{"id":9595,"title":"Belgian beer a brief history","description":"A brief history of Belgian Beer.","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: EXPLORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Think of Belgium. Beer, chocolate, Eddy Merckx, Tintin and, if you\u2019re old enough, the Singing Nun will possibly spring to mind. Belgium is beer. It\u2019s the only country that's on UNESCO\u2019s list of \"the intangible cultural heritage of humanity\" for its beer.<\/p>

Hops, an essential ingredient<\/strong>\"\"Peter Weemeeuw<\/u><\/a>, Hop Humulus Lupulus<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>

That\u2019s like being awarded a knighthood for services to beer. Belgium also gets an honourable mention from UNESCO for \u201cShrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke\u201d, amongst others.<\/p>

The United Kingdom hasn\u2019t featured on their list yet, which seems a bit harsh given we gave the world the fried Mars Bar.<\/p>

Don\u2019t judge all Belgian beers by Leffe<\/p><\/blockquote>

If you\u2019ve only ever tried one Belgian beer the chances are that it was Leffe. Don\u2019t judge all Belgian beers by Leffe. There\u2019s nothing wrong with it and it is one of the few more widely available in the UK.<\/p>

Only drinking Leffe is like going to Indian restaurants and only ever eating chicken Tikka Masala. There's a huge variety of beers out there just waiting for you.<\/p>

How Much Beer is Brewed in Belgium?<\/h3>

According to commercial data specialist Statista, the number of active breweries has been growing steadily in the last ten years and stood at 340 in 2019. I\u2019m not sure anyone knows for certain, but there must be about 2,000 different beers.<\/p>

Enough to try a different beer every day for five years<\/p><\/blockquote>

Or, in other words, enough to try a different beer every day for five years. The majority is exported abroad with strong markets in neighbouring countries and, slightly surprisingly, China, Korea and Japan.<\/p>

Belgium is the world's third-largest exporter of beer in financial terms. Mexico leads the way with over 25%, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium neck and neck behind. Between these three they account for over half of all the world's beer exports. It's a sobering thought.<\/p>

History of Belgium Beer<\/h2>

\"\"Alexandre Dulaunoy<\/a>, Someone who drink an Orval beer<\/a>, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/p>

The Belgians have been brewing beer since at least the 12th century. As in many other European countries, low-strength beer was considered a much safer alternative to water.<\/p>

You were more likely to be poisoned by the water than suffer alcoholic poisoning from overconsumption of beer. Abbeys were permitted to brew and distribute beer to raise funds.<\/p>

You may wonder then why Belgium has such a reputation for strong beers. One suggestion is that the 1919 Vandervelde law, which aimed to reduce alcohol abuse by limiting the availability of spirits such as Genever, backfired.<\/p>

The reality is that Belgian beers didn\u2019t really increase in alcoholic strength until the 1950s and many of the versions popular today weren\u2019t brewed until the1980s. The rather duller truth is that the breweries were probably reacting to market forces.<\/p>

The Vandervelde law wasn\u2019t repealed until 1984. By then bars had been selling spirits \u2018under the counter\u2019 for years.<\/p>

God and Beer<\/h3>

The story of Belgian beer is intertwined with that of religious denominations and holy orders. Many of the 'great' Belgian beers are associated with the monastic life.<\/p>

It's no coincidence that the establishment of abbeys was closely related to the development of new beers. As with many aspects of everyday life the holy church attempted to extend its reach into the daily lives of its citizens.<\/p>

In 1380, for example, the archbishop of Cologne outlawed hopped beers to promote the use of gruyt. Cynics might think this was because he was making money from its sale.<\/p>

Gruyt is a mixture of herbs used to flavour beer in the absence of hops. What followed were the gruyt PR wars.<\/p>

Some are more the imagination of advertising executives than historical fact<\/p><\/blockquote>

Many beers are promoted today with a religious connection, although some are rather more the imagination of advertising executives than historical fact. The traditions continue, however, in the form of Trappist and Abbey beers.<\/p>

Trappist and Abbey<\/h3>

\"\"Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017)<\/a>, Belgian Beer Westmalle Trappist<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>

Since the 1990s, to be classified a Trappist<\/a> beer it must be brewed within a monastery and the profits used to support the monastery or social programs.<\/p>

The term Trappist defines where, why and by whom the beer is produced. It's not a style of beer in itself. The brewery of Westmalle, for example, produces a Tripel and a Dubbel which are two very distinct types of beer.<\/p>

Five of the Trappist breweries are found in Belgium thus forming almost half of the world\u2019s number. Until recently it was six, but the last monk moved out of the monastery at Achelse Kluis to Westmalle.<\/p>

Some Trappist beers are easy to buy such as Westmalle and Rochefort. The monks of Westvleteren, on the other hand, tightly control supplies and only sell to private individuals. They get terribly upset when they find businesses selling their beers commercially. \"\"Fabio<\/a>, Westvleteren 8<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>

The term Abbey again, in theory, defines an association with an abbey, but the reality is that it is sometimes a rather tenuous one. There is a certified Abbey brewery scheme, but it does not carry the same cachet as Trappist. That said, many of the \u2018Abbey beers\u2019 are outstanding.<\/p>

Belgium Family Brewers Association<\/h3>

The Belgium Family Brewers Association represents about twenty independent family-run breweries that have been making beer for at least 50 years and are thus considered traditional breweries.<\/p>

Look out for the Belgium Family Brewers label on bottles.<\/p>

Where to buy Belgian Beer<\/h3>

If you are based in the UK, unless you are lucky enough to live near a specialist beer merchant or caf\u00e9 then you will have to resort to using one of the many online services. Most major supermarkets in the UK stock a very limited range.<\/p>

If you are popping over to Flanders, you will find that the supermarkets have a great stock and even smaller shops too. If you find yourself in Poperinge we recommend the Spar shop in Poperinge. It\u2019s a tiny shop with a disproportionate stock of beers and not far from the abbey and brewery of Westvleteren.<\/p>

21 September 2021 by\u00a0Tim Costello<\/a>
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