Need To Know words: Cat Wolinski Read on for 11 more things you should know about Rodenbach It’s thirst-quenching and light on the palate despite its deep red color and complexity from mixed-fermentation barrel aging At about half the alcohol by volume of wine it’s a food-pairing beverage you can pour all meal long The company was founded by the Rodenbach family in 1821 in Roeselare, Belgium, a town in West Flanders. It specializes in oak-aged mixed-fermentation ales, specifically the Flemish Red Ale wine-like beer style now synonymous with the Flanders region Sour ales are the only type of beer Rodenbach produces Rodenbach is the most-awarded brewery in the world, a spokesperson tells VinePair. Its accolades began in 1894 at the World’s Fair in Antwerp, Belgium. More recently, in 2018, Rodenbach’s Vintage label was named the “World’s Best Sour Beer” by the World Beer Awards To make Rodenbach, sour beer is aged for a minimum of two years in giant oak casks called foeders The foeders are made with 150-year-old French oak Each has the capacity of about 90 wine barrels Rodenbach has 294 oak foeders on its premises They hold what the company believes is the largest collection of wood-aged beer in the world the brewery has its own coopers who build and maintain the enormous barrel collection and Rodenbach Caractère Rouge is aged an extra six months with cherries It was developed in 2011 in collaboration with two-Michelin-star chef Viki Geunes has been an employee at the brewery for 37 years he even lived at the brewery for several years Legendary beer and whiskey writer Michael Jackson (note: not the King of Pop) was a Rodenbach “superfan,” a spokesperson tells VinePair Jackson dubbed it “the most refreshing beer in the world,” thanks to its acidity Rodenbach is not only responsible for popularizing Belgian sour beer. It allegedly played a role in the creation of Belgium itself. According to a video produced by the brewery the Rodenbach family helped secure Belgium’s independence from the Netherlands in 1830 was in the military and fought on the front lines of the Belgian revolution stood beside Leopold I when he was sworn in as the first King of the Belgians “I think a lot of accidental infected beers came on the market as sour beer,” Rudi Ghequire said on the Craft Beer & Brewing podcast last year. “If I taste sour beer with dry hopping notes in it Bitterness and sourness [do not] go together.” In that case, we’d venture to guess he’s not a fan of sour IPAs In January 2019, Rodenbach announced its first-ever collaboration beer with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton Rudi Ghequire said in a press release that he found a “kindred spirit” in Dogfish Head calling the partnership a “historic moment.” Leave it to Rodenbach to keep making history The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of Rodenbach is a Belgian brewery located in the town of Roeselare famed for its sour red ales Ferdinand Rodenbach migrated to Flanders from the German Rhineland His descendants immersed themselves in local commerce and their brewing interests began when Pedro Rodenbach secured a partnership in a Roeselare brewery in 1821 who set the tone for the business’s development when he traveled to England and studied porter-making The Rodenbach cellar in the Belgian town of Roeselar contains nearly 300 giant oak vats known as “foeders.” photograph by denton tillman Today Rodenbach is part of the Palm Breweries group, whose main production center is at Steenhuffel, Belgium. See palm breweries Palm (which is also part-owner of the Boon brewery commissioning a new brewhouse and showcasing the remarkable cellar filled with nearly 300 giant oak vats Known in Dutch as “foeders,” these range in capacity from 140 hl (120 barrels) to 650 hl (555 barrels) Rodenbach beers are brewed from a blend of pale ale and colored malts Top fermentation in cylindro-conical vessels with the Rodenbach mixed yeast culture leads to 4 weeks’ lagering in horizontal tanks The beer is then transferred to the oak vats some of which date back more than 150 years where it is aged for up to 2 years at 59°F (15°C) Microorganisms in the wood sour the beer and create a complex array of fruity esters There are two main products from Rodenbach: Rodenbach Classic is a 5% ABV blend of young (un-soured) beer with aged beer at a ratio of 1:3 [ratio should be 3:1 in favor of young beer] See also flanders. Toye, Jan.The world of Palm & Rodenbach. Steenhuffel, Belgium: Palm and Rodenbach Breweries, 2002. Get the best brewing tips, techniques, and recipes in your inbox. By continuing to use this website, you agree to the use of cookies in order to offer you content and services that are tailored to your interests. Henri and Nora are in love and share everything : she directs plays he performs in their new show is threatened and their bond cracks Can they love each other without belonging to one another Unifrance Rendez-Vous in ParisFrance as well as representatives