The origin of beer
The Gauls, settled in regions where vines did not grow, made barley wine with their families in wooden barrels. In the 8th century, Belgian monks mastered the art of brewing barley fermented with hops. From then on, we can talk about beer and no longer about "cervoise".
It was at this time that the first real breweries appeared, linked to the monasteries. In the 11th century, the first brewers' guild was founded in Affligem. Malt then made its entry into the world of beer. This germinated barley, then dried, even roasted, became essential in the fermentation process. The Cistercian monks also started to work and the first monastic brewery was built in Villers-la-Ville (Brabant-Wallon).
Breweries multiplied from the 16th century. The following century, the King of France granted brewers a title of "juré" which gave them the right to practice their profession. The Brewers' House, located on the Grand'Place in Brussels, dates from this period. The 18th century saw the abolition of the system but also the appearance of new technical progress, such as the steam engine, which gradually replaced the kiln, with which the brewer stirred (brewed) the wort.
The industrial revolution that began in the 19th century buried the family brew. Pasteur discovered fermentable yeast. At the same time, in Pilsen, Bohemia (Czech Republic), a new beer was born that changed the landscape: lager, whose yeasts ferment at low temperature. With its transparent blond color, freshness and appetizing head, the beautiful beer from Bohemia conquered the whole world... and caused the disappearance of many small breweries (Belgium had nearly 3,300 of them at the time!), unable to afford the expensive low-temperature fermentation equipment around 1900. The two world wars, the anti-alcohol leagues and the takeover of breweries by multinationals finished off this local craft. If the lager is still hegemonic, soft beers, even sweetened, were born, like sweetened krieks, then light or white beers. This was enough to make the bitterness and acidity advocates indignant. They are reassured since the return of bitter beers, especially in the United States, then in Europe: the IPA (India Pale Ale), strongly hopped. This ingredient acting as a preservative, the new recipe allowed the beer to better resist the trip to India, hence its name! The other fashion on the other side of the Atlantic is that of dark stouts with caramelized malts, but without sweetness. In the last twenty years, there has been a renaissance of small craft breweries, more precisely "micro" or "nano" breweries, which often produce IPA. There are nearly 150 breweries in Belgium, and Belgian beer has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017! Today, there are between 400 and 500 different beers in Belgium. But it is difficult to keep track of the so-called "label beers" and the special brews.
The different types of beer
The type of fermentation of beer defines the appearance, flavor, smell, taste and even the texture of the foam. It depends on the yeast used, the brewing temperature, the position of the yeast in the tank and the duration of the fermentation. There are three categories: low fermentation, high fermentation and spontaneous fermentation.
In bottom fermentation
The beers are fermented at low temperature. Pils is the most consumed hegemonic beer. In Brussels, the industrial Jupiler and its Flemish cousin Stella Artois dominate the market, ahead of Maes (Alken-Maes) and Primus (Haacht). Many smaller breweries still have a lager in their range, such as Rédor (Brie Dupont), Bavik (Brie De Brabandere), Bel Pils (Brie Duvel Moortgat), Romy Pils (Brie Roman) or Cristal-Alken, a hoppier lager.
High fermentations
As you'd expect, the yeasts here ferment at high temperatures. The vast majority of Belgian beers are top-fermented (Trappist, abbey, "special" beers, amber whites, etc.), although in terms of production volume, they are still dominated by lagers. To name but a few: Grimbergen, Maredsous, Tongerlo, Affligem and Postel, Floreffe and Bonne-Espérance, Saint-Feuillien, Ename, Dendermonde, Bornem and Keizersberg, Steenbrugge, Val-Dieu and Abbaye d'Aulne. The 2000s saw the addition of Saint-Martin, Saint-Idesbald/Ten Duinen and Averbode, Abbaye de Forest, La Ramée, Ter Dolen and Herkenrode.
Trappist and abbey beers
There are only 5 Trappist abbeys whose beers bear their names: Abbey Notre-Dame-de-Scourmont in Chimay, Abbey d'Orval in Villers-devant-Orval, Abbey Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Rémy in Rochefort, Abbey Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur in Westmalle and Abbey de Saint-Sixte in Westvleteren. The Abbey of Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Benoît in Hamont-Achel, in the province of Limburg, has lost its "authentic Trappist" designation since the last monk left in 2021. To qualify, Trappist monks must supervise the production process, profits must cover the needs of the abbey, and any surplus must be donated to social causes. All the rest are "abbey beers", like the big machines like Leffe and Grimbergen, or the official but little-known Keizersberg and Herkenrode. They are brewed by monks in an abbey using ancient cloister recipes. They come in blond or brown (some up to 10% alcohol).
White beers
They owe their name to their pale color and slightly fruity taste, as they are brewed mainly with unmalted wheat. As for the cloudiness, it is due to the yeasts still active, since the beers all undergo a second fermentation in the bottle. In addition, the brewer adds spices, such as coriander or citrus peel. This beer, which has existed since the Middle Ages, was forgotten after the Second World War, except in the region of Leuven where the famous Hoegaarden brewery is located. We can also mention the Titje, the white of Namur, the Brugs Tarwebier or the Pink Killer, flavored with pink grapefruit juice.
The amber ales or the "Belgian special
This term of English origin designates beers with a reddish/amber color, which are distinguished by a pronounced cereal taste and a relatively low alcohol content, comparable to that of a lager. The red-brown Flanders Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is distinguished by its complex flavors. Other varieties include Special De Ryck, De Koninck, Op-Ale, Tonneke, Spéciale 1900 and the Walloon Super 64, as well as Palm, Rodenbach Bavik, Bockor and Verhaeghe.
Spontaneous fermentations
These are acidic beers, the best known of which are the gueuzes. The wort comes into contact with the ambient air, the fermentation is then said to be spontaneous with natural micro-organisms in the air, rather in the Brussels region (Cantillon brewery). It is from these breweries that lambic is produced, composed of 60% malted barley and 40% raw wheat. It is then brewed with overripe hops, the true matrix of gueuzes, krieks and faros. After several months of fermentation, the whole is then stored for one, two or three years in wooden barrels.
Flemish reds
Also known as old Flemish browns, they use combined, high and spontaneous fermentation. Typically red in colour, they also ripen in wooden tuns. Often low in alcohol, they are distinguished by their sweet and sour taste. Sometimes, some breweries macerate cherries in them, thus joining the philosophy of the krieks of the Brussels region. The best known representatives are Rodenbach, Petrus Oud Bruin, or Duchess of Burgundy and Burgundy of Flanders.
