Drunken Crayfish

The history of the Brouwerij De Koninck began in the 18th century when Joseph Henricus De Koninck bought ‘De Plaisante Hof’, a coach house which stood on the boundary between Antwerp and Berchem. On this site there stood a stone boundary post with a sculptured hand. This boundary post can still be seen today opposite the Brouwerij De Koninck.

Joseph Henricus De Koninck died very young, and his widow, Elisabeth Cop remarried in 1833. Her second husband was warehouse foreman Johannes Vervliet, who decided to convert the coach house into a brewery under the name “Brouwerij De Hand”, after the sculpture on the border post. The hand has been immortalised since then in the brewery logo.

In 1845 Carolus De Koninck, the eldest son from Elisabeth’s first marriage, took over the business. Around 1900 there were still about 25 working breweries in Antwerp. However, the popularity of bottom-fermented (pils-type) beers, the stricter permit regulations and two world wars were to have a devastating influence on the brewing industry.

In 1912 the “Brouwerij De Hand” was renamed the ‘Brasserie Charles De Koninck”, run by Florent van Bauwel.

Today the Brouwerij De Koninck is run by two brothers, Bernard and Dominique Van den Bogaert, as technical and commercial director respectively. They guarantee the independent, family and artisanal character of the brewery.

Among the four beers offered by the brewer, De Koninck Triple (8% alc. vol.) is the strongest one.

In 1993 Antwerp was ‘European Capital of Culture’. To celebrate this event De Koninck brewed the ‘Cuvée De Koninck’, the name of which was changed in 2003 to De Koninck Triple.

This is a soft, amber coloured top fermented ale. De Koninck Triple has a very well balanced taste, a slight sweetness due to the use of organic cane sugar and a lively flavour from using aromatic Czech Saaz hops.

Belgium: Belgian beer exports declined last year for the first time since 2000

In 2008, Belgian beer production dropped by 3.8% and exports fell for the first time since 2000 by 6.8% or 716,000 hl, Belgian press reported on June, 25.

However, Theo Vervolet, president of Brasseurs Belges, asserts that the situation is not as bad as it seems.

For Mr. Vervolet, the volumes do not show the reality. “In 2007, Belgian brewers explored a number of new markets, which led to boosted results. If we exclude this phenomenon, we would see that our exports grew last year,” he said.

“The reported 24.7% increase of beer imports in Belgium is even farther from reality, our market is stable,” Mr. Vervolet said adding that Belgium still remains a country with the lowest beer import in the world.

According to industry data, Belgium exported 9.8 mln hl of beer (a little more than half of its total beer production) last year.

“In 2007, InBev exported large volumes to the US through a contract with Anheuser-Busch. Last year, InBev’s export to the US slightly fell as a result of the takeover of Anheuser. Since AB InBev holds 57% of Belgium’s beer market, the impact on the total export was significant,” the president of Brasseurs Belges said.

Exports to France, Germany and Great Britain (accounting for 60 percent of exports) declined last year (for the first time) by an average of 13 percent.

One of the strangest beer lawsuits, or does beer go with girls

During the 1990ies, US brewer Anheuser-Busch (now part of the Belgium-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev) ran for its Budweiser brand a series of adverts where two beautiful women appeared in front of two truck drivers drinking the brew.

Inspired by the advert, Michigan man Richard Overton promptly bought a case of the beer, drank it and waited - but no hot babes appeared. The disappointed consumer filed a lawsuit against the brewer. Overton cited emotional distress and mental injury due to false advertising and wanted over $10,000 in damages.

Thankfully, the court realized it would take a hell of a lot more than a case of Budweiser to get this loser a date and they decided to dismiss the case.

One letter in a beer’s name may cost over $500,000

Correct spelling in the eBay auction is essential. Here is an example showing how leaving out one letter may turn out to be very costly.

The item in question is a full bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale brewed in 1852. The item was first listed on eBay with the title: allsop’s arctic ale.full and corked with a wax seal. Unfortunately, he left off the second ‘p’ in Allsopp’s. This meant that any potential buyers searching for the correct spelling of Allsopp’s would not be able to find it. This error is clearly a typo by the seller as he spells Allsopp’s correctly in the description.

The auction had a starting price of $299.00 and closed with a winning bid of $304.00 with 2 bids from 2 different users. The seller was probably satisfied with the sales price until he saw what happened when it was listed on eBay again eight weeks later.

This time Allsopp’s was spelled correctly using the auction title: Museum Quality ALLSOPP’s ARCTIC ALE 1852 SEALED/FULL!!! The second listing had a much more robust description along with more pictures of the bottle from different angles. The auction received 157 bids from 56 unique bidders and closed with a winning bid of $503,300.00.

It turns out the original seller’s typo cost him over $500,000. The $304 he received doesn’t seem like much anymore.

You have to feel sorry for the original seller. The bottle has been in his family for over 50 years before he decided to sell it. After all the publicity about the auctions, he has received many nasty emails calling him an idiot. The anonymity of the internet certainly allows people to be heartless.

The bottle is clearly worth several thousand dollars. Whether it is worth $10,000, $100,000, $500,000 or more is anybody’s guess.

The person that found the Allsopp’s auction with the spelling error made a handsome profit. Surprisingly, auctions that contain spelling mistakes are fairly common. By finding these auctions, you may discover some incredible bargains too. Endeavour and you may find another hoppy diamond in the rough.

The importance of the beer glass

Early beer drinking vessels included earthenware, crockery, wood, and even scraps of leather sewn together and lined with pitch. These crude containers served the purpose but obscured the visual image of a beer.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that some of the best brewing regions of the world have also been major glass producing regions. The term “pale ale” comes from the fact that these were the first filtered beers. Because the coarse, chunky items were filtered out, this ale took on a paler, more appealing hue.

