Teach you how to choose all kinds of Belgian beer.

Lead: Belgium, with a land area of more than 30,000 square kilometers and a population of only110,000, is a veritable small country, but it has produced high-quality chocolates recognized by the world; It has a good reputation as a traditional food kingdom in Europe, and is famous for all kinds of seafood and shellfish. But do you know that Belgium has another national pride, and that is beer.

/kloc-Around the 0/7th century, drinking water in Belgium was seriously polluted, so people could not drink it directly, so they had to use beer instead. In order to alleviate people's suffering, every monastery began to study and brew its own beer, and then spread these brewing techniques and recipes to the people, thus creating the prosperity of Belgian beer.

In recent years, many Belgian beers can be seen in the domestic market, and the varieties are dazzling. How to choose the one that suits your taste?

The biggest difference between traditional Belgian beer and ordinary light beer lies in the composition of raw materials and fermentation mode in the brewing process. Belgian breweries that retain the ancient method use barley as the main raw material and add spices and fruits, which makes Belgian beer present rich and diverse characteristics. Hops, orange peels and other spices are usually added to Belgian beer, especially hops, which can highlight the aroma of beer. It was initiated by Flemish brewers, about 1500. Hops put into beer fermentation will produce different results. Fruit is another important part of the special flavor of Belgian beer, especially berries.

The types of beer produced by more than 40 breweries in Belgium/KLOC-0 can be divided into at least 10, and there are even dozens if they are distinguished in detail, which is also the endless fun for Belgian beer and wine lovers.

The first kind of beer: Trappist (Certified Abbey Beer)

The famous trapp beer, a certified monastery beer, is a very important genre of Belgian beer. At present, there are six trapp Breweries in Belgium: Orval, Chimay, Westmalle, Rochefort, Achel and Westeteren. Trappist beer tastes rich and heavy, and many works have distinctive flavors. Representatives are the well-known Rochefort 10 and Westvleteren 12, which can only be bought by going to the monastery in person. Orval and Chimay are internationally renowned classics among many Belgian beers.

The second largest category of beer: Abbey (abbey authorized beer)

Chinese is also translated into monastery beer, but there is no strict authentication mechanism. This category includes wines produced by some monasteries authorized by wineries, and some manufacturers use the formula of a monastery to brew their own wines. This kind of beer is mainly produced commercially on a large scale. Although the output is large, there are many excellent works. About 70 monasteries in Belgium are authorized to produce beer, which can be divided into single, double and triple according to the alcohol concentration. Double serving and triple serving should better reflect Abby's emphasis on taste. Double is dull in color, emitting the fragrance of chocolate and ripe fruit, which is suitable for matching with heavy flavors such as lamb chops. Triple alcohol concentration is 8%~ 10%, which is the most produced grade in Abby Brewery. Higher alcohol content contributes to the balance of flavor.

The third kind of beer: Lambic (Labik Beer)

In addition to monastery beer, there is also Lambic Labik beer brewed by the people. This beer is fermented by wild yeast in Belgian wheat and lactic acid bacteria in the air. Belgian wheat originated in Lebeck town of Pajetanlun. According to local laws, this wine is brewed with at least 30% unmalted wheat. It will be cooled in an open vat and then transferred to a large oak barrel for fermentation. This kind of beer is turbid and light in hops, but full of bubbles, and fruit is often added.

Lambic is often used as aperitif or after-dinner flavored beer, with various styles. As far as taste is concerned, cherry-flavored' Kriek' and raspberry-flavored Framboise are more popular. According to the brewing process, Falu, which is brewed by mixing spirits and light wine, is sweet and slightly sour, not bitter, and suitable for women to drink.

In addition, there is a special one? Gueuze, also known as "champagne beer", is a bit like champagne. Gueuze doesn't have a lot of bubbles commonly found in beer, and delicate carbonated bubbles are accompanied by sour taste, so people who try it for the first time may have a polarized evaluation, but Gueuze, a unique champagne beer, really shouldn't give up easily. The local standard bars in Belgium are very cautious about Gueuze. Just like Glen Gru wine, professional bars have their own wine cellars. Gueuze lived here for two years and then sold it to guests. When serving Gueuze, it's not just a bottle of wine and a cup. The bartender puts the beer in a special rattan basket and then pours it into a glass.

In addition to the above mainstream beer styles, there are many kinds of beer in Belgium, and red beer is one of them worth mentioning. This sour West Flanders-style ale got its name because it was brewed from red Vienna malt. The sour taste in beer is because it has matured in large oak barrels for one or two years. This kind of beer may not be acceptable to everyone at the first sip, but you can't help falling in love with it at the second sip. The color of this beer is thick red, and the rich and delicate foam makes it look beautiful.

After reading the above explanation, have you learned more about Belgian beer or found your favorite style? Try it, enjoy it slowly, make yourself slightly drunk, and you will finally understand the attraction of Belgian beer!