Today isn’t just Friday; it’s Belgian National Day — a celebration that dates back 192 years, to July 21 1831, and the happy moment when Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution and became the first king of a newly forged European country. In Belgium, the anniversary will be marked with wild scenes and general merriment — or, at least, a few beers and maybe a walk in the park — from Antwerp to Zaventem. At Peaks and Pints, the anniversary will be marked by a few extra Belgian beer on tap and a Belgian beer flight we call Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Belgian National Day.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Belgian National Day
Lindemans Framboise
2.5% ABV, draft — bottle in the cooler
Lambics are sharp, acidic, and fruity. They can be compared to yogurt or vinegar but with hints of sweetness. There are also several sub-styles of lambics. Lindemans has been brewing lambic since 1811. They were the first to introduce lambics to the American market (in 1979) and have remained the most popular brand. For those that love tart sweets, Lindemans has you covered with their Framboise. This raspberry lambic pours bright red and offers more fizz than froth. This super sweet beer also offers an amazing raspberry aroma. There is a sugary sweet here that overpowers the inherit sourness of a good lambic. Sounds like a bad thing, right? Put it in your mouth and see if you feel the same way.
Van Steenberge Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale
5.5% ABV, bottle
Family-owned Brouwerij Van Steenberge, just outside Ghent, Belgium, created the Monk’s Café label for the famous Belgian beer centric restaurant-bar in Philadelphia, Monk’s Café. This Flemish Burgundy is an old brown in style, aged in oak. Tart cherries and raisins hit the nose. The taste follows suit with a little bit sweet and tart at the same time. There is also a hint of honey and/or caramel in the background. It’s a light, easy drinking beer — a real thirst quencher and palate cleanser.
Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle Dubbel
7% ABV, draft — with bottle in the cooler
In 1836 the Belgian Westmalle monastery became a Trappist Abbey and began brewing beer shortly thereafter. The holy suds they produced started out as an insider-only deal — a choice beverage to be made and enjoyed by Trappists and Trappists alone, but eventually they decided to expand and opened a public beer hall in the early 1930s. Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavor is rich and complex, herbal, and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste.
Brouwerij St. Bernard St. Bernardus Tripel
8% ABV
Brouwerij St Bernardus is famous for both their beers and their heritage. The brewery used to brew the famous Westvleteren beers before the monastery returned all production back to within the abbey’s walls. St. Bernardus Tripel is a traditional abbey beer that follows the classic tripel style. In the Watou region a tripel is often referred to as a “Bernadetje”. A fine tribute that pays homage to Bernadette, the youngest daughter of Evariste Deconinck, the man to whom the monks of Abbaye Sainte Marie du Mont des Cats sold their Belgian property in 1934. St. Bernardus Tripel has a slightly sweet aroma and a flowery, fruity taste in which bitter and sweet merge harmoniously.
Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
9% ABV
Chimay Blue Belgian strong dark ale was originally released as a Christmas beer. Ho ho yo this Belgian strong dark ale the darkest of the three Chimay ales — a deep auburn, with a nice head floating on top. We can see some visible suspended particles floating among the plentiful bubbles, enticing us with promises of big flavor. The Blue’s bouquet is very sweet with hints of caramel and a brandy aroma, which alludes to the high ABV. The flavor is rich and complex — malty, yeasty, sweet, and alcoholic.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