The idea of filtration coincided with the development of glassware. Now that consumers could see what they were drinking, it was time for the beers to go through a cosmetic upgrade. Beer styles - like pilsner - that were developed after the availability of glassware have mostly been bright in appearance. Consumers shunned unfiltered beer, making this style the predominant beer of choice the world over.

Glass plays an important role in the appreciation of the beer. Highly effervescent brews require a tall glass that flares out at the top. The shape serves two purposes: it allows some of the carbonation to escape, and it allows the aroma to be better enjoyed.

Beer glasses have experienced a number of transformations over the years. Bartenders quickly made the tapered glass popular because it is durable and it stacks to save storage space. The stemmed beer glass is also a favorite of the bartender because it can be hung by its base. Mugs, another popular type of beer glass, can be hung by their handles. Unusual beer glass styles include the fishbowl, the hourglass, the chalice, the boot, and the barrel glass. One of the most unusual shapes is the thistle glass for Scotch ales.

In most cases, each brewery has its own patented signature design. In Belgium, if your beer is served in the wrong glass, you are allowed to send it back. Just like the vast variety of Belgian beers, there seems to be an endless variety of Belgian beer glassware.

One suggestion for serving beer is NOT to serve it in a frosted glass. The frosting process applies the flavors and aromas of the freezer to the glassware and it masks the flavor of the beer.

Pouring your beer into a glass, instead of drinking from the can or bottle, is a great practice. It allows the beer to breathe, improving the flavor, and it enhances your enjoyment of the aroma as well. It also gives you a chance to appreciate the visual appeal of the nectar of the gods.

How to store right your premium Belgian chocolate

If that beautiful box of premium Belgian chocolates you received for your birthday has been stored in the refrigerator, don’t be surprised if the sweets develop a hazy tinge, Times&Transcript posted at the beginning of June.

“When chocolate is subjected to variable temperatures its exterior gets chalky and it no longer looks appetizing,” says Derick Rousseau, a food science professor at Toronto’s Ryerson University.

He says the condition is known as fat bloom and occurs for a number of reasons, but often results when chocolate is exposed to temperature fluctuations.

When the temperature of the chocolate goes up and down, some of the cocoa butter in the chocolate melts and resolidifies. A small amount of this resolidified cocoa butter will end up on the surface as microscopic crystals or bumps. This produces the hazy whiteness called fat bloom, Rousseau explains.

“As consumers of chocolate we say, ‘gosh, the sheen has gone and it looks kind of chalky and not very appetizing.”

“But it hasn’t gone mouldy, and you can eat it. The texture might not be exactly the same, but it is still fine to eat.”

Rousseau says another drawback in storing chocolate can happen when it is exposed to damp and wet conditions. This is called sugar bloom.

“If chocolate is exposed to humid conditions, moisture in the air will condense the surface of the chocolate and dissolve the sugar. When conditions become dry again, the sugar will re-crystallize and the surface will look hazy.”

Here are some of Rousseau’s tips on storing chocolate:

* If stored properly, chocolate can last for years. Filled chocolates and truffles are best consumed within a month.

* To preserve the flavour of chocolate, it must be kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place where there is little variation in temperature and low humidity.

* To avoid fluctuations in temperature, do not store chocolate in cupboards right next to your fridge or stove.

* Chocolate should be stored in an airtight container.

* Because chocolate contains fat, it easily absorbs other flavours and odours. Don’t store near chemicals, cleaning products, perfume, air fresheners or anything else you don’t want to taste in your chocolate.

“Philosophy and beer, it’s the same thing: when consumed, they change all the perceptions we have of the world”

“When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house some day”

Congolese Proverb

To celebrate this event a special beer was brewed – a brown-red spicy 9% alc vol Jonas beer that was very much appreciated by the visitors who came to make the acquaintance of the baby. A lot of them wanted to buy some bottles of this ‘Beer of birth’ and slowly the idea of maybe brewing again and getting the beer on the marked started to grow… After a pregnancy of some months out of the original Jonasbeer a brownred, full malted top fermentation beer with a spicy aftertaste was born. The only problem was it still had no name…

While the couple was brainstorming for a name, it turned out that little Jonas always stopped crying and fell asleep when his parents dipped his soother in the nameless beer and gave it to the boy. Once Marleen smiled and said: “This beer is a real ‘Slaapmutske’!” (which literally means ‘sleeping hat’, but also is used for ‘the last beer that is drunk before going to sleep’) This was the destiny: the brew was baptized ‘Slaapmutske’, and, because it was winter at the time, the extension ‘winterbeer’ was added.

In March 2001, Slaapmutske Blond was created. This is a full-malt top-fermentation beer with an alcohol percentage of 6.4 vol % and with refermentation in the bottle.

The soft and tender taste of Slaapmutske Blond is obtained using malts from barley and wheat. The spicy ‘nose’ is due to the use of very fine American, aromatic hop varieties. Slaapmutske Blond has a very pleasing full-malt taste and a round mouth feeling. The after-taste is tender and light bitter.

The beer is available in bottle (33cl and 75 cl) and keg (30L).

Today, the Slaapmutske beer family includes such members as Slaapmutske Blond, Slaapmutske Bruin, Slaapmutske Tripel, Slaapmutske BIO Tripel, Slaapmutske Christmas, and Slaapmutske Dry Hopped Lager.

The slogan of the Slaapmutske beer is: “Beer for the good-tempered people”.

Belgium: AB InBev reported to be divesting its central European breweries

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s No. 1 brewer, has put up for sale its central and eastern European operations, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported on June, 13.

