Belgian Styles Flashcards
Where is Belgium located?
Northern Europe, in a region known as the “beer belt.”
What countries make up the modern day “beer belt?”
Present day Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, the U.K. & Ireland.
What is significant about the climate in the “beer belt?”
Cooler climate has historically favored the cultivation of grains rather than grapes.
What has remained the national beverage of Belgium throughout history?
Beer
What does Belgian beer culture consist of?
Respect for tradition with an independent artisanal spirit.
Who is accredited with playing an important role in brewing and helped carry beers popularity in the Middle Ages?
The Belgian monasteries in the 8th & 9th centuries.
How many types of beer would Belgian monks often brew?
Several
Why would monks often brew several types of beer?
Both for sustenance and to welcome travelers and noble guests.
What happened to Belgian monasteries (and breweries) during the 1790s (French Revolution)?
They were closed or demolished due to France bordering Belgium.
What year did Belgium gain independence when they seceded from The Netherlands?
1830
What was the reputation of Belgian produced beers at the end of the 19th century?
Half of the beers produced in Belgium fell under 3% ABV and held a reputation for poor quality.
What beers dominated the Belgian beer market at the end of the 19th century?
English ales and variations of pilsners (which were sweeping all of Europe).
What year did a prominent brewing scientist named Henri Van Lear organize a nationwide brewing contest in Belgium?
1902
Why did Henri Van Lear organize a nationwide brewing contest in Belgium in 1902?
He hoped that Belgian brewers would create quality beers that would stand out in the export market while also resonating with the local consumers.
Why didn’t very many breweries enter Henri Van Laers initial brewing contest in 1902?
Because it required that each beer recipe be made public.
What happened in 1904 when Van Laer changed the rules in the nationwide brewing contest to keep the recipes a secret?
Numerous entries poured in and this single event helped steer the direction of the modern formulations of several Belgian beer styles.
What did many of the beers entered in the 1904 Belgian nationwide brew contest share as influences in their submissions?
Many of the beers in the contest incorporated influences from English ales or appealed to drinkers desiring pale lager beers. But Belgian brewers adapted these styles by adding their own twists.
What kind of twists did Belgian brewers typically use on beers influenced by English ales and beers that appealed to drinkers of paler lager beers?
They added their characterful Belgian yeast strains, spices, and/or adjuncts to create something new and distinctly Belgian.
Today, are Belgian brewers likely to discuss ingredients or spices that are used in their beer?
No. Secrecy among Belgian brewers remains today -many are reluctant ant to discuss this info.
Describe the Vandervelde Act
Passed in 1919 - banned the sale of spirits in pubs and public places.
This helped drive development and popularity of high alcohol ales through the 20th century.
Many of the Trappist beer styles we know today were at least partially created to fill the ensuing public demand for stronger alcoholic beverages. (Forerunners of modern Trappist Dubbel and Tripel).
When did the new era of Belgian innovation and the evolution of many contemporary styles happen and what did this lead to?
The 1920s & 1930s. Led to the unique Belgian beer culture identity of its own.
What are some common ingredients we see used throughout the history of Belgian brewing?
Adjunct grains, spices, and fruit
Why is it that many commercial examples of Belgian beer don’t fit neatly into the exact BJCP parameters of any given style and some beers exist entirely outside the paradigm of organized beer styles?
Because Belgian brewers tend to put their own creative twist on each beer, thus the concept of beer styles finds less acceptance among brewers in Belgium.
Regardless of the ingredients used or labels applied, what do Belgian brewers strive for in each beer?
Balance.
As a general rule, they believe all of the ingredients should work together to create a complex and well-integrated whole in which no one component overwhelms the others.
Geographically, modern Belgium is divided into which 3 regions?
Flanders - North (West Flanders = Dutch speaking province)
Wallonia - South
Brussels - Capital Region
What style of beer can you expect to find in West Flanders?
Several classic producers of the sour Flanders Red style.
What can you expect to find in the Wallonian province Hainaut?
An hour and a half south of West Flanders, this region features Saison drinking and French speaking
What style of beer are you likely to encounter in Brussels and Leuven?
