UNESCO, Belgium & Beer

[shadowmouse]

Making and appreciating beer is part of the living heritage of a range of communities throughout Belgium. It plays a role in daily life, as well as festive occasions. Almost 1,500 types of beer are produced in the country using different fermentation methods. Since the 80s, craft beer has become especially popular. There are certain regions, which are known for their particular varieties while some Trappist communities have also been involved in beer production giving profits to charity. In addition, beer is used for cooking including in the creation of products like beer-washed cheese and, as in the case of wine, can be paired with foods to compliment flavours. Several organizations of brewers exist who work with communities on a broad level to advocate responsible beer consumption. Sustainable practice has also become part of the culture with recyclable packaging encouraged and new technologies to reduce water usage in production processes. Besides being transmitted in the home and social circles, knowledge and skills are also passed down by master brewers who run classes in breweries, specialized university courses that target those involved in the field and hospitality in general, public training programmes for entrepreneurs and small test breweries for amateur brewers.

Source: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en...-belgium-01062

Opinions on beer differ, but here's a short list of a few countries to consider: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/06/fo...ies/index.html

The holidays are almost upon us! Did your country make the list? Do you have a favorite nation for brews, or a favorite style?

[Kuntantee]

My favorite beer is Stella, hands down. Duvel is okay but a bit too bitter for a beer. Hacker-Pschorr (German I think) is also one of my favorites.

[Kalis]

My favorite beer is Stella, hands down.

Apropos of nothing much, we call Stella 'wife beater'.


OT: I'm guessing Britain did make the list, considering they use a picture of a London pub.

Apparently we are also responsible for creating pissheads the world over, "The UK has contributed more to the world brewing scene really than any other country". Yay for us!

[Arenis]

Favourite is Paulaner Hefe Weisse (when it's good cold and not out of a bottle), then Palm, then probably Franziskaner.

[Acidbaron]

Not a real surprise every town almost has their own local beer here. Sadly a lot of our bigger breweries are now part of a big multinational group, luckily the 'trappists' and such are still pretty much in belgian hands for now.

Too many beers i like to mention, although honestly during christmas it's more about the wines then about the beers. If i had to chose one i would probably go with something like a leffe dark, nothing too strong otherwise a light one for in between meals

[Deleted]

My favorite beer is Stella, hands down. Duvel is okay but a bit too bitter for a beer. Hacker-Pschorr (German I think) is also one of my favorites.

Broaden your horizons, friend. Stella is just a standard pilsner beer, and Belgium even has better ones of that type (Primus). However, that's not what makes Belgian beer so famous.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 is my favourite beer. I like velvety, fruity dark beers. Rochefort 10 is a great one as well.

[shadowmouse]

The thing is, they have been making beer for a LONG time, longer than anyone else in that list. They should have better offerings NOW not a few years down the road

Part of it is a difference in preferences for taste. Many Chinese don't like bitter tasting beers, but they are starting to catch on here. Microbreweries are more and more popular, some with foreign brewmasters and others that are fully Chinese. Before a similar shift in the US, a good deal of our beer was bland, yellowish stuff meant to be served ice cold.

[Serpha]

What exactly did Britain contributed?

[Rennadrel]

I love how Canada got snubbed, expect nothing less from ignorant Americans though. Our craft beer industry has boomed in the last 15-20 years. Prior to Sapporo buying Sleeman, they were one of the largest independent beer makers in the country, while Wellington is the oldest craft brewery in Ontario (and probably Canada but I am not sure). Now a lot of the older independent brewers like Sleeman and Mill Street have been gobbled up by InBev or Molson-Coors in order to expand their markets, meanwhile their beers start stagnating and they don't create new products as frequently. Ontario and British Columbia have very strong craft beer scenes now, as does Quebec. Due to having high population density in some of those areas, the markets are strong enough to support them. Vancouver for instance, has over 60 micro breweries in a city of around 1 million people, that isn't counting Victoria and the other cities surrounding it. The province of Ontario has 193 microbreweries currently listed, with more opening all the time, that isn't including the contracted breweries of which there are almost 60. I have had some American craft beers, but they weren't even close to as good as some of the stuff we have and they were highly rated American brands.

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Broaden your horizons, friend. Stella is just a standard pilsner beer, and Belgium even has better ones of that type (Primus). However, that's not what makes Belgian beer so famous.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 is my favourite beer. I like velvety, fruity dark beers. Rochefort 10 is a great one as well.

I like the St. Bernardus Abt 12 as well, that one comes around here during the summer and fall. We usually get trappist beers starting in July and they run until the end of November. One I like from Quebec that they had seasonally in Ontario last year was called Death Valley from Brasseurs RJ in Quebec, it's a Belgian style IPA and is really fruity, nice and smooth but it will kick your ass. My current seasonal is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout called Old Kentucky Bastard from a brewery called Nickel Brook, based out of Burlington, Ontario. Now that stuff will try and kill you if you drink more than two 750mL bottles. At a whopping 14.5%, 70 IBU's and 65 LVB, it is a rocking good beer for anyone who likes dark stuff.

[Kalis]

What exactly did Britain contributed?

The article says India Pale Ales, which are not Indian and stout, which is not Irish.

[GennGreymane]

My favorite beer

[Fahrenheit]

Unpopular opinion. But arguably factual now given how much the US cleans up and world beer championships. The US has the best beer in the world and it's been so for several years now.

[Kuntantee]

Broaden your horizons, friend. Stella is just a standard pilsner beer, and Belgium even has better ones of that type (Primus). However, that's not what makes Belgian beer so famous.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 is my favourite beer. I like velvety, fruity dark beers. Rochefort 10 is a great one as well.

That's the best I can find around here. Will try different types when I visit Belgium.

[GennGreymane]

Unpopular opinion. But arguably factual now given how much the US cleans up and world beer championships. The US has the best beer in the world and it's been so for several years now.

dem microbrews ftw.

[Deleted]

Came back from Antwerp yday. Bought the store dry. Got to love them doubles and tripples. Westvletere though.. That's where it's at.

[Belize]

Unpopular opinion. But arguably factual now given how much the US cleans up and world beer championships. The US has the best beer in the world and it's been so for several years now.

Craft beer, maybe, but Budweiser is undrinkable piss water

[Fahrenheit]

Craft beer, maybe, but Budweiser is undrinkable piss water

That goes without saying.

[Belize]

That goes without saying.

Fair enough

[ranzino]

Craft beer, maybe, but Budweiser is undrinkable piss water

You should add a disclaimer: the original Budweiser is brewed in České Budějovice, not by Anheuser-Busch.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery

[Feral Camel]

I don't mind grabbing a bottle of Chimay Blue ever now and then, its a bit $$$ though. Not my favourite beer, but its still a great drop. I really do need to explore the Belgium beers a bit more.

I've got to say American Craft beers is pretty remarkable. Australia is getting better, but from my understanding we're about 10 years behind what the yanks are doing so I'm looking forward to seeing what we produce over the next few years.

I was finally able to buy some Stone Brewery beers. Ive bought a 6er of Americano and Milk Coffee Stout. For a country that knows fuck all about making a good coffee that those beers are pretty damn good.