The deal involves 11 breweries in seven countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro), producing a total of 15 mln hl of beer annually. According to the newspaper, the operations are part of a “packaged” deal to be sold as a whole. The breweries are expected to fetch about $2 billion and will attract the interest of rival brewers including world’s second-largest beer maker SABMiller and Heineken, as well as private-equity firms.

A spokesman for AB InBev declined to comment.

Le Soir said the brewer of Budweiser, Stella and Beck’s beer was divesting its central European operations considered as fragmented and non-strategic, to focus on its north and south American operations.

Barclays is advising the company on the deal and at least one private equity firm CVC Partners, is mentioned as interested in the deal, Le Soir reported in its weekend edition.

AB InBev has recently begun to reduce its indebtedness by selling some of its assets.

AB InBev sold its South Korean subsidiary Oriental Brewery to private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. last month for $1.8 billion, as part of a move to repay debt incurred in the $52 billion purchase of Anheuser-Busch.

The company has also sold a 20% stake in China’s Tsingtao brewery to Japan’s Asahi for nearly $700m, and raised a further $100m from the sale of the American brewing and distribution business of the Canadian beer brand Labatt.

Although the high-growth Russian business is not being sold at this stage, analysts say its disposal, which could fetch a further $2 billion, is a possibility.

Other possible assets that could come on the market include AB Inbev’s American theme-park business, which includes Sea World, Busch Gardens and Aquatica.

High-level industry sources have suggested that the German business, which includes Beck’s, is also unofficially on the block, though sources close to the company deny this. The American Rolling Rock beer brand could also be put up for sale.

Overall, the disposals should enable the company to meet its short-term debt requirements. The $7 billion bridging loan, which must be repaid by November, has already been reduced by $3.5 billion through a $5 billion bond sale.

An additional $500 mln has been released in working capital from the former Anheuser-Busch operation and capital spending will be reduced by $1 billion.

Separately, AB InBev announced on June, 12 it had completed the pricing of its benchmark eight-year 750 million pound ($1.24 billion) bond.

Beer, versatile and all-time

As beer is so versatile, it is possible to choose a specific beer to suit any point in the day or event in the year.

Whilst wine lovers recant the age old arguments that wine is both more flavoursome and stronger than beer, and therefore more ideally suited to a celebration, the beer fan can readily counter with recent scientific evidence that it is actually ale that contains a wider range of tastes (both overall and within one glass) and that celebratory beers are sometimes produced with a strength of up to 15%!

With the huge variety that beer offers, it is possible to go throughout the days and weeks drinking an ideally matched beer at each and every point of the evening and year.

Beers for Lunch: Lunch time is about as early as one could sensibly drink, and due to the fact that by this time you will not have had much to eat already it is best to enjoy a light beer such as a ’session’ bitter or lager, if the occasion is right. You would do well to note, that in parliamentary speak, politicians are often dismissed for wayward remarks with the rebuttal that they had made their comment ‘after lunch’! Even in the hard drinking culture that still surrounds parliamentary debate, a lunchtime drink is often considered to signal one thing - the slippery slope to continued afternoon drinking, drunkenness, and, therefore, incompetence! Stick to 3-4% bitter, or a lager (4%).

Beers for Early Afternoon: An early afternoon beer with a snack can be a welcome freshener either in the summer (when it will help you to cool down) or the winter (to warm you up).

Nightcaps: A small glass of barley wine should be sufficient to relax with and send you nodding off.

Beers for a Picnic: The ultimate picnic beer would have to be a Belgian fruit beer, wheat beer or white beer.

Beers for Entertaining: O.K, so some guests are going to cringe if you reach for the beers on a special evening - it could even potentially ruin a dinner date. However, if you pick the right beer you are likely to impress. For simplicity’s sake, try a bottle of IPA chilled and served with dark meats. If you really want to impress go for something luxuriant with a heavy dessert. To get a party going, try beer cocktails which can actually be quite classy, whilst also having the benefit of getting people in the mood for partying relatively quickly!

Whatever the occasion there is a beer, or several beers, to match. It is worth having a variety to hand and letting friends and guests contribute their favourites. With a little effort, your choice of beer will enhance any occasion, and you will soon be left loathe to just settle for any old lager!

Japan: Beer gets tastier in a $50,000 golden mug

Would a pint of beer taste any better in a $50,000 mug, especially in a recession? Its Japanese gold manufacturer would like customers to think so.

The mug, made of 850 grams (30 ounces) of gold, was showcased at Ginza Tanaka’s latest collection entitled “Summer Cool,” which includes items that many Japanese believe help relieve the heat of summer’s muggy days.

Ginza Tanaka says drinking beer in a goblet that costs as much as a luxury car is the ultimate cool experience.

“It’s, of course, tasty drinking beer from a normal glass, but it was a new experience to drink from a golden mug,” said staff member Aya Yanagi.

Other objects on display included golden sake and wine glasses - at $30 a gram - as well as a golden fan that provides a very pricey breeze.

Naoto Mizuki, general manager of Ginza Tanaka’s marketing department, said the price of the items changes on a daily basis, along with the price of gold.

But whether any one will buy them is another story, with Japan mired in a deep economic recession and jobless rates climbing.

Do you know what pH of a beer is? Learn and celebrate the centenary of its discovery

These days mark the 100 year anniversary of a scientific breakthrough which still has a significant impact on beer worldwide – the so called pH scale.

The scale is widely used within science and food manufacturing assuring both consumer safety and product quality by using the pH measurement to confirm that the product is safe for consumption. For modern brewing techniques the development was a leap forward. When the pH value is measured during beer production, the process of the fermentation can be monitored and ultimately ensure that beer production is in order. Additionally, the pH value also affects the shelf life of beer. The pH value is also vital in the production of insulin, in farming, knowing the pH of soil is extremely important when determining the soil quality where crops are grown, and when baking bread the addition of acid to the dough actually has a beneficial influence on the finished bread just to mention a few examples.