1 hour northeast of Wallonia - this is where you will discover the home of Lambic and Witbier, respectively
In Belgium, what variation of beer style is dominating the market?
International Pale Lager
How do bars honor the tradition that Belgian. Tweets typically adopt a unique and distinctive next glass to represent their brand?
By only serving each beer in its proper glass. Many establishments bartenders may opt to suspend service if a particular beer if all of that brewery’s glasses are in use.
In addition to producing beer, what do some Trappist monasteries in Belgium produce ?
Foodstuffs such as cheese. Naturally the cheeses are often served alongside beers from the monastery.
What do most Belgian beers have as a base malt?
Pilsner malt but both grain adjuncts and kettle adjuncts play a role in many beer styles.
What is original gravity?
A measurement of the density of wort prior to fermentation, which gives the brewer an estimate of the sugar content of the wort as well as the potential alcohol content of the finished beer.
What spawned some creative and lengthy brewing processes, including “turbid mashing” in 1822?
A law taxed each batch of beer based on the capacity of the brewers mash tun, resulting in brewers packing their mash tuns as full of grain as physically possible.
This law also allowed brewers to use a second vessel for un-malted grains which was taxed at less than its full capacity. This incentivized brewers to use adjunct grains in their recipes and many modern styles still incorporate these ingredients.
Historically, what did Belgian brewers find to be economical to use to boost the gravity of beer?
Kettle adjuncts such as Candi sugar.
Sugar was cheaper than malt and often taxed lower than malt.
Also kettle adjuncts like Candi sugar can help lighten the beer on the palate and add crisp dryness that often belies a beers strength for great drinkability.
Why is Pilsner Malt kilned very lightly?
To deliver flavors of unsalted saltine crackers, very light matzo, or water crackers.
What does Pilsner malt provide in Belgian-style beers?
Bready, grainy flavors that balance the hops, spices, and fermentation flavors of the beer.
What kind of malt often forms the foundation of Austrian and German amber and dark lagers?
Vienna malt
How does Vienna malt differ from Pilsner malt?
Vienna malt is both kilned at higher temperatures and for a longer period of time than Pilsner malt.
This kilning process develops lightly toasted malt flavors with slightly nutty notes and a subtle, honeyed, cereal sweetness
Beers brewed with a large portion of Vienna malt turn out a rich orange or light amber color.
How does Munich malt differ from Vienna malt?
All Munich malts are kilned at higher temperatures and for a longer period of time than Vienna or Pilsner malts.
Munich malt gives beer an amber to brown color and flavors of toast, biscuits, pretzels, and bread crusts and often forms the base for many German amber and dark lager styles.
Munich malt also comes in a small range of colors with some slight differences in flavor and intensity.
How are Vienna and Munich malts used in most Belgian style beers?
Sparingly.
Small portions of Vienna or Munich malt can add color and subtle malt flavor to styles such as Dubbel.
Belgian brewers typically avoid creating intense malt flavors or full body in their beers as they want these beers to remain drinkable and balanced even when high in ABV.
Which Belgian style beer are likely to have larger additions of Vienna or Munich malt?
Amber and brown bière de garde.
In the Flanders Red style, Vienna or Munich malt often serves as the base malt, contributing much of the reddish-brown color to the beer.
What is unmalted wheat?
A grain adjunct.
What does unmalted wheat add to witbiers?
A creamy and fluffy texture to the mouthfeel of the beer as well as a pale-white haze characteristic of the style.
Also aids in head retention due to the high protein level.
How does wheat differ from barley?
Wheat has a bready, floury flavor that differs slightly from the cereal-like quality of barley.
In a traditional witbier, un-malted wheat can make up how much of the grist?
Nearly half.
Why is unmalted wheat used in Lambic brewing due to the use of turbid mashing?
It’s high amount of carbohydrates in the grain goes largely unconverted which provides food for the many different microbes that are a part of spontaneous fermentation, especially during the later stages.
Adding unmalted wheat ensures an energy source for Brett throughout years of extended maturation.
What percentage of unmalted wheat typically makes up the grist in Lambic and Gueuze
Typically 35-40%
What type of sugar do Belgian brewers prefer for brewing?
