Where best to start our tour than in the Pajottenland in Belgium? That small region is famous for it’s Lambics: Boon, Girardin, Lindemans,… We are going to Belle-Vue lambic Brouwerij in St Pieters Leeuw where it all started for me 18 years ago! We talk wood and Krieken (sour cherries) and sample some fantastic beers form the barrels!
Em Busca Da Cerveja Perfeita
The Quest for the Perfect Beer
What is the perfect beer? This is the question Heitor Dhalia has tried to answer in his documentary “The Quest for the perfect beer”. Heitor hit the road to meet Passionate Brewmasters, Beer Experts, Hop Growers from Brazil, Belgium , Germany capturing their efforts to shape an answer. Spoiler alert, it mostly start with “Mmmmmm” and “Euhhhhhhh”.
What’s up with Pure Malt ?
I know: German pride, German Purity Law… But in some markets this recently became “the one criteria” that defines a good, respectable, authentic beer.
What’s up with Pure Malt!
Jesus never turned water into wine
And I’m very sorry to break down one of the most fancy part of the Bible. The good news is that he very likely turned it into beer.
My home is where my heart is.
I was drinking a Budweiser in NY recently and someone who had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale next to me at the bar engaged the conversation. He was on a mission to convince me to drink something more …”special”. Man I had an aluminum bottle, shiny Bud in NY, what else ?
The home of Starbucks
I must say it’s easy to think that small is good and big is bad. For some reasons it “feels” right. Starbucks is so “everywhere” that it looks like the fast food of coffee. With so many small local organic gluten free hand made slow drip coffee shops around the corner the 3rd place comparison becomes even more tough.
It tastes better with a true story
When I tried my first Gose I really was… puzzled.
(If you’re not familiar, a Gose is a rather light beer, slightly sour with see salt, coriander and pretty often a fruit or another.)
I was wondering where we should draw a line between creativity and “whatever goes in”. I was stuck with the “why”…?
Juicy IPA are just not sustainable…
So let’s recap. First IPA with George Hodgson in the mid 19thC. Revival in US in the 80’s. Quick jump to IIPA and IIIPA bigger, bolder. Then all color variations to white IPA, red IPA, .. and black IPA (or CDA if you want… because a black beer can’t be pale right?). Then a whole lot of single hop and hop blends with all forms of additions: unique or multiples, early or late,…
Beer & Music Pairing
“These Brett beers deserve some Funk”
I recently gave a training about beer styles to a group of students. During the tasting breakout sessions I was playing some music to keep everyone tuned. Then one of them said “I believe these Brett beers deserve some funk” (private beer geek joke). Yet I turned up the volume and drop a Play that Funky Music from Wild Cherry. That was a beautiful match to Goose Island Sofie and Boulevard tank 7 we were just tasting.
Chefs and Beer
I’m not sure I’m a hophead or a foodie really, unless someone tells me but I’m definitely taking any opportunity to meet people sharing a passion for something I would call organic (#foodporn if you want). Can be music, beer, chocolate, cheese, wine, cooking…
I’m on my way back from Milano where I had a chance to talk Beer and food with Alessandro Borghese, top Italian chef.
