Saturday, November 17, 2007

Belgian Beer Café

The choices for which bar to drink at is endless, so what do we look for? First and foremost for me is the beer, of which I demand the best selection from around the world and the consistency of service to entice me to have another. I demand the same hospitality and talent behind the bar no matter what time of the day or night. I require a menu with choice and flair, but not so far as to impede on my drinking environment. My demands require a special type of place of which the Belgian Beer Café can meet my needs in most capital cities in Australia.

Top priority for mind in a drinking establishment is conversation, not a combative environment against poker machine bells and whistles or loud brain hammering music. By the very nature of the beast, Belgian Beer Café’s draw patrons from all walks of life and tourists from around the world who have one thing in common, great beer. Most have an outdoor area to enjoy the seasonal nature of beer appreciation whilst enjoying the local sites and sounds.

With over 200 Belgian Beer Cafes worldwide, brewing giant Interbrew knows all about providing the ultimate Belgian beer drinking experience. Here the local white collared corporate urban cowboys are rife, and cosmopolitan sheik is the go according to Owner George Christopoulos at the Belgian Beer Café Bluestone in Melbourne. “Authenticity of the concept/décor is vital to our success, plus having the largest brewery in the world Interbrew providing us with their great selection of beers makes for a unique quality environment.” All the fittings, including a confessional box and marble bar tops, have been brought over from Belgium. The décor highlights the halcyon days of the 1950’s in Europe with old soccer photos on the walls along with kitschy musical instruments. They even imported four Belgian painters to create that “lived-in look”. But beer is why we come here, and indeed, the array of beers on tap is exceptional including:

Hoegaarden Witbier- renowned as “the best of the white ales”, Hoegaarden was first brewed in 1445 in the village of the same name using locally grown wheat. A light refreshing beer that works well for female and younger palates and as an ‘early opener beer for us old crusty beer veterans. The cloudy appearance comes from a secondary fermentation in the bottle or keg. Hints of coriander and Curacao provide a fruity, slightly spicy flavour with little to no back palate bitterness.

Leffe Blond- Belgium’s original abbey beer was founded in 1152 by monks following strict instructions from special recipes. By the 1800’s abbey beers began to be brewed off-premise but still obeyed the brewing traditions which included the extended fermentation to produce this exceptional 6.6% A/V ale. A sunny, golden yellow colour with light fruity, sweet aroma, Leffe Blond is full-bodied, yet not to heavy on the palate. It exhibits a well-rounded delicate malt sweetness that’s complimented by the slightly sour special yeast.

Leffe Dark- An exceptional dark ale almost black robe in appearance, sweetened with brown sugar with a slight bitterness from the roasted barley, which provides the coffee and chocolate flavour profile. It’s silky smooth with full bodied flavour, and hints of fruity sweetness. A natural dessert beer that works well with the Belgian waffles on offer.

Stella Artois- The world’s best selling Belgian beer enjoyed around the world in 80 countries since 1926. Originally brewed as a special Christmas beer (note the star on the coaster or bottle) using traditional malted barley plus noble hops for flavour. Stella Artois has a bright crystal clear pale gold appearance and a delicate hop aroma that requires pouring into a glass to truly appreciate. The pilsener lager has a pleasing hop flavour leaving the palate with a combination of grainy malt flavour, moderate hop bitterness and a slight citric sourness in the finish. Overall a clean bright satisfying beer that’s ideal for summer days.

Bottled beers also available in-house don’t let the side down as well. The Belgian Beer Café’s along with Interbrew have on offer a number of unusual fruit-based ales in Belle-Vue Kriek (cherry), and Belle-Vue Framboise (raspberry), plus the great trappist ales of Chimay and Duvel. The traditional method of serving Belgian beer is employed with every glass. They cut off the head of the beer with a spatula to get rid of the larger bubbles insuring that only the mousse is left at the top.

Afterwards, they immerse the glass in cold water to remove the film residue before presentation. What better way to enjoy these luscious beers than supping on genuine Belgian style menu items? All mains come with chips and mayonnaise, but to get you in the Belgian mood, why not order Mussels cooked in Hoegaarden. Witbier. Flemish beef stews, cheese croquettes, and Belgian waffles are on offer as well as Belgian sausages.

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