Candi sugar
How is adding candi sugar to a beer different from adding malt and other grains?
Candi sugar is fully-fermentable and does not contain any proteins or complex carbohydrates that add body to a beer.
If a Belgian brewer used 10-20% of candies sugar extract in a beer what will it do?
Lighten the body and mouthfeel of the beer.
What does the high fermentability of Candi sugar do to the finished beer?
Reduces the overall sweetness (compared to an all malt formulation) giving a drier finished product.
Why do Belgian brewers like to use Candi sugar when brewing Belgian ales and Trappist/abbey style beers?
Because it lightens the palate and improves the drinkability of these beers.
Candi sugar comes in a wide range of colors based on cooking conditions in the production process. How do the lighter varieties differ from the darker varieties?
Lighter varieties add nothing to the flavor of the beer - only lighten the body and boost the ABV
Darker varieties leave behind a wide range of “cooked” flavors, ranging from burnt sugar, rum, toffee & molasses to notes of dark fruit like raisins, prunes, plums or figs. (Also adds significant color to the beer)
What do Belgian brewers use the term “Candi sugar” to refer to?
The liquid form of cooked sugar syrup made from beets readily available in their country.
What is something American brewers may use to substitute for Candi sugar if they don’t have any?
Dextrose or other simple sugar adjuncts. Which produce the same effect of lightening the body and boosting the ABV to the finished beer.
How do maltsters produce crystal malt?
They “stew” green malt (undried, germinated malt) in a roasting drum using temperatures similar to those used by brewers during mashing.
What happens during the “stewing” process of green malt into crystal malt?
“Stewing” converts starch into sugar so that the malt kernel holds a mass of liquefied sugar.
Then the maltsters rapidly raise the temperature while removing moisture to caramelize and crystallize the sugars.
Belgian brewers employ highly kilned crystal malts to give a deep ruby hue to which style of beer?
Flanders Red Ales.
What is “Special B?”
A highly colored crystal malt produced by maltsters using very high roasting temperatures. (More than 400 degrees) Which delivers intense flavors of burnt sugar, dried fruit, toasted raisin bread and plums.
Which modern versions of store often use “Special B” as a signature ingredient?
Belgian Dubbel, Belgian dark strong ale and other dark Belgian ales.
What kind of malt do Belgian brewers sometimes use less then 1% of in the grist to add some color and faint hints of chocolate or roast?
Chocolate malt or black malt.
How would most observers characterize the use of hops in Belgian beer?
Restrained use of hops.
What are often referred to as “the spice of beer?”
Hops
How do most Belgian brewers use hops?
For subtle flavor additions rather than primary taste attributes.
Favoring German and Czech noble hops: hallertau, tettnang, spalt and saaz
While some modern commercial examples of Belgian beers display pronounced hop bitterness, most styles and examples have just enough to balance the malt and yeast flavors.
What are some hops that are more off shoots of saaz hops and what can they contribute to the finished beer?
English Goldings and Fuggle, and the Slovenian variety Styrian Goldings.
They can contribute floral, perfumy, and herbal character without the citrus, resin, or tropical fruit notes that many American and New World Hope feature.
What Belgian beer styles have some modern commercial examples display pronounced hop bitterness?
Saison, Belgian Tripel, wine Belgian Blond.
What styles of Belgian beers have virtually nonexistent hop bitterness?
Some sour and wild beers such as Flanders Red Ale, Our Bruin and the Lambic family.
What did brewers used to use before the use of hops in beer?
Spices.
What kinds of spices are historically used as ingredients in Belgian beer that have carried over into modern brewing?
Coriander,grains of paradise, chamomile, orange peel, white and black peppercorn, ginger, cinnamon, star anise and many more are used to accent the yeast and hop flavors in a given beer.
How much spice presence do Belgian brewers generally favor in their beer?
A light touch, a common adage being that the spices should change the flavor of the beer but not so much that a drinker can actually identify the individual spice used.
Do Belgian brewers list the spices they include in their beers ?
Brewers usually keep spices they use a secret or don’t acknowledge using spices at all as part of their mystery and romance of their individual beers.
Do all Belgian brewers use spices is in their beers?
