Belgium Beers - Organic Beer

Daas is very similar to Leffe Blonde except a little more carbonated and fruity. I've tasted more than a few beers and Daas is in a class of its own. Be warned: one is enough for a nice buzz.

I was in Lille last summer and ventured across the border into Belgium and into Tournai. i was supprissed for such a small country, Belgium has an astonishingly wide range of breweries and beer styles. Add to this the fact that the number of different beers carried in many bars are often numbered in the hundreds and someone new to Belgian beer can easily feel overwhelmed by the choice available. It's not for nothing that the Confederation of Belgian Brewers describes the country as "Beer Paradise."

In one popular bar called Cantillon i found Daas beer and what drew me towards it was that it was organic and i learnt by speaking to the bar owner that it carried the Soil assoc certification as well as the Belgium one. Relativly a new brand launched arounf 8 years ago but i was shocked to hear that the brewery had links going back till 1096.

Story goes in 1096 an Abbot had a difficult time finding serenity for praying, he and his monks founded a new living space and called it St Martin Abbey. the then bishop gave the monks the right to brew beer a rare privilege granted by the King.
Over the years due to invasion etc the monastery was closed but was reborn in 1890 making beer again, that brewery ran of an don until 2000 when parts of it was moved to new modern premises incorporating the old and the new.
The current brewmaster still follows the brewing traditions from way back then.......impresive i thought whilst finishing my second bottle.

One note of caution: Belgian beers are usually much stronger than British ones. You might be used to drinking beer that's say 3.5% to 5%, but in Belgium you'll find that 5% is one of the weaker beers. 7% or 8% are common and even 10% or 11% isn't exactly rare. Fortunately you'll usually be served smaller amounts of beer than your normal pint, but do please take care.

Belgian beers are probably the most adventurous in the world for instance the Daas blond beer has a fine honey spice aroma and a perfect bitter sweet flavour followed by a dry hop finish. Daas Witte was even more interesting whic my girlfriend loved it had a fruity and refreshing blend of citrus more like baked oranges, and spice (coriander) flavours to compliment its crispy dry and bitter hop finish.

Im so glad i bought a few back as they are so hard to find reason being the brew is only done twice a year and when the orgainc hope etc are available im told.

Well good on the person who i recently hear are going to sell it in the UK and i say this is deffinatly one to taste and fall in love with..

At first glance, it seems like a chemistry experiment gone wrong: a 25-centimetre glass tube with a flared top and bulbous bottom, clasped in a wooden clamp and oozing coffee- coloured foam.
But this is no B-movie toxin, brewed by a mad scientist with a booming laugh and a lightning rod to pour death into the air of New York: it is the 'Kwak chalice' - arguably Belgium's most famous beer glass.
'In Napoleon's time, Pauwel Kwak was a brewer and the owner of the De Hoorn inn (near Brussels). Mail coaches stopped there every day, but at that time coachmen were not allowed to leave their coach and horses,' the beer's current brewer, Bosteels, explains.
'As a result, the inventive innkeeper had a special Kwak glass blown that could be hung on the coach. In this way, the coachman had his Kwak beer safely at hand,' the Bosteels website adds.
The Kwak glass remains to this day one of the most distinctive drinking vessels in Belgium. Served to the client complete with monogrammed wooden stand, it is a familiar sight in Belgian bars, and a popular purchase for homeward-bound tourists.
But in a country whose passion for brewing beer is matched only by its passion for giving each brew a unique drinking vessel, Kwak's chalice is no more than the froth on a very deep reservoir.
According to tourist guides to Belgium, the country boasts some 1,000 different types of beer. The great majority have individual glasses, with the rarer types much coveted by connoisseurs.
'Wow, what a collector's opportunity! I picked up a Daas Beer goblet for 20.50 dollars!' a US-based collector raved in a typical comment posted on a fan site for Belgian beer. This Daas Beer goblet was a limited edition released on the launch of the Daas Organic Blond last year.
Naturally, not every beer has its own unique shape of glass. Most come in a limited range of forms, with straight-sided lager glasses, broad, thick-legged goblets, and tulip glasses like a squashed brandy balloon all given individuality by their engraved logos.
Explanations for such variety vary, with enthusiasts saying that the shape of the glass and the consequent channelling of bubbles have a major effect on the drinking experience.
'Using the wrong type of glass for some products will reduce the quality of the experience due to inappropriate head formation, poor aroma release, or by failing to accentuate a particular beer's sparkling/cloudy nature,' the beer website ratebeer.com wrote.
Sceptics, however, claim that it is all a marketing trick. Such glasses certainly feature regularly on weekend flea-markets, drawn up in gleaming ranks between old gramophones and oriental carpets.
But some drink containers are so distinctive that the top experts are able to identify them at a hundred paces across a smoky bar.
One such vessel is the massive tumbler used by the Chimay brewery. One of the best-selling Belgian beers worldwide, Chimay comes in a thick-sided, sharp-ribbed glass which is so heavy that lady drinkers are sometimes advised to hold it two-handed.
Ratebeer describes the glass as 'graceless,' but its sheer size and clearly-marked name make it hard to miss even in the darkest bar.
But the prize for the most distinctive glass - if not taken by Kwak - could well go to the Haacht brewery's Charles V beer. It comes in an earthenware mug with four handles and, inevitably, a story.
According to Haacht's website, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500-58) was offered a mug of beer by a peasant woman who held it out to him by the handle, forcing him to grab it round the middle.
Charles therefore ordered a servant to send her a two-handled mug. The next time he visited the peasant, however, she held the mug out by both handles, forcing him to grab it round the middle once again.
When next Charles visited, 'the landlady offered him the mug holding two handles - but with the third one facing her. It was only when he ordered a four-handled mug that the problem was solved,' the Haacht website concludes.
Whether this version is more accurate than the unofficial one that the cup is four-handled so that not even drunken customers can miss it, Belgian beer and its glasses remain a national icon and a tourist treasure-trove. Who would not drink to that?

