Dutch and Belgian Beer

Yes, it's been a while since my last post--I'm sorry (blame Amsterdam).  But, as the saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder," so I hope all of your hearts have grown especially fond of this blog, because here's a little piece about the beer culture in Belgium and Holland.  We'll start with Belgium--actually just Brussels, I don't have anything from Antwerp--a country well-known for little else than beer.  And sprouts.  And waffles.  But especially beer.

Kriek:  a cherry beer

Orval:  a beer brewed by monks




Outside Delirium Cafe



Inside Delirium Cafe



Delirium Cafe's taps (those aren't all of them)

Absinthe, 79% alc. (not beer)

Before heading out to Brussels, I'd read about the Cantillon Brewery, which is the only original lambic brewery left in Belgium.  Lambic is a term used to describe sour beer and some of the tourist guides described its taste as similar to vomit ("Yes, I'm getting hints of citrus, yeast, and whatever I ate for lunch mixed with stomach acids.  Exquisite, really").  Nonetheless, Erick and I checked out the brewery and had some samples, which were all really good.  The brewery itself was very old looking and the self-guided tour allowed us some time to get a feel for the place.

Moving from the classic lambics that helped cement Belgium's place among beer powerhouses, here is the up-and-coming tequila-flavored beer, Desperados.  Mankind is capable of doing some destructive and heinous things, but tequila-flavored beer?  

You can almost picture the marketing department at Desperados:  "You know, nobody's going to drink this swill, but maybe--just maybe--if we make an advertisement featuring a guy whipping his beer, we can get the 25 to 35 demographic..." 

So that's the Belgian part of the beer tour.  Now let's take a look at the Dutch side of things.  For the record, I'd have to say I liked the Dutch beers I tried more than the Belgian ones.  They reminded me of some of the microbrews we've got back in the States.  And that's a good thing.  One place that had plenty was 't Arendsnest, a bar with over 30 beers--exclusively Dutch--on tap.



One of the many breweries featured at 't Arendsnest was Amsterdam's own Brouwerij 't Ij, which is located on the other side of town from the beerbar.  Inside, there's a small room with brewing equipment, while the rest of the building is devoted to seating (inside and outside).  I went there with Jason, who made an encore appearance on this trip, and my second couchsurfing host, Tim.  The building is defined by the traditional (and really cool looking) windmill.

Next, we move to one of the big players in the international beer game:  Heineken.  I've been a lifelong skeptic of why this beer is touted as a 'great import' in the States.  But nonetheless, I really wanted to visit the brewery in Amsterdam to see if it tastes any better from the source.  So, Tim and I headed over there and believe it or not, Heineken doesn't taste so terrible in its birthplace.  With that said, the tour was better than the beer.  Aptly/cheesily called, "The Heinken Experience," the self-guided tour was like a stroll through Disney World.  A bit pricey at 15 Euro, it still delivered with a bunch of bells and whistles, including a motion simulator--the "Brew You Ride"--aimed at making the visitor feel as if he/she is being 'brewed' into a bottle of Heineken

Tim and me taking part in one of the brewery's many interactive activities

Heineken sponsors Champions League soccer, so they have a whole room devoted to Champions League highlights and memorabilia; most importantly, though, is that there's a foosball table in the room

This is where you get your free samples at the end of the tour.  But, after working up a modest buzz, there's only one way out:  THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP!!!


Well, that's it for the first beer tour.  I'm sure we'll have another German/Czech installment(s) in the future, so keep an eye out for that.  Also, look for a recap of Amsterdam soon, too. 

Before I go, though, I just want to address/rant about one thing.  A few of you have told me about a warning from the State Department/media outlets of some kind of terrorist attack that could happen over here; I wasn't aware of it but now I am.  Frankly, I would've rather not known (ignorance is bliss).  But, the operative words here are could happen.  Not will happen.  Not did happen.  I've met a wide range of people on this trip so far, yet I've talked with nearly each one about the way the media is constantly reporting the worst and scariest (and thus, rarest) stories.  I'll save you from the conspiracy theories and such about why they possibly do this.  I'll just let you know all is well over here and thanks for thinking of me.  So, one more big thanks to the fine folks at the U.S. State Department, CNN, Fox News, and many other 'reputable sources' for managing to create some panic.   

I don't know about you, but I could really use some comic relief at the expense of someone who makes a living out of scaring people.