No, some brewers use spices in all of their beer and others use none at all.
Although spices can be added to beer in many different ways, when do most brewers add them?
Late in the boil or in the whirlpool to preserve their aromatic qualities. (Which parallels aromatic hop additions.
Why do brewers often crush or grind their spices?
To maximize the flavor impact from a given quantity.
Why do some brewers opt for frozen whole fruit or fruit puree?
It can be kept longer and the skin breaks from freezing which makes the flavors more accessible and easier to transfer to the beer. Purée delivers consistent flavor in concentrated form and come already pasteurized or sanitized.
How do traditionalist brewers fruit their beer?
Fresh whole fruit (not frozen) which give the most complex flavor.
What may be the best known fruited beers of Belgium?
Fruit lambics.
Ex. Liefmans Cuvée-Brut (adds whole cherries to an Our Bruin)
Though brewers can add fruit at a number of stages of the brewing process, when do most brewers opt for adding fruit to the beer?
During secondary fermentation or prior to packaging.
What once lined the villages around Brussels and found their way into many fruited lambics?
Cherry orchards
What is the word used for fruit lambics made with cherries?
Kriek- the Flemish word for cherry.
What is the word used to indicate the presence of the second most popular addition to Fruit Lambics?
Framboise - raspberries
Aside from lambics what Belgian style of beers also sometimes use cherries or raspberries to accent the fruity flavors present in their beers?
Flanders Red Ale, Oud Bruin and Witbier
Any fruit may be used in Belgian brewing but what are some other commonly used fruit other than cherries and raspberries?
Currants, peaches, apples, strawberries & apricots
What plays a visible and defining role in Belgian beers to a greater degree than perhaps any other beer culture?
Yeast
What are some characteristics that are expressed through Belgian yeast in beers?
Fruit and spicy aromas.
The type and intensity of these flavors vary widely, depending largely on the heat strain selected, and brewers further leave their mark by manipulating fermentation variables to produce a specific flavor profile.
What styles of Belgian beers feature wild yeast and bacteria as the leading role, producing a huge range of possible aromas and flavors?
Lambic beers, Flanders Red Ale, and Oud Bruin
What kind of beer does lager yeast produce?
They produce “clean” beers with only minimal flavor contributed by the yeast, ales typically display significant flavors.
How do American, British & Belgian ale yeast differ in each of these countries?
American ale yeasts tend toward subtlety, with low levels of fruity flavor.
British ale yeast often displays a more pronounced level of fruitiness and sometimes contribute sulfur or buttery flavors as well.
Belgian ale yeasts often display a more assertive end of the spectrum, generally producing high levels of fruit flavors from esters and may contribute to the spicy flavors and phenols.
Brewers in Belgium employ a wide variety of different fermenter shapes and sizes because the “fermenter geometry” can play a large role in shaping the flavors produced by yeast. What is an example of this?
De Dolle Brouwers uses horizontal tanks as opposed to the more commonly seen cylindroconical vessels.
What do the most common fermentation-derived esters smell like?
Bananas, ripe apples or pear
What flavors do the phenols produced by many Belgian yeast strains give to the beer?
Black pepper or clove
What kind of yeast strains are capable of forming the phenolic compounds that serve as a distinctive marker for many Belgian beer styles?
Only year strains that have the PAD+ gene (formerly known as the POF+ gene which are used interchangeably today)
What do higher than normal fermentation temperatures (as high as 80F) do to the finished beer?
Adds further influence to the flavor profile of the finished beer. Some saison yeasts even get pushed up into the 90F range.
Some Belgian ales brewers continue to use mixed house cultures to achieve their distinctive flavor profile. What do these include? And what is this an example of?
The brewers yeast, wild yeast and bacteria.
This is an example of Non-saccharomyces fermentation
Which lactic acid bacteria play a role in Belgian sour beer styles?
Lactobacillus and pediococcus. Both of these types of bacteria ferment sugar to produce lactic acid.
Acetobacter (acetic acid) plays a key role in the flavor profile of which Belgian style sour beer and also contribute flavor at lower levels to beers in the Lambic family?
Flanders Red Ales
What does acetic acid contribute to the flavor of the finished beer?