The pH scale was developed by Professor S.P.L. Sorensen, the Head of the Chemistry Department at the Carlsberg brewery’s Laboratory, in 1909. The conception of the pH scale provided a revolutionary standard measurement for determining whether a solution is acidic or alkaline. Before the pH scale, the only parameter to measure acid levels were vague terms such as “good”, “bad” or “slightly more than last time”. Several scientists had worked on the subject around the turn of the century, but S.P.L.Sorensen’s was the first systematic definition.

How does the pH scale actually work?
S.P.L Sorensen developed the pH scale during his pioneering research into proteins, amino acids and enzymes - the basis of today’s protein chemistry. Basically meaning ‘the potential of hydrogen’, the scale provides a simple and universal measurement of the amount of hydrogen ions in a solution, which affects its acidity and how it reacts chemically.

Why is it written pH?
pH is short for “potential Hydrogen”. The pH value shows the acid content of a solution. The lower the number the more acidic. S.P.L. Sorensen used a negative logarithm of the hydrogen concentration to create a scale from 0-14, where a pH of less than 7 is an acid, 7 is neutral and higher than 7 is an alkali. So water has a pH of 7, lemon juice 2.4 and bleach 12.5. The pH of beer is between 4.1. and 4,6.

Who uses pH these days?
The applications of the pH scale are countless, ranging from foodstuffs and cosmetics to chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Just about every liquid has had its pH measured at some time to determine how it will react and interact with living organisms.

Just the smell of chocolate is enough to make you happy

It is a scientific fact that just the smell of chocolate is a male aphrodisiac and causes arousal.

Besides, it is the only perfume that may actually help make you thin! Recent research indicates that just the smell of chocolate may actually fool your brain and satisfy your craving and appetite as if you’d actually eaten some chocolate! It’s the perfect diet aid. Indulge in the pleasures of chocolate with none of the high fat guilt.

Customize greeting cards and personal letters with the aroma of chocolate, the second most popular romantic expression of love. (Flowers are first.)

Add one drop to your bath, hot tub or sauna and get ready for a new sensual dimension to relaxation.

Instead of potpourri, use chocolate perfume wherever the aroma of luscious chocolate is desired. One drop on a light bulb will “flavor” the whole room. One drop inside a vacuum cleaner bag will chocolatize the whole house!

Candy stores, ice cream stores, real estate agents… The list is endless… can use chocolate perfume to stimulate sales when sprayed into the air.

Chocolate perfume is a great novelty gift item for all ages - kids to adults - men and women - all love the smell of chocolate.

WARNING!

Since chocolate perfume makes you smell good enough to eat, here are some things not to do while wearing chocolate perfume!

Don’t ever attend a chocoholics anonymous meeting while wearing Chocolate Perfume.

Don’t stop too long at an ice cream store, they’ll put up a new flavor - You!

Don’t use nicknames like Candy or Coco- People might get the wrong idea.

Don’t loiter around the coconuts at the supermarket.

Don’t wear brown!

Don’t walk into a chocolate shop. They don’t like the competition.

Remember, chocolate and nuts go well together.

Never wear edible underwear and Chocolate Perfume at the same time.

Never say, “Well I’ll be dipped!!”

” Give a man a pint of beer and he will drink it. But teach a man to brew, and he will rule the world.”

All amazing animations throughout the weekend: music, guided tours of the brewery, hot-air balloons with first flights opportunity, handicraft exhibitions and demonstrations, street animations. Preview performance: presentation of the TOURIST AND EDUCATIONAL GARDEN with hop field. Opening periods: from Friday 11 September 2009 to Sunday 13 September 2009. Theme: BEER. Extra information: Free entrance all weekend!

Learn more about this:
http://www.brasserie-brootcoorens-erquelinnes.be/cadre.htm
e-mail: angelus.br@swing.be
Address: Microbrasserie d’Erquelinnes, Rue de Maubeuge 197, 6560 - Erquelinnes
ERQUELINNES MAPS: Google Maps Touring Route Planner
Tel.: +32 (0) 71 55 86 66
Booking: Tel.: +32 (0) 479 88 78 35

Drinking Belgian beer in Germany

Your favorite Belgian beer may acquire a new hint to its taste when consumed in a different country.

From 7th to 9th August 2009 the International Berlin Beer Festival is taking place for the 13th time. For the second time the festival is putting a special country into the focus of its attention. This year the traditional beer mile in the centre of Berlin is going to have “beer land Belgium offers the very best” as its motto.

Belgian people are beer lovers and they are brilliant at connecting this pleasure with the superb Belgian cuisine.

Already when the ancient Romans met the Belgae on their way to the north they came to appreciate the latter’s art of brewing beer. During the Middle Ages above all monasteries took over and cultivated the tradition of brewing.

Michael Jackson, the internationally renowned beer expert, known as the “beer hunter”, was also a great lover of Belgian beers.

It’s a fact that Belgium is a nation with the biggest beer varieties collection worldwide. Apart from the two biggest breweries AB InBev and Alken Maes, there are further 115 breweries in the country producing more than 1000 different brands of beer.

Come and try some of Belgium’s most delicious beers at the festival in Germany!

50 litres of beer in 5 minutes: can you do a thing like that?

A beer lover from Oberhausen, Germany, has topped his own world record by gulping down 50 litres of beer in 4 minutes 55 seconds, belga reported on June, 12.