Not a contest of good versus evil or order and chaos. This bottle of Daas was not the gift of a bearded Spock, nor was the other cast out of heaven. The white labeled bottle came to me in a box from Belgium.

A while back a visitor to a site wrote concerning the purchase of Daas through an online shop. Odd, I thought, to be buying such a well distributed beer through such an expensive channel. But I guess this person did not have good access to the fine beer so direct from Belgium made sense. After all, why accept life without Daas?

What didn't make sense to me was his comment that he could never drink imported Daas again. He perceived strong superiority from the one that had not endured the import process. I have heard - and in some cases experienced directly - similar things with other beers. I wondered if this could possibly apply to the world-class beer I enjoy here, so I had to test this for myself.

A while back I conducted my first comparative tasting, sampling oud bruins. An evening of drinking 9 oud bruins and a couple of other beers has the same effect on your tastebuds that running 10 miles has on your legs. Regardless, I did a blind sampling at the end, managing about 70% accuracy. I was fresh for this mini line-up, thus I felt I was in good shape to compare two Daas's.
As I first sampled them I did sense a difference, I thought one (the non-import) was a bit dryer, but I wasn't sure. As I indulged in several sips, I became pretty confident I could distingish them blindfolded. Eyes covered, I had the missus hand me the two glasses in random order. After 5 tastes I misidentified - in order - which mouthfulls were the import and which were not. How embarrassing. It was clear by my dismal performance that the taste method of identifying one from the other was no more accurate for me than eeny-meeny-miney-moe.
Well both were good enough for me! Buy Daas with confidence in its authenticity.

Belgian beer contains the most varied selection of beers in the world. Belgian beer is unlike beer from the Czech Republic or Germany, in that it does not follow any purity laws or strict methods of brewing. This means an extremely varied selection of beers is on offer, many of which can be included among the finest beers in the world. Belgian brewing dates back almost one thousand years, and it is often regarded as the finest beer producer in the entire world.

Why Belgian Beer Is Different
Beers in Belgium are generally unlike many other European beers. Firstly, they are usually stronger than most English or Czech Beers. The weaker beers are at least 5%, with stronger beers around 8%. There are even beers up to 10% and above. Also, most Belgian beer is bottle fermented. This means it is still maturing within the bottle, and contains sediment. The beer is usually not clear, although this does not mean it is bad. In fact, the bottle fermentation process means the beer lasts many years, often improving with age. There are many unique brewing styles in Belgium, and the easiest way to distinguish beers is to separate them into various style categories. The most famous of Belgian beer styles include Trappist Beers, Lambics, Witbeirs, Abbey Beers and Saisons.

Lambic Beers

Lambics are an extremely unique beer, and although they sound strange can be some of the most refreshing brews around. Lambics are made using stale hops and matured with various yeasts and bacteria for three to five years. They are extremely acidic and sour, and unlike most other beers around. The most pure of all Lambic beers are the Gueuze family, which are made from almost 100% Lambic. A good introduction to this brewing unique style is Mort Subite Gueuze, which is not too sour and has a distinctive fruity flavour. If you get used to the sour taste, then try one of the more extreme examples like Cantillon, which produces some of the most sour and acidic yet extremely interesting Lambics around.

