How a small, unremarkable country came to dominate the world of beermaking

[Richard Roman]

THE Trappist Abbey of St Sixtus of Westvleteren has little to offer those wishing to gawp at ecclesiastical architecture. The 19th-century buildings—squat, brick and functional—sit on a quiet country lane amid flat farmland, close to Belgium’s border with France. Yet the vast visitors’ car park is a clue that some people nevertheless consider the abbey worth a trip. For beer lovers, St Sixtus is a place of pilgrimage.

The abbey and its most famous brew, Westvleteren 12—a dark, strong ale—have taken first or second place in an annual poll of beer enthusiasts’ favourite tipples by RateBeer.com, a widely trusted reviewing website, for the whole decade that the survey has been running. Yet exactly how the American drinkers who predominate on the site get to knock back a Westvleteren 12 is something of a mystery.

http://www.economist.com/node/21541708

[Richard ridealgh]

10 Gold Medal World Beer Cup Winners (of 91)

 

Best Beer 1.
Best Classic English-Style Pale Ale: 
MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, WA

Relatively new to MacTarnahan's repertoire of ales, its Amber Ale is made with fresh Cascade hops from the Northwest, making its flavor crisp and complex. Thus, it goes best with grilled or gamey meats and full-flavored fish. There were 35 entries in this category.

 

 

Best Beer 2. 
Best German-Style Pilsener: 
Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

 

Trumer Pils has a 400 year history, dating from the original family-owned Trumer Brauerei in Salzburg, Austria. It has carried both the brewing tradition and the original crisp, slightly tart taste with it through the centuries. It is made from imported malt and hops from Germany and Austria and is fermented with a propriety yeast. There were 72 entries in this category.

 

Best Beer 3. 
Best Belgian and French-Style Ale: 
Brugse Zot Blond, Brouwerij De Halve Maan, Brugge, Belgium

Don't let the fool on the bottle fool you. This Belgian ale has been a winner of many beer competitions over the years. Practically the national beer of Belgian, you can find Brugse Zot Blond served in many crepe and sandwich bars in Brugge. It has a sweet fruity flavor and is bubbly and light, with only six percent alchohol content. There were 37 entries in this category.

 

 

Best Beer 4. 
Best German-Style Dark Wheat Ale: 
Schneider Weisse Original, Schneider Weisse, Kelheim, Germany

The Schneider Weisse Original is spicy with the smell or clove and nutmeg and, according to the brewer, it is fresh, clean, full, harmonious and balanced. In the end it leaves an impression of slight, fine bitterness. There were 29 entries in this category.

 

 

 

Best Beer 5. 
Best American-Style Light Lager: 
Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

 

The beer that made Milwaukee famous has also been making the best light beer (light in calorie and carbs), according to beer raters. Milwaukee's Old Style Light is reported to have some taste of hops and malt; "refreshing" is the word reviewers most often used to describe it. Old Milwaukee Light has 113 calories and 7 grams of fat. There were 34 entries in this category.

 

 

Best Beer 6. 
Best Amer

[Richard ridealgh]

[Richard ridealgh]

Interesting, although i think that it shouldn't be such a big surprise since it borders some really well known beer making countries! I like delirium tremens, remember that one Richard? The last beer we tried! That was also from belgium!

[Sebastien Bossard]

I tried a lot, a lot of different beers but my favorite is still a good old Guiness pint!

[Sebastien Bossard]

Good article to introduce a belgian beer night at World Life Club!