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Brasserie D'Ecaussinnes
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Brasserie Lefebvre
Chimay
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Floreffe
Hoegaarden 24/12oz NR (SALE$33.49+tx 24/12oz Btls)
Availability: Available nationwide
Beer Category/Style: High-End European Import; Belgian White Ale
Taste Profile: The key to Hoegaarden’s unique, refreshing flavor and spicy nose is real Curaçao orange peel with a hint of coriander.
Ingredients/Brewing: Hoegaarden is brewed using natural ingredients – mineral spring water, unmalted wheat, barley malt, hops, yeast, coriander and Curaçao orange peel. Hoegaarden is unfiltered, giving the beer a soft body, cloudy white appearance and thick, frothy head. Hoegaarden is 4.9 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Packaging: Hoegaarden is available on draught and in 11.2-ounce amber bottles.
How to Serve: This beer is particularly refreshing in warmer months and should always be served in its signature hexagonal glass, which keeps the beer colder longer. Try pairing Hoegaarden with salmon or white-fleshed fish in citrus. The classic Belgian-inspired “moules et frites” (mussels with shoestring fries) also pair well with the beer.
Interesting Facts: Brewing has been an integral part of life in the village of Hoegaarden, Belgium, since 1318. By the 15th century, Begarden monks settled in the area and began brewing Belgian white (or wit) ales. By the end of the 19th Century, the village boasted more than 35 breweries, although it was inhabited by only 2,000 people. Hoegaarden Witbier – biere blanche, the original Belgian White Beer, is renowned in Belgium and all over the world.
Hoegaarden is imported and distributed in the United States by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Leffe Blonde ($39.99+tx 24/12oz NR)Availability:
Available nationwide
Beer Category/Style: Leffe Blonde is an authentic and respected Belgian “Abbey” beer, a category almost exclusive to Belgium.
Taste Profile: A dry, fruity and lightly spiced Belgian Abbey Ale, Leffe Blonde features a perfect balance of strength and subtlety. The bitterness is delicate, extending over the whole palate and lingering as a subtle aftertaste.
Ingredients/Brewing: Leffe Blonde is brewed according to the Leffe Abbey Fathers’ ancient recipe, using only the finest ingredients. The grains, hops and yeast that made up the ancient Leffe recipe are still the natural ingredients used today. Spring water, malted barley and corn come together to give Leffe its sunny golden yellow color. Leffe Blonde is 6.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Packaging: Leffe Blonde is available on draught and in 11.2-ounce slender amber bottles.
How to Serve: Leffe Blonde is best served in its own specially-designed, chalice-shaped glass. The glass helps preserve the beer’s aroma and creates the perfect, creamy head. Pair Leffe Blonde with meat dishes like grilled pork loin and pan-fried steak, smoked salmon, and a range of subtle cheeses.
Interesting Facts: The rich brewing tradition of the Leffe beers dates back more than 700 years to the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe, founded in 1152. The monks of St. Norbert began brewing this beer in 1240 for the community and for passing travelers. Leffe beers continued to flow throughout the quiet Belgian countryside until the Abbey was abolished after the French Revolution. The monks eventually formed an agreement with the brewer Albert Lootvoot to re-launch Leffe.
Leffe Blonde is imported and distributed in the United States by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Leffe Brown 30 Liter Keg
Availability: Available nationwide
Beer Category/Style: Leffe Brown is an authentic and respected Belgian “Abbey” beer, a category almost exclusive to Belgium.
Taste Profile: Leffe Brown is substantially more robust than Leffe Blonde. Although it’s full-bodied, the bitterness is balanced by the brown sugar sweetness of the roasted barley and matched by the rich aroma of roasted, melting caramel.
Ingredients/Brewing: Brewed according to the Leffe Abbey Fathers’ ancient recipe, Leffe Brown uses only the finest ingredients. The grains, hops and yeast that made up the ancient Leffe recipe are still the natural ingredients used today. Leffe Brown is 6.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Packaging: Leffe Brown is available on draught
How to Serve: Leffe Brown is best served in its own specially-designed, chalice-shaped glass. The glass helps preserve the beer’s aroma and creates the perfect, creamy head. Pair Leffe Brown with chocolate desserts and earthy cheeses including Camembert and Fontina. It also pairs well with rich meats such as duck and venison.
Interesting Facts: The rich brewing tradition of the Leffe beers dates back more than 700 years to the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe, founded in 1152. The monks of St. Norbert began brewing this beer in 1240 for the community and for passing travelers. Leffe beers continued to flow throughout the quiet Belgian countryside until the Abbey was abolished after the French Revolution. The monks eventually formed an agreement with the brewer, Albert Lootvoot, to re-launch Leffe.
Leffe Brown is imported and distributed in the United States by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Lindemans
Manneken Pis 24/12oz Bottles ($39.99 +tx)
Stella Artois ($33.49+tx 24/12oz NR)
Availability: Available nationwide
Beer Category/Style: High-End European Import/Classic European Lager
Taste Profile: Stella Artois is a classic European lager, golden in color with exceptional clarity and a spicy hop character.
Ingredients/Brewing: Stella Artois is brewed using only the finest natural ingredients – water, barley malt, hops, non-malted grains and Stella Artois’ unique yeast strain – a much-cherished secret that has been kept throughout the years. Stella Artois contains 5.2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Packaging: Stella Artois is available on draught as well as in 11.2.
How to Serve: Stella Artois should be served between 36 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit using a nine-step process called The Stella Artois Pouring Ritual. In Belgium, every beer has its own unique glass designed to highlight the brand’s special flavor, and Stella Artois is no exception. The Stella Artois chalice is designed to ensure that the head foams perfectly and the aroma is preserved.
Stella Artois’ crisp, refreshing flavor pairs well with intensely flavored Thai, Asian Fusion and Indian dishes such as curries. The bitterness also helps cut through cream sauces in pastas and contrasts the creaminess of flavorful semi-soft cheeses such as Havarti, Morbier and artisanal cheddars.
Interesting Facts: Stella Artois was originally brewed as a special holiday beer. It was christened Stella, which is Latin for “star.” The beer was so well received that it became available throughout the year. A protected historical site, the modern Stella Artois brewery, still located in Leuven, was constructed in 2004. The rich history of Stella Artois is beautifully captured in film format on the redesigned Stella Artois Web site, which made its debut in September 2007.
Stella Artois is imported and distributed in the United States by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Val Dieu
This page was last modified on Thursday, June 17, 2010 09:26:10 AM