The primary flavor is vinegar and it give the beer an assertive, sharp tang with a somewhat solvent-like trait.
“Brettanomyces” is a Latin word that translates into what in English?
British fungus
Is Brett yeast or bacteria?
Yeast
Can Brett ferment wort by itself?
Yes but in Belgian sour and wild beer styles it is often part if a mixed culture along with Saccharomyces and various bacteria.
What does Brett produce which contribute to the flavor profile expected from Brett beers?
Several important phenols and some organic acids and fruity esters.
Key phenols are 4-thylguaiacol and 4-ethyl phenol along with trace amounts of 4-vinylgaiacol. What common flavors do these produce in the finished beer?
Ranging from grapefruit to pineapple to leather and may also include references to barnyards, goats or other earthy traits.
What sour styles of Belgian beer does Brett play a key role in the flavor profile?
The Lambic family and Flanders Red Ale
In Belgian brewing, wood aging plays a key role in the production of which styles of beer?
Flanders Red Ale, Lambic, Gueuze, and Fruit Lambic
Where does most of the flavor contributions come from when wood aging Belgian beers?
Bacteria and wild yeast.
Microbes such as Brett, lacto and pediococcus become embedded in the grain and crevices of the wood even after cleaning.
How does the slight porosity of wood affect the finished product of long term wood aging of beer?
It creates a “microaeration” which promotes oxidation flavors such as caramel, dried fruit, sherry or port.
How does the size of the wood aging barrel influence oxygens affect on the finished beer? What is an example of a style of Belgian beer that is brewed in a very large barrel?
The larger the vessel the smaller the surface areas to the volume of beer and the lower the level of oxidation will be.
Flanders Red Ale (which achieves fairly low levels of aeration.
What do Belgian brewers often do after meticulously aging beer to create their finished product?
Blend different vessels and sometimes even different vintages.
To produce a finished blended beer what do brewers have to do?
Taste, select and the blend barrels to achieve their final flavor profile.
How do modern brewers generally carbonate beer?
A process known as “force carbonation” which bubbles pressurized carbon dioxide into a bulk tank.
How does bottle conditioning aid in preserving beer freshness?
After completing fermentation of residual sugars, the yeast remain in the beer in a dormant state, but even in the dormant state the yeast scavenge any oxygen they can find in the bottle, helping to guard the beer against oxidation.
While some styles of beer can be bottle conditioned in under 2 weeks, how long do styles like lambics, Gueuze and fruit lambic typically bottle condition for?
Several months.
What are some potential downfalls of the preservative effect of residual yeast in bottle conditioned beer?
Can result in a yeasty flavor in the beer.
Yeast left in bottle will eventually die and break down leaving flavors or rubber, car tire, soy sauce, and umami.
What method of carbonating beer do Belgian brewers usually use?
Bottle conditioning because it achieves the high carbonation levels present in most bottled Belgian beer.
The high carbonation directly influences the way we store, handle and serve these beers.
Which glassware do Belgian brewers usually serve witbier in?
Branded jelly glasses or a glass similar to that used for German Weizen.
Which glassware do most traditional lambic producers serve their beers in?
Slightly smaller and narrower variation of the jelly glass.
Some elect to serve their fruited lambics in glassware that resembles a wine glass or a footed Pilsner glass.
Since many Belgian beers come highly carbonated, what challenges does that create for draft service?
Due to the higher carbonation the gas pressure and system resistance need to be higher than for other styles.
The high carbonation also contributes to the formation of a generous head on the beer when poured.
How big are most Belgian bottled beer served in?
In large 750ml containers and often contain yeast sediment from bottle conditioning.
What is proper technique for pouring bottle conditioned beer?
Once you start pouring you should not stand the bottle upright again until you have finished pouring. (Just tip the bottle back far enough to stop the flow of beer if absolutely necessary). This is so that the yeast does not mix in the remaining beer.
Leave about an inch of beer in the bottom so the yeast debris doesn’t get deposited in the glass
What are lambic baskets?
An elegant and traditional solution for keeping the yeast sediment in the bottle. The basket holds the bottle in a position that’s just shy of horizontal which allows the beer to be poured into multiple glasses and shared without mixing the yeast with the beer.
