (Red) from Chimay or look for Ommegang Abbey Ale from Brewery Ommegang. • Tripels - Brewed with triple the typical malts, these are big dense beers. They're usually golden in color with notes of spice, fruit, and honey, and are often a bit more bitter than typical of Belgian ales to balance out all the malts. At Datz, try Chimay Cinq Cents (White) from Chimay, or look for La Fin du Monde from Unibroue and Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing. • Quadrupel - Inspired by the dubbel and tripel styles, quads are an emerging style in the US. They're usually deep reddish-brown in color with a robust malty flavor profile and upwards of 10% alcohol by volume. At Datz, try St. Bernardus Abt 12, or look for Three Philosophers from Brewery Ommegang, Blasphemy from Weyerbacher Brewing, and The Reverend from Avery Brewing. The inventory always changes at Datz, but this week the Belgian styles you can try are:
– Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelles Witbier
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