Philipp Traber, 35, thus improved by 17 seconds his previous record: in 2001, he had emptied 250 glasses of beer in 5 minutes 12 seconds, which was registered in the Guinness World Records.

The record holder said he owed his success to his brother who had served the necessary 250 glasses of beer.

The price of the beer he drunk was one euro per glass. The money will be donated to a charity organization, it is reported.

In quest for beer on zebraback

A horse racing trainer loves to trot to the pub for a glass of beer - on his zebra, the Sun communicated on June, 4.

Dad-of-two Bill Turner bought 14-month-old Zebedee for ?4,500 from a Dutch game reserve. Mr. Turner says, “He loves being ridden and it means I don’t have to worry about being breathalysed.”

Zebras are notoriously difficult to break in but the former jump jockey soon coaxed Zebedee to accept a bridle and saddle.

In less than three weeks Bill was riding his new mount round his farm. Next stop was his local pub, the King’s Arms near Sherborne, Dorset.

Bill, who saddled 600 winners in 30 years as a trainer, said: “It’s a mile and a half to the pub and Zebedee pricks up his ears every time we go.

“The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) says it’s OK to ride him.”

Bill’s wife Tracy, 61, followed in a lorry on the first pub outing in case Zebedee tired and had to be driven back.

But ten-stone Bill said: “He had no trouble and even cantered for a bit. The regulars got an incredible shock when I rode up.”

It was the trainer’s lifelong ambition to break and ride a zebra.

Bill said: “I’ve broken hundreds of horses and wanted to try my luck with a zebra. Very few are ridden in Africa - usually the only way to mount one is to put it in a river.”

Finally a livestock agent who Bill deals with in Belgium found the zebra for him.

Bill said: “They say zebras are so hard to train because they don’t have any brains and panic easily. Zebedee gave me a hard time at first, coming at me with his front feet and also biting. But I just treated him with total kindness.”

Zebedee does not need shoeing and has a useful talent if his owner should ever have one too many.

Bill said: “Zebras have a built-in homing instinct.”

If your beer needs urgent chilling…

So the grill is fired up, the dogs and burgers are cooking up nicely but you forgot to put the beer in the refrigerator. Don’t panic, here are some tips to cool the brew down in a hurry, Digital City shared some helpful hints earlier this month.

Fire Extinguisher - It seem through research the best way to chill a beer is blasting it with a fire extinguisher for about twenty seconds. Not only is this messy and expensive, but it is dangerous. Don’t bother!

Freezer – Certainly, we have all tried putting beer in the freezer at some point in our lives. You would think this one would make the most sense, well it doesn’t. It always ends up in disaster. You sometimes get the half frozen, half warm beer or you forget about the beer being in there and get a beer popsicle. And, of course, if your beer was in a can, it probably exploded, spreading frozen beer all over the inside of your freezer.

Professional store bought beer chiller - They sell tools to help you get your beer chilled in minutes. You place your can in a space-age looking device and turn on the power. Some can cool a beer in about one minute. If you have the money, we’d say go for it.

Rapid Beer Chiller - This product is nothing more than a beer cosy you put in the freezer and then wrap it around your can or bottle. The ad says it can chill a beer in five minutes and keep it cool for up to two hours. If you can’t remember to put the beer in the fridge are you really going to remember to put this in the freezer?

Ice and water - The best and cheapest method. Sometime the simple things work best. Totally submerge your beer in ice, mix in some water and 15 minutes later you have a cold beer. Some people recommend adding salt to the water to speed up the process. Try it for yourself and see which method you like better.

By the way, the last one works great if you are in a hotel without a fridge. Half fill the sink with water and add ice.

Chocolate, the inimitable and incomparable

There’s nothing quite like chocolate. Even the word itself tastes good. When you hear the word “chocolate,” you also hear “love,” “comfort” and “joy.” Other foods simply can’t compare.

No, chocolate isn’t like other foods. It almost never fails to evoke a smile. It is universally loved by young and old, rich and poor, tall and short, blond and dark-haired…

Just when we think we know everything about chocolate, lo, we say words like “lo” and discover there’s so much more to know.

There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest that the seemingly magical properties of chocolate aren’t just the result of wishful thinking. Science and medicine have begun to melt away the crunchy coating of the chocolate mystique, leaving a soft, gooey center of revelation.

Recently, researchers announced that chocolate contains chemicals that appear to counteract the effects of depression.

In other developments, scientists have determined that chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a natural substance reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. In other words, chocolate has many things in common with love. Specifically, it’s sticky, the good stuff costs a fortune, and when it gets old, it gets white and crusty around the edges. Yes, it’s exactly like love.

More good news about chocolate. A recent Dutch study reported chocolate contains anti-oxidants called flavonoids that may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The British Medical Journal revealed that eating moderate amounts of chocolate may increase longevity. So, guys, ignore all those e-mail solicitations promising to do the same—just have a candy bar and you’ll be longer in no time.

To further cement the case for the benefits of chocolate, experts now agree that chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and wellbeing.

It’s difficult to imagine the world without chocolate. It pervades our lives, our culture and our fantasy lives, especially that one fantasy involving a bathtub of melted chocolate.

Chocolate is a rare treasure in that it cures what ails us, both emotionally, and if Dutch researchers are to be believed, physically.

Cacao, after all, comes from the Aztec word “cacahualt,” which translates as “food of the gods.” Apparently, when it comes to celebrity endorsements, chocolate’s got it made.

