Types of Belgian beers, Gueuze and Vieille Gueuze, are blends of different lambics, in which the oldest have been matured for a minimum of three years in wooden barrels. In Vieille Gueuze, the average age of lambics must be greater or equal to one year and it must undergo the second fermentation after it is bottled.
Lambic beer is a beer that is produced by spontaneous fermentation during which it is exposed to air and wild bacteria and yeast.
Considered to be a predecessor to gin, jenever is a Dutch spirit that was originally distilled from malt wine. Since the drink had a sharp and unusual flavor, it was often infused with various herbs, including juniper – which eventually led to the creation of the name jenever.
Two distinct styles that exist nowadays are old (oude) and young (jonge) jenever. The former is similar to the original jenever and is mainly distilled from malt, with a small proportion of neutral alcohol, while the young style has a higher concentration of a neutral spirit and it's especially suitable as a cocktail ingredient.
VARIATIONS OF Jenever
Gueuze is a Belgian lambic-style that is made by blending young and old lambic beers—traditional Belgian brews that are fermented with wild yeasts. The blends then undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle. The combination is made by brewer’s preference, and the final character of gueuze is often unpredictable.
They are typically very effervescent, crisp, and refreshing with unique earthy aromas reminiscent of hay and leather. Usually, they will display moderate sour and malt character, and they will sometimes have nuances of citrus fruit as well as hints of vanilla and oak.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Black Russian was created in 1949 in Brussels by a Belgian bartender named Gustav Tops, who made it in honor of the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. The cocktail consists of vodka and Kahlua coffee liqueur. The word Russian in its name refers to the use of vodka, a typical Russian spirit.
The cocktail is traditionally prepared by shaking vodka and Kahlua, and it is then served on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass without garnishes. If the cocktail is served in a highball glass and topped with cola, it becomes Dirty Black Russian, also known as Tall Black Russian, Australian Black Russian, or Colorado Bulldog.
Grisette is a beer style that hails from Hainaut province in Belgium. Often compared to saison—the preferred choice among Belgian farmers—grisette was a farmhouse ale developed to satisfy the needs of the local miners. By 1960, the style disappeared, and its revival was not as big as with saison.
The style was not well documented, so the exact characteristics of the original are difficult to pinpoint. The beer was most likely a refreshing and hop-forward pale ale that varied in color and strength. Modern interpretations of grisette were introduced in the 1990s, and since there was no specific historical framework, they tend to vary in character.
Bière brut, also known as bière de Champagne, is a somewhat new beer style that was first introduced in Belgium in the early 2000s. The beers are top-fermented and then allowed to mature in the bottle with Champagne yeast cultures.
These beers are dry, clean, bubbly, light-bodied, and refreshing. They can range from very pale gold to pale amber. Their alcohol content is higher than in most beers, typically around 8% ABV. They are usually bottled in 750-milliliter champagne-style bottles that are corked and caged.
Farmhouse ale is best described as an ancient beer style that was brewed by European farmers who used their grains and hops. These brews were made with techniques that are not used in modern brewing, and because they were brewed in various European regions, the examples are incredibly versatile and include a variety of different sub-styles that are usually very region-specific.
Farmhouse ales were made in places where people cultivated grains, and in the early 20th century, it was a prevalent style throughout northern Europe. These beers were a part of everyday life. In some places, they were prepared and enjoyed on special occasions, and in the regions where grains were plentiful, they were enjoyed on a daily basis.
VARIATIONS OF Farmhouse Ale
Faro is a beer style that belongs to the Belgian family of spontaneously fermented lambic beers. The drink was traditionally made by adding candi sugar, sucrose, or saccharin to lambic and sometimes by blending lambic with bière de mars—weak, low-alcohol lambic.
The origins of faro date back to the 18th century, when the drink was considered a cheap and much lighter alternative to regular beer or lambic. Sometimes, the flavor was improved with the addition of herbs. Nowadays, faro has a slightly different character.
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