Describe why any discussion of beer service in Belgium must include mention of their “cuisine à la bière?”
Most Belgian servers happily recommend beers that go well with specific dishes on their menu because Belgium embraces the pairing and integration of locally made beers with local food dishes more than any other beer culture.
Because Belgian beers emphasize balance and nuance they generally pair well with a variety of food items.
The high carbonation of many Belgian beers helps cut through richness, fat and umami to refresh the palate between bites.
Most Belgian beers do not bring bitterness to the table
Belgian kitchens often incorporate beer into a variety of recipes. What are some examples?
Moules frites employs witbier or Gueuze in the broth used to cook the mussels.
Rabbit, a staple in classic Belgian cuisine is often cooked in Gueuze or fruit lambic.
Belgian kitchens often incorporate beer into a variety of recipes. What are some examples?
Moules frites employs witbier or Gueuze in the broth used to cook the mussels.
Rabbit, a staple in classic Belgian cuisine is often cooked in Gueuze or fruit lambic.
What does “wit” mean / indicate?
White
Signifies a beer made with wheat.
Records show multiple variations of white beer brewed in Flanders and around the towns of Leuven and Hoegaarden, possibly as early as when?
The 14th century.
Why were witbiers common in places like Flanders and Hoegaarden?
Wheat grew especially well in this region and unmalted grains were cheaper for brewers to use than malted barley.
Other than wheat, which other grain made up a substantial portion of the grist in historical beers from the Flanders / Hoegaarden region?
Oats
While there were differences in the exact grain bill and strength of these traditional white beers what did all of them share in common?
A degree of lactic tartness from lactic acid bacteria and probably features background flavors from the wild yeast.
When were early Belgian witbier usually brewed?
During the summer months and and meant to be consumed quickly as a summer refresher
Brewers eventually began producing witbier year-round and the style grew quite popular in Belgium.
When did the white beer style completely die out and what contributed to this?
The 1950s. This was influenced by WWI forcing Belgian government to ration wheat for bread making.
Who was responsible for the resurgence of witbier?
Pierre Celis, a local milkman from the town of Hoegaarden
What kind of grain does traditional versions of witbier use?
Unmalted wheat (to give the beer a distinct bready, floury flavor.
Since mashing raw wheat requires a more involved procedure, what do some brewers opt to use to simplify their the mashing process?
Flaked wheat or malted wheat
A number of brewers add oats (either raw or flaked) for 5-10% of the grist which gives additional body and creaminess to the beer.
What gives witbier its characteristic pale white haze?
The unmalted grains (both wheat and oats)
In witbiers, what flavor is accentuated due to the fact that the hop flavor and aroma are typically absent?
The spices in the beer.
What drives the flavor profile of witbiers?
Spice character
Modern examples of the style typically feature curaçao, orange peel and coriander
What kind of traits does curaçao impart on witbiers?
Herbal or perfumy traits
What traits does coriander often lend to witbier?
Citrus or lemongrass notes but may also come across as fruity, peppery or floral depending on the variety.
Other than curaçao and coriander, why other spices are often used in witbier (sometimes without admitting it)
Chamomile, ginger, cumin, grains of paradise, black peppercorn or cinnamon
When done well, the individual spices are not easy to pick out but contribute to a subtle nuanced aroma and flavor in the finished beer.
What style of Belgian beer does the yeast flavors not come across as strongly as they do in many other Belgian styles?
Witbier
What do some brewers do to add another traditional touch to their witbier to enhance the tart crispness of the beer?
Conduct a limited lactic fermentation, blending in a portion of soured beer, or adding lactic acid.
This is optional and should be at a low level if present.
What are the key flavors of the witbiere style?
Herbal, spicy, and citrusy notes from use of coriander, orange peel, and possibly other spices. Bready and floury grain flavors, sometimes with hints of honey or vanilla.
What glassware is witbier usually served in?
French jelly glass or tulip glass
What is the color range for witbier?
Straw to light gold (SRM 2-4)
What is the ABV for witbier?
Normal (4.5-5.5%)
What is the bitterness level for witbier?