“The exciting thing about being a beer lover is that there is so much to enjoy beyond the sensory pleasure of drinking beer”

-anonymous

De Troch is a unique Belgian artisanal brewery famous for its fruit beers. The family of its Chapeau brews includes such Lambics as: Chapeau Abricot (Apricot), Chapeau Banana, Chapeau Exotic, Chapeau Faro, Chapeau Framboise (Raspberry), Chapeau Gueuze, Chapeau Kriek, Chapeau Lemon, Chapeau Peche (Peach), Chapeau Fraise (Strawberries), and Chapeau Cuvee “Oude Gueuze”. Really, everybody can choose a beer to their taste!

De Troch beers are made up with real fruit and natural fruit juice.

Its Chapeau Cuvee “Oude Gueuze” was the first beer to be granted the label “STREEKPRODUCT.BE” by VLAM.

Chapeau Cuvee “Oude Gueuze” is available in 37.5cl and 75cl bottles. The beer is refermented in bottle and has a 5.5% alc. vol. Its tenability is at least 2 years after bottling.

In 2005, Chapeau Cuvee has been recognized by the Belgian authorities as a region product of Vlaams Brabant.

EU: Highest beer excises paid in Finland, Ireland & UK

Across the 27 EU countries, the highest beer excise duty rates are imposed by Finland and Ireland (61.74 and 51.99 pence per pint respectively). UK (45.89 pence per pint) is ranked third, the British Beer and Pub Association announced on June, 1.

The top ten nations with the highest excise duty on beer are as follows: Finland, Ireland, UK, Sweden (43.15 pence per pint), Denmark (19.42), Slovenia (17.95), Netherlands (17.08), Italy (14.76), Estonia (12.88), and Austria (12.56).

Belgium is ranked 13th (10.74 pence per pint).

The lowest excise duty on beer in the EU is paid by the Romanians (4.15 pence per pint).

Beer and taxes: episode 2

As taxation helped bring about the change in the colour of some British export beers (see the previous BelgianShop Newsletter 1383), tax relief helped drinkers to see what they were drinking.

In 1845, the high taxes imposed on the production of glass were removed in England, just as techniques for the mass production of bottles and glasses were being developed. Clearer, lighter beers became the rage – a trend that has continued to the present day, at one point nearly dooming porter and dark mild beers to extinction.

Taxation was also responsible for the fall in gravity of many beer styles. For instance, taxes on all brewing materials were dropped in the UK beginning with Gladstone’s Free Mash Tun Act in 1880, which based the duty on beer solely on the brew’s original gravity.

The standard beer was assumed to have an OG of 1057, with higher taxes imposed above this level, and lower taxes beneath it. Between 1890 and 1900, the typical OG of British pale ale was over 1060; after both world wars, it had dropped below 1040. Meanwhile, brewers made more of what they had to work with. Attenuation of extract during fermentation (the degree to which the yeast converted the available sugar to alcohol) increased during this period, from 50-65 percent to over 70 percent, producing drier brews.

The Free Mash Tun Act also helped change the composition of British beers, since no tax was afterward imposed on ingredients. Cheaper adjuncts such as unmalted grain including rice and corn, as well as the increased use of sugar, became commonplace, and the malt flavors of many British beers declined as a result.

Strong beers still face the prospect of higher taxes.

War has always been used as an excuse to raise taxes. The first U.S.beer tax, as mentioned, was imposed by Lincoln during the Civil War. Federal excise tax on beer has been with us ever since. It was increased again dramatically during the Korean War to pay for the cost of that conflict.

In the beer business, taxes, like marketing, are part of the brewing process. Beer taxes have supported the infrastructure of government almost as long as governments have existed. As we have seen, they have caused the alteration and even the virtual extinction of beer styles as well as the creation of new ones. Still, no matter how much taxes have had to do with the beer we drink, they never seem to go down easily.

Some helpful hints to beginners:
how to design a beer label

In our cut-and-paste universe, designing a beer label can be just about as fast as making a snapshot. But it can also be a labour of love, requiring years of thought and training, not to speak of talent, All About Beer Magazine maintains.

Begin the designing process with a properly served beer, preferably the one for which you’re designing the label, experts advise. But do not forget that the beer is more important than the label!

The label is the beer’s birth certificate and, in that regard, designing a beer label is a little bit like conception. The act of procreation is a pleasure, but secondary to the joy of seeing your child (in this case, the beer) enter the world, well received, in his fancy new blanket.

Like having a baby, a critical step is deciding on a name. Popular categories include animals, mountain ranges, national monuments, fairy tales, saints and sinners, place names, people’s names (mostly men’s) and ribbon colours. Straying from these categories is seldom successful.

Top designers think of the name and visualize the illustration at about the same time. Be creative here. Consulting multiple sources for inspiration is smart. Being sued for copyright infringement is not. Remember that Sunday school lesson about thou shall not steal.

Slightly boring, but necessary for commercial brewers, is adding all the government-required (federal and state) information, including address, contents, brand name, description of product (beer), UPC code and health warning. Homebrewers feeling guilty may optionally add these details to their labels.

Visualize getting to know your printer, for mock-ups and for the finished label. Determine whether you want to print on paper, plastic film or directly on the bottle (silk screen.) Forget about costs. You are still in the creative phase.

Now it’s time to move that beer to your desktop (not too close) and assemble all the elements. Things to consider here are label size, type style, colours, and placement of the illustration. How big to make Aunt Emma’s photograph can be as contentious as choosing a name, should designing be a team effort, so it is recommended that one team member volunteer to be the boss.

Once the design is finished, before a label can be applied to a single bottle, approval for the finished product must be sought at various government levels. Is the label misleading? Is the illustration obscene? Are all the warnings in place? You may have your label rejected even because it lacks a comma.

Never underestimate the importance of the label. Attention to detail will determine whether your offspring’s fate will be famous or flawed. That’s a big responsibility for the label designer. Like beer, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Which hop varieties you mostly
find in Belgian beer?

