Mmmm...beer! When it comes to beer, Belgium is the undisputed beer capital of the world. Perhaps nowhere else on Earth is this hoppy beverage enjoyed in such variety or held so close to the soul of a people.
Belgium's love affair with beer can be traced back to the Middle Ages when Trappist monks learned to perfect the art of brewing. Beer's popularity took a definite upswing during the dreaded era of the Plague when a guy named Arnold prescribed it as a healthy replacement to the tainted water which was poisoning people. For his noble efforts, ordinary Arnold became Saint Arnold, patron saint of beer. Now that's my kind of saint!
Amazing as it seems, there are over 800 beers made in this country alone. And seeing as how each one is always served in its own glass, Belgium is definitely a place where a beer drinker could get lost for a long, long time.
Some claim that Belgian beers are like a meal in themselves. Consider the hearty Trappist beers, weighing in at a potent seven to 11% alcohol. Then there are Belgium's famed dessert beers. Sweeter and lighter, these beers are infused with a wide variety of fruity ingredients, from strawberry or raspberry to cherry and peach. Delightful, delicious, decadent!
Of course, with such an amazing range of palate-pleasing flavors and personalities, beer has become an integral part of Belgian cuisine. Whether it's scrumptious pork tenderloin served with a rich beer gravy, strings of sausages stewed in ale, or beer-infused grilled pheasant, the people of Belgium eat and drink well at every meal.
Some folks consider Belgium to be beer heaven. And a visit to the town of Lembeek supports that theory. See, Lembeek is situated along the Zenne River Valley where it's said the winds carry a special magic -- wild yeast. Here, over 100 varieties of wild yeasts float on the breezes, eventually settling into vats of waiting brew. The resulting lambic beers are famous around the world for their one-of-a-kind tastes and textures. Truly, these are beers of divine intervention.
So choose your ale, select the proper glass and raise it in toast to Saint Arnold and the delightful beers of Belgium. Cheers, indeed!