Low (8-20 IBUs)
Describe the mouthfeel of witbier
Medium-light to medium body, high carbonation, light creaminess.
What was an early variation of witbier?
Bière de Hoegaarden
Hoegaarden was once considered a style of its own.
Brewers there used both wheat and oats to make what was reportedly the tartest of the white beers of the time.
1758 - Hoegaarden brewing culture had 38 breweries
At what point in time did Hoegaarden only have 4 breweries?
The 1930s
Tomsin, the last remaining brewery in Belgium, closed in what year? (Marking the death of the witbier style)
1957
What made Pierre Celis hold a particular affection for the old witbiers of his hometown and resolve to revive the style?
He worked at Tomsin brewery at some point in his life.
When did Pierre Celis start his first brewery and what was it called?
In the 1960s, it essentially called Brewery Celis and it was in an old hayloft.
When did Pierre Celis start his first brewery and what was it called?
In the 1960s, it essentially called Brewery Celis and it was in an old hayloft.
When did Celis brew his first batch of Our Hoegaards Bier, breathing life back into the witbier style?
March 1966
When did brewers in other parts of Belgium and the Netherlands begin to brew the witbier again to capitalize on its newfound popularity?
Early 1980s
What happened to Brewery Celis in 1985?
A fire decimated much of the brewery and Celis was forced to sell a majority sake to the large Belgian brewery Artois in order to rebuild.
What did the sale of the majority stake of Celis to Artois do for the company?
It accelerated expansion and growth of Hoegaarden White and Celis sold the rest of his stake in 1990.
What did Pierre Celis do in 1992?
Moved to Austin, Texas and started a brewery with his daughter Christine with the flagship beer being dubbed “Celia White” being soon popular in the US.
What do many still consider the exemplar of the witbier style?
Hoegaarden Wit
Why do Saison and Bière de Garde often get discussed together?
Their association with the geographically close farmland regions of southern Belgium and northern France. But the 2 styles have evolved into 2 very different styles.
Where do Saisons come from?
Southern Belgian region of Wallonia.
Particularly the province of Hainaut on the French border.
What language is spoken in southern Belgium?
French.
Why do most sources say Saison beer originated?
As sustenance and/or refreshment for farm workers at a time when most farm work was done by hand.
When did Saison beer become recognized as a commercially produced style?
About 100-150 years ago (1850s-1924)
How might each batch of farm-based Saison vary?
Based on available ingredients, including grains and herbs or spices.
True farmhouse Saison was a less clearly defined style and more an approach to brewing a staple good for the farm.
Today, what is considered the definitive example of the Saison style? What are the color, ABV, IBUs for this beer?
Saison DuPont (sometimes subtitled as “Vielle Provision”)
Pale orange in color
6.5%
31 IBUs
(These values place it near the middle of the BJCP definition for Belgian Saison.
What are 3 defining traits of Saisons?
High attenuation often in excess of 90%)
Brewers carbonate their beer with high levels of CO2 (which further serves to create a dry, crisp impression)
Generally display some level of spicy, phenolic fermentation character and ale-like fruitiness (coming mostly from the yeast)
What flavors can be expected in a Saison beer?
Fruity and spicy flavors (coming from a mix of fermentation flavors, hops, and optional spices, with yeast playing the star role).
What flavors of esters do most Saison yeast strains produce?
Fruity esters reminiscent of oranges, lemons, peaches or dried apricots, and phenolic that smell more musky and peppery than clove-like
Many of these strains do well at relatively high ale fermentation temperatures, increasing the level of these flavors in the finished beer.
What are the flavors attributed to common hops used in classic Saisons? Also what are 3 commonly used hops in Saisons?
Earthy, spicy, or herbal.
Saaz, East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings (which complement the spicy, peppery yeast character in the beer).
What are the flavors attributed to common hops used in classic Saisons? Also what are 3 commonly used hops in Saisons?
Earthy, spicy, or herbal.
Saaz, East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings (which complement the spicy, peppery yeast character in the beer).
What kind of hops do brewers outside of Belgium sometimes experiment with in Saisons?
American citrusy, piney, and tropical hops.
