Blanche de Bruxelles with a boy on the label: two symbols in one bottle
If you ask any passerby what could be considered a symbol of Belgium, you will most likely be told two things: beer and a sculpture of a boy peeing. Blanche de Bruxelles is a combination of both: it is a traditional Belgian beer, famous all over the world, with the famous statue on the label. All in all, it is a perfect souvenir that also has a rich history. But first things first.
How it all began
The first Belgian beer Blanche de Bruxelles was brewed back in the XIV century. It was made by Flanders monks, and they approached the production in a creative way - instead of hops they used gruyte - a special mix of spices and herbs. The beer existed for several centuries and then yielded to lagers because they were easier to produce and therefore were cheaper.
The brewer Pierre Celis didn't let the drink go to waste. In the late eighties he recreated the old technology and set up production, and the drink suddenly caught the taste of modern Belgians. The name did not appear immediately, as well as the famous "appearance", but in time the beer with a boy on the label became exactly as we know it now.
Exploding
First of all, blanche differs from the classic lager in the absence of malt, instead of which brewers use wheat. Hops are not always present; they are replaced by a mixture of spices - orange peel, curacao, coriander - just like many centuries ago.
The second distinctive feature is the high carbonation. The fact is that Belgian Blanche De Bruxelles beers are bottled with yeast sludge. Simply put, they are left to ferment in the finished container, at the expense of which the drink is saturated with carbon dioxide.
Traditional blanc is produced by Lefebvre brewery, but every day there are more and more craftsmen who risk to repeat the famous drink. And some are even experimenting, creating other, darker varieties based on it.
The taste of the original Blanche de Bruxelles beer is very mild, without the traditional hop bitterness, with notes of citrus, vanilla and honey. It is also famous for its long pleasant aftertaste, so it can be enjoyed even without snacks.
For Belgian beer "with a peeing boy" to reach its peak, it is chilled to 5-10 degrees and served in tall glasses. True, there is another form of serving - in wooden mugs, and necessarily an even number. Tradition - you can't argue with it!
Want to taste the symbol of Belgium? Come to the beer restaurants of the Lambic chain - we have only original beer from the best Belgian producers, the right serving and all the necessary conditions for a pleasant meeting with your favorite drink!
Porter beer: from the working class to the aristocrats
If you ask beer connoisseurs what a porter is now, many will answer: a noble dark beer whose flavor is dominated by notes of chocolate, fruit, coffee beans, biscuit and toast. But all these flavors did not appear at once, and far from always the variety was considered refined. How porter came to be and when it acquired a recognizable flavor profile — we’ll tell you in this article. Back in the past The first mention of porter dates back to the early 18th century. It went down in history as the first style to be aged — brewers used to put their products on the counter immediately after production. Porter got its name from the English porter — loader. The point is that the new style became especially popular among the working class and port movers because of its high caloric content. The first London Porters were much stronger than modern ones — about 6.6%. At first they were made exclusively from brown malt, then they switched to a mix of light and black malt — 95 and 5 percent respectively. Until now, this recipe is not considered strict, but many producers use it. Sometimes caramel, chocolate, brown and other varieties of malt are added instead of black malt, but not roasted, as it adds undesirable notes to the drink. Hops and yeast are usually English, but in other countries producers often change them to local ones. At the end of the 18th century, porter became popular in Russia. In our country it was considered the drink of aristocrats. After World War II the drink was practically stopped being produced, and its triumphant revival took place in 1978 thanks to the efforts of the Penrhos craft brewery, which was later joined by other producers. Types of Porter There are several official types of porter: — brown — the weakest, with a strength of about 4.5%;— strong — existed until 2015, now conditionally divided into English with a strength of 4 to 5.4% with a pronounced malt character and American (bitter, dry, strength up to 6.5%);— «pre-dry» — reminiscent of American, but milder, strength up to 6%;— Baltic — the strongest porter up to 9.5%, with pronounced fruity tones. How to drink? Porter is recommended to be consumed chilled to 8-12 degrees. It goes well with mature cheeses, various meat dishes, including steak, chocolate desserts. You can try a quality porter in any of Lambic beer restaurants. Our list includes hundreds of varieties from all over the world, as well as many delicious dishes, pleasant atmosphere and excellent service. Come — we will find something to surprise you!
09 August 2024
Hook Norton Double Stout beer: twice the fun
Dark, dense, with hints of coffee and chocolate — of course, we are talking about stout. This English ale has long been on the menus of all beer restaurants and in the personal top of true beer connoisseurs. There are hundreds of stout varieties, each of which is unique in its own way. We will tell you about one special variety — Hook Norton Double Stout — in this article. What’s unique about it? Hook Norton Double Stout is produced by the British brewery of the same name using an ancient recipe dating back centuries. It is kept in strict secrecy, and it is not surprising: Hook Norton Double Stout differs significantly from other similar brews. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that two types of malt are used: brown and black. The first one gives the drink dryness and characteristic mild bitterness, the second one is responsible for rich dark color and aroma. The flavor of Hook Norton Double Stout is rich, tantalizing, with notes of toast and roasted coffee beans. A bit of history Hook Norton Brewery traces its history back to 1849, when founder John Harris bought a farm with a malt house in Oxfordshire. At first, he focused solely on selling malt, but in 1856, he began brewing his own beer. Today, the Hook Norton complex has dozens of buildings, including its own visitor center. The brewery is especially proud of its Hooky line. This is a series of English ales of the highest quality, which includes Hook Norton Double Stout. How to drink Double stout is recommended to drink from tall glasses, which allow to better reveal the aroma and taste of beer. However, the ideal glass for a stout is the Irish pint or pint tulip. This glass widens slightly in the middle — its top is slightly wider than the bottom. The drinking temperature is room temperature or slightly lower (around 12-14 degrees Celsius). Hook Norton Double Stout beer goes well with a variety of meats — pork, beef, game, as well as barbecue dishes and dark chocolate desserts. You can try the unique Hook Norton Double Stout beer at any beer restaurant in the Lambic chain. We have hundreds of beers on the menu, as well as delicious food and great atmosphere. We are waiting for you!
09 August 2024