One of the hop varieties most often used in Belgium beer (Rodenbach and Westmalle, for instance) are the English East Kent Goldings and Fuggles. There is even some historical speculation that these English varieties have their roots in Belgium, having been introduces by Flemish immigrants.

Saaz (the main Czech hops) is a very popular variety, found in beers from Oud Bruin to wit bier, Trappist ales to Lambics. Besides, a few German noble types like Tettnang and the Slovenian Styrian Golding are also sought by Belgian brewers.

The small particularity about the nation’s brewing tradition is that although very bitter hops are not unknown to Belgium, few beers use them. Low alpha hops are by far favored. The big particularity is that some styles reject the notion of fresh hops, opting to age them for as much as 3 years. This is particularly true of Lambics and Whites, who need the preservative properties of hop alpha acids without the associated flavors.

Chocolate making:
step by step to perfection

“While holding between your fingers this half an ounce of happiness, think about the long way to obtain this mouthful of pleasure, delight of gods.” Unknown philosopher about chocolate

The chocolate is prepared from the seeds of the cocoa which is a tree bearing large seeds pods. Most of these trees, initially discovered in America, are now growing in many equatorial countries.

After the gathering, the cocoa beans are dried by the sun and sent to the chocolate manufacturers. In the factories, the seeds are roasted and crushed to obtain the cocoa powder. They are also squeezed to make the cocoa butter.

Then the chocolate is produced by the mixing of the above powder and butter and the addition of sugar and milk powder.

The proportion of each component will determine the chocolate colour:

The black chocolate can contain up to 70% of cocoa;
The milk chocolate contains more milk powder;
The white chocolate is only made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk without cocoa.

The chocolate manufacturers take care to select the best cocoa as well as the finest components in order to produce the Belgian chocolate - or “praline” - filling.

Indeed, the chocolate quality is determined by the cocoa seeds choice and the components quality which give it all its characteristics (its flavour, its colour, its touch …).

The Belgian artisan manufactures almost all the “praline” by hand, especially the decoration. And it becomes a unique article as he gives a personal touch to all of his creations thanks to his long experience. Next, the “praline” follows the distribution channels before taking its place amongst the finest de luxe products. And finally, the chocolate miracle reaches its final destination – its consumer.

“Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer.”

La Prime de Fin d’Annee is a dark beer with 8.5% alc. volume. It’s a strong, full of character brew with a smooth, well-rounded taste. Without excessive bitterness, this beer has some notes of fruit, caramel and a very light hint of torrefied malt.

La Prime de Fin d’Annee has a very beautiful brown-red colour. This is a beer to be savoured slowly, thoroughly enjoying its unique flavour and aroma.

Cheers! Sante!

Bolivia ranked first among most expensive beer nations

The most expensive beer is served in Bolivia, where the price of a pint amounts to about ˆ7.0, according to pintprice.com – a website that compares beer prices from 206 countries with the help of thousands of beer drinkers.

United Arab Emirates are ranked second most expensive beer nation with an average price of a pint set at ˆ5.8.

The third place is given to Norway (ˆ5.2 per pint), the fourth – to Djibouti (ˆ5.1), the fifth – to Greenland (ˆ4.3).

The top ten list of world’s most expensive beer countries also includes Guadeloupe, France, Iceland, Andorra, and Equatorial Guinea.

Beer and taxes: part 1

Taxes have been imposed on citizens by governments for centuries, and breweries and their beers have long been a favorite tap for government revenue.

Egypt was the first civilization on record to tax beer. As European societies learned to make beer, the taxman dutifully followed. In the French city of Aix-la-Chapelle, the city council of 1271 mandated cutting off the right hand of brewers who failed to pay their beer taxes; taverns that didn’t pay were torn down. Beer historian Gregg Smith writes that in Hamburg in the late 16th century, there were over 1500 brewers; by 1698, due principally to high taxes, only 120 remained.

In London in the 1690s, gin was cheaper than beer because of lower taxes, which led to the social problems of excessive gin consumption depicted so vividly in Hogarth’s prints. The British government responded to the protests of reformers by raising the taxes on spirits, and beer soon regained its popularity among the drinking public.

In 1764, the first customs duty on beer and wine was imposed by the British on the American colonies. Following American independence, however, no taxes were levied on beer–a wise choice, since public outrage concerning unfair taxes helped fuel the American Revolution. But the tax-free status of beer was changed by none other than Abraham Lincoln, who issued a $1 per barrel tax on beer on July 1, 1862 to help pay for the Civil War (he also started the federal income tax). By 1919, the beer barrel tax had increased to just $6, and was only $9 in 1990, before being doubled the following year (it was later reduced to $7 per barrel for brewers making 2 million barrels or less).

Throughout history, businessmen have sought to avoid taxes, by legal means or otherwise. Savvy brewers have also found ways to reduce or dodge taxes–ways that have often changed the beers they made, sometimes in dramatic fashion. In fact, many of the beers we enjoy today were shaped by taxes as much as by taste or technology.

Pale ale or bitter, for instance, developed not just as a result of technology, but also because of taxes on its ingredients. The fabrication of coke from coal in 18th century Britain allowed maltsters to develop a high-heat dried pale malt that had no off-flavors as were common from wood-fired kilns. Taxes on coal, however, made production of this malt more expensive than the brown malt used for porters and stouts. As a result, the lighter colored “pale” ale that was produced from it was more expensive to make, and thus higher in price.

Since the resulting beers were more consistent and probably more reliably free of smoky or phenolic off-odors as well, pale ales were ideally suited for the export market–especially in their stronger and hoppier version as India pale ale.

Cheaper porter became a workingman’s brew. Perhaps the increased hoppiness of pale ales was a direct result of higher taxes on their production as well, since they were usually bottled for export, and needed more hops as a preservative.