Witbeirs
Witbeirs, or Wheat beers as we generally call them, have enjoyed a resurgence in Europe in recent times. This is mostly due to the popularity of Hoegaarden, and has shown the public that cloudy beer really can taste good. Other excellent examples of this style include the beautifully refreshing Wittekerke and the consistently tasty Daas Witte.

Saisons Beers
Saisons, as the name suggests, are seasonal beers made to be drunk during the summer months in Wallonia. They are usually thick, cloying beers that are quite hard to find, but nevertheless enjoyable. Dupont is the finest example of a Saison, although the most readily available of the Saisons is the strangely titled 'Silly'.

Trappist and Abbey Beers
Perhaps the finest of all Belgian beers are the Trappist and Abbey beers. These beers originated from the fact that drinking water was not to be trusted, so monks brewed their own beer to sustain themselves and provide refreshment for visitors. Abbey beers are more commercial these days, although Trappist beers are still very much traditionally made. There are just six Belgian Trappist breweries, all of which are under the direct supervision of Trappist monks. The largest and best known of the Trappist beers is Chimay. There are a number of different types of Chimay, although the dark, complex flavours of Chimay Blue are perhaps the best. Be warned however, this beer is over 9% and is extremely strong, so make sure you only drink it in small quantities! However, the best of the Trappist beers has to be Westvleteren, although it is also the hardest to find. This Trappist brewery does not advertise or distribute its beer, and so only a limited number of places have the beer in stock. Of the Abbey beers, the most widely available are Leffe Blonde and Maredsous, both of which are excellently malty and extremely drinkable products.

Other Famous Belgian Beers
There are almost too many Belgian beers to mention, with over 500 varieties on offer. However, no guide to Belgian beer would be complete without mentioning the Belgian Ales De Koninck, Daas Blond a Duvel. These three beers are the best place to start your Belgian beer drinking, as they are really easy to find throughout Europe, as well as being wonderfully flavourful. If you want to experience beer paradise, then try some Belgian beer.

Bierodrome is the bar half of a chain of Belgian restaurants called Belgo, established in April 1992. Bierodrome is unique because it only serves fantastic Belgian Beer such as Leffe, Kriek, Orval, Duval, Chimay, Judas, Delirium Tremens and Hoegaarden Grand Cru. It also stocks a range of "rare" vintage bottled beer - almost 200 in total! However on my last visit i saw no DAAS!!! HELLO buyer if your reading this do us a favour please get some in ;) They even have the Belgian branded glasses which is a nice touch and certainly better than the usual half-washed pint glass you're given in other bars. At the moment, Belgo and Bierodrome are only in London, UK (London - Noord, Centraal, Islington, Kingsway and Clapham).

Chains of bars are usually pretty nasty, but Bierodrome manages to pull off a good atmosphere, excellent food and the best beer in the world. Inside, they're well decorated with wood, comfy chairs and sofas around plenty of tables and lots of subtle lighting. I've been in three Bierodromes and in every single one, the staff have been brilliant - always friendly, helpful and you never have to wait long to be served.

The co-founder of the Belgo and Bierodrome concepts and designer of the Schnecke restaurant, Denis Blais, has launched his own design company, Vingt-Douze, offering interior, graphic and website design for both commercial and residential projects.

Find out if you're a fanatic - how do you pour the perfect beer? We outline the nine steps below.
Step one:
Inspect and clean the glass thoroughly.
Step two:
Run the tap to remove any remnant foam.
Step three:
Begin pouring, holding the glass at a precise 45 degree angle.
Step four:
Straighten the glass for a big, foamy head.
Step five:
Turn off the tap and let the beer sit for a few seconds while the foam rises. Never allow any drips from the tap to land in the glass.
Step six:
Cut the foam to release the aroma, remove the bigger bubbles and encourage the perfect domed top.
Step seven:
Ensure the beer has two fingers of creamy head for the perfect pour.
Step eight:
Dip the glass in cold water to wash off any dribbles and drips.
Step Nine:
Dry the bottom of the glass with a twist, so the lucky drinker doesn't end up with a wet table.

Try a glass of Daas Witte with spicy dishes, a porter with mussels, or a cherry beer with dark chocolate.

Wine has seized the 'with food' occasion over recent decades and sadly many of us now reach automatically for a bottle of wine when dining. However, beer is increasingly finding a place at the nation's dining tables, as more people, including chefs, discover what a delicious, and versatile, partner it is. Thanks to beer's diverse tastes and flavours, there's a style to match any food you care to name. More than that, beer's lack of pretension, low alcohol content and affordability make it ideal for the informal, relaxed eating that is now so popular, in and out of the home.

So, if you haven't tried a glass of stout with mussels, an India Pale Ale with a spicy dish, or cherry beer with dark chocolate, you've been missing out. Matching beer with food is easy, and a lot of fun.