Benelux: A tasty trip to the Continent

BENELUX is a beer lover’s dream. Agents selling the destination should get to know where is best to sample its brunes and blondes and try a tipple or three themselves – all in the interests of work, of course. Next year is Beer Year 2005 and the Belgian Tourist Board (Brussels and Wallonia) are hitting the road with Wallonia specialist Great Fun Holidays to celebrate.

The two are also teaming up to run two fam trips to the region, giving agents the chance to sample the best brews in a country that was once home to more breweries than churches.

In Belgium, beer fairs, tastings, exhibitions, open days and beer trails are all planned for next year to highlight the many varieties of beer produced.

They include the sour-tasting Lambic or Gueuze beers typical of Brussels, and the Abbey and Trappist beers produced with the pure waters of Wallonia.

The most famous beers produced in Wallonia are the three Trappist brands – Orval, Chimay and Rochefort. Trappist beers can only be brewed in a Trappist monastery, home to the most disciplined order of monks.

Of the six Trappist breweries in the world, three are in Wallonia, which itself is in the Ardennes. You might be able to visit by appointment – unless you are female. However, most have a bar or shop that is open to all visitors.

Chimay is the best-known Trappist brewing monastery because it was the first to sell beer commercially and popularise the term ‘Trappist’.

It brews three types of beer, each with a different-coloured crown top – red, white and blue. Blue is the strongest. Orval produces just one variety, while Rochefort brews three different types.

Abbey beers have similar characteristics to Trappist beers, but are not brewed in monasteries. Today, production is in the hands of commercial breweries.

Leffe, which celebrated its 850th anniversary in 2002, is brewed by InterBrew.

Belgium’s British-style ales were inspired by the troops stationed in the country during the two world wars. Several breweries still produce ‘Le Pale Ale’ and ‘Le Scotch’.

Beer Ambassador Q&A

Believe it or not, the UK has its very own Belgian beer ambassador. Marc Stroobandt has made it his job to educate Brits about the product and different flavours of Belgian beer, as well as the surrounding culture. Travel Weekly met him to find out more.

Q How did you become a beer ambassador?

A To fund my way through law school, I started work in a specialised Belgian beer house. There I gathered a wealth of information and experience. Then I came to London as drinks buyer, head of the bar department and in-house beer sommelier for Belgo restaurants and started to understand the need for information and education. When I was made redundant I came up with the idea of becoming a Belgian beer ambassador. By working with Cave Direct, which imports Belgian beers, and with the support of the Confederation of Belgian Brewers, I can help British people better understand the beers and the closely linked culture. I was rewarded with an honorary knighthood in the Order of the Masher. The confederation is looking to have a Belgian Beer Embassy and a fleet of ambassadors around the world.

Q How many beers do you taste a week?

A My work mainly consists of training and educating consumers and beer trade people through tutored beer tasting and beer dinners, so I taste a lot. When in Belgium I always visit and revisit breweries, and pick up new beers or retry some old favourites.

Q What are your top five Brussels and Wallonia beer recommendations and why?

A Brussels and Wallonia have a wide variety of beers, a rich brewing heritage and distinctly different styles of cuisine, inherent to each region. I would recommend the following beers as they best represent the different regional styles:

1. Lambiek Geuze beers from the Brussels region. By blending a one-year-old Lambiek beer with a two and three-year-old, brewers create a Geuze beer, which has a unique, cider-like oaky tartness.
2. Saison or Season beers from the north of Henegouwen. These were traditionally brewed in winter to be ready for the harvest. These amber-blonde beers have a refreshing, hoppy dryness and a gorgeous spicy finish, which can stand next to many exotic dishes.
3. Abbey beers like Leffe, Maredsous or St Feuillien, which are all medium to full-bodied beers that are also easy-drinking, with soothing flavours and endless possibilities for paring with food.
4. La Chouffe, from the Ardennes region, which has a pine tree smell and lemony, fruity flavour mixed with a subtle herbal, hoppy and dry finish. Named after the local gnomes who live underground and are allergic to modern pollution and keep sneezing “Achouffe”.
5. Trappist beers, brewed under strict control of Trappist monks. The monks are vegetarian and beer for them is a source of vitamins and minerals. Great when combined with Trappist cheese or dark Belgian chocolate.

Q Are you brune or blonde?

A Actually, I’m promiscuous and like some variation.  It depends on my mood, the time of year and what I am eating. Blonde beers tend to be more hoppy, dry and thirst-quenching, while darker beers have a more caramel or toffee-bitter sweetness.

Q Do you have a personal driver?

A Unfortunately not, so I rely on public transport or cabs. I must be one of the few people who drinks for my work.

Q Which beers are most popular with the ladies?

A Most people assume fruit beers are a girlie drink, but I find women tend to go for stronger and flavoursome beers, which they can enjoy without having to rush. And believe me, if you combine Belgian chocolate with, for instance, Walloon Trappist beers, you can’t go far wrong.