When the export market for British ales shrank due to the Napoleonic Wars and restrictions on trade from high Russian tariffs, coal taxes were dropped, and the home market for pale ales expanded, while their alcohol strength was gradually reduced.

Taxes–or the avoidance of them–also helped create Irish-style stout. In his book, Classic Stout and Porter, Roger Protz notes that Arthur Guinness II developed his famous recipe by using non-taxed unmalted roasted barley in the place of black malt in his porters to reduce their cost. The bitterness of the roasted barley set his brews apart from those of his competitors in England and Scotland. It was instrumental in making Guinness Foreign Extra Porter Stout, a stronger version that became popular in the colonies. Guinness Double Stout came to dominate the London market. Here again taxes were a factor.

Taxes on individual beer ingredients continue to engender new beer styles today. In Japan in recent years, the beverage category called happoshu has encompassed a wide range of drinks that have little in common except their lower tax status.

Happoshu generally refers to a new style of light beer that has been created to avoid taxes on malt. Made with as much as 75 percent corn or rice adjuncts, the resulting brew is just as strong as typical Japanese lagers, yet costs much less. While that fact alone has made happoshu attractive to consumers, many complain about its lack of flavor.

However, the happoshu category–and its tax advantages–also includes brews made with ingredients not approved for use in beer. This means that Japanese craft brewers who want to experiment with fruit, spices or different grains may enjoy a lower tax rate. That also motivates some brewers to add ingredients they wouldn’t otherwise–sweet potatoes or bitter melon, for example–purely to qualify for lower tarrifs. Either way, the result is new flavor combinations for the consumer, made possible by the tax structure.

To be continued…

Open Days at Brasserie de Rulles

La Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles warmly invites you to its Open Days on Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th.

In programme:

visit of the brewery;
cooking with Rulles beer;
activities for children.

Info: +32 (0) 63 41 18 38

La Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles is quite literally a ‘Farmhouse’ brewery. This term is used fairly liberally by Belgian brewers these days, generally to refer to an artisanally produced, rustic ale, but they are frequently brewed in large, modern breweries. Not so for la Rulles!

The brewery was founded by Gregory Verhelst in June of 2000. Mr. Verhelst selected the village of Rulles because of the local water source, a stream running from the forest of d’Anlier that has naturally soft water. Water with a low mineral content is the best for brewing, as high mineral content water is less efficient in extracting sugars from grains, not to mention the affect that high mineral-content water has on the plumbing and brewing equipment.

La Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles guarantees an interesting weekend and is looking forward to meeting you at its premises - 36 Rue M. Grevisse, Rulles, Belgium.

Old beer is not always a waste if aged properly

Aged beer? The very concept of deliberately aging a beer contradicts everything we hear and see in beer ads. The majority of beer producers stress that fresh beer is the best beer to encourage people to buy their products.

Indeed, with the majority of beer styles, fresher is better. But there are many beer styles which will improve with age, due to a number of factors.

Higher alcohol content is one of these factors. Alcohol is a preservative, so stronger beers will stand the test of time much more gracefully than beers with less alcohol.

Bottle conditioning - the practice of leaving live yeast in the beer when it is bottled - also makes beers good candidates for aging, since the yeast continues to develop the beers over time.

If you have the taste for aged beer, your destination has to be Belgium.

Belgium has a long tradition of producing bottle conditioned beers, like lambic and gueuze, strong ales, and other beers that will improve with age if cellared properly. And, since breweries dotted all around the country produce world class beers with aging potential, beer lovers can often rely on local beer cafes to have great beers for them. They don’t need to spend time and effort cellaring beer, as it is done for them. With so many specialty beer cafes all around Belgium, there are always a lot of very good choices to be had.

While many cafes in Belgium do have a cellar with aged beers available, this fact is not always advertised. At such places, inquiring and showing an interest in beer beyond that of a typical visitor or tourist will help convince the owner to let you in on what aged treasures may reside in the cellar.

Random pieces of chocolate facts

Chocolate was first enjoyed in beverages, it was only much later that it came to be used in solid form.

When chocolate mousse was invented, it was known as chocolate mayonnaise!

In Japan, there is a Valentine’s Day tradition called “Giri Choco” (or “obligation chocolate”) which requires that women give inexpensive chocolate to all of the men in their lives: coworkers, bosses, etc.

In 1579, English pirates raided a Spanish ship. Upon finding its cargo of precious cocoa beans they burned the whole ship–they mistook the beans for sheep dung.

It is said that Eleanor Roosevelt ate three, chocolate-covered garlic balls each morning as a memory aid.

Were you scared by the shower scene in Hitchcock’s movie Psycho? The “blood” that you see in that scene is actually chocolate syrup. See - nothing to be afraid of!

Although chocolate and milk seems like a perfect combination, it is extremely difficult to combine them as chocolate is mostly fat and milk is mostly water. Daniel Peter, a citizen of Switzerland, was the first to successfully combine chocolate and milk in 1875.

Stearic acid, a fat found in chocolate, does not raise LDL cholesterol levels, even though it is a saturated fat.

There is a restaurant in London known for its exotic specialties. One of the common dessert options is a chocolate covered scorpion with a sip of Sauterne.

Chocolate and cocoa are not only used in desserts, they can also be added to savory dishes such as stews and sauces.

Chocolate’s scientific name, Theobroma cacao, was created by combining a Greek term meaning “food of the gods” (theobroma) and the ancient Olmec word for the chocolate plant, “cacao.” Theobroma cacao grows almost exclusively within 20 degrees of the equator.

And a chocolate quote:

“Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate.” Patrick Skene Catling