based in the U.S The organisation currently brings together more than 1,000 French cinema and TV content professionals (producers etc.) working together to promote French films and TV programmes among foreign audiences the most awarded brewery in the world and makers of world-class beers in the traditional Flanders red style announced today that its most sought after RODENBACH ALEXANDER will now be available as a full-time offering in 4-pack in addition to being available year-round on-draught The highly acclaimed beer – RODENBACH Alexander – is a blend of 2/3rd aged RODENBACH (2-year matured beer from oak standing Foeders) and 1/3rd young ale then macerated with sour cherries and an ABV of 5.6% Originally brewed in 1986 to commemorate the 200th birthday of one of the brewery’s founding members – Alexander Rodenbach Alexander Rodenbach ran the brewery starting in 1821 and went on to become a member of parliament the brewery stopped production of RODENBACH Alexander It became highly celebrated and in demand since being released annually in limited edition large format bottles beginning in 2016 “The consumer demand and interest for this beer has been outstanding since we re-launched it two years ago with many stories of consumers traveling far distances to get their hands on a single bottle,” said David van Wees “It’s an exceptional beer that deserves to be enjoyed year-round and we’re excited that more consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy a beer that pays homage to one of the brewery’s original founding members.” RODENBACH Alexander be available full-time in 4-pack 11.2oz bottles and appear on store shelves beginning in June 2018 with a suggested retail price of $14.99 It is also available on-draught at bars and restaurants in 20L one-way kegs BROUWERIJ RODENBACH is the most awarded brewery in the world the maker of the original sour ale and the leading craft brewer of mixed-fermentation Flanders red-brown beer Aged in the brewery’s 294 oak casks (“foeders”) master brewer Rudi Ghequire uses a process called “positive selection” to craft a perfectly balanced and delicious beer that has received awards and accolades from beer lovers around the world Latis Imports is the US Division of Bavaria an independent 300 year-old family-owned brewery run by the Swinkels family for seven generations It is the only major brewery in the Netherlands that brews its beer with pure natural mineral water from its own springs Its portfolio of brands includes the iconic BROUWERIJ RODENBACH PALM brewery and a variety of imported beers including Hollandia Ridgefield-based Latis Imports is run by 25-year beer industry veteran David van Wees who is responsible for expanding the Bavaria N.V Early Registration Open You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience By Tim Dams2023-05-16T09:43:00+01:00 Rodenbach first worked in the film industry as a production co-ordinator before joining leading German agency Players with a brief to work with young talent who has starred in Berlinale title The Teachers’ Lounge and hit dramas The Swarm and Around The World In 80 Days Rodenbach also reps actresses Martina Gedeck (The Lives Of Others) and Maria Dragus (Graduation) Fabian: Going To The Dogs) and writer/director Azra Deniz Okyay (Ghosts) preferring to offer a personal service to her clients “I need the time to be there for my clients,” says Rodenbach “I love to talk to them and help them with decision making.” Rodenbach advises her clients to be patient and true to themselves when developing their careers “It’s hard to do but sometimes it’s for the best and puts you in the direction you need to go It can bring you more success than saying ‘Yes’ all the time.” Producers and casting directors speak highly of Rodenbach: ‘She’s now repping a lot of really exciting actors - a lot of whom have left some other very important agencies to work with her,” says one “A young agency with talented clients,” is the verdict of another Contact: mail@yumi-management.com  EXCLUSIVE: Skoog’s previous works have screened at Berlinale PS1 MOMA New York and Moderna Museet Stockholm Lutz Rippe take over as co-CEOs of Studiocanal Germany Film Constellation and Global Screen will operate as Global Constellation The updating list includes titles’ sales agents and key deals The Barcelona producer’s credits include Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s They Will Be Dust Warner Bros./Legendary video game smash passed $720m at the global box office through April 20 Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud Belgiumhttp://palm.be/en/rodenbach7 percent ABV Rodenbach’s Vintage 2015 ale is a more refined version of its regular Flemish red ale The Vintage is aged two years in oak casks that between the aging and oak conditioning combine to provide better blending of flavors and an overall smoother brew (not that the regular red ale is any slouch) the beer is actually more brown in color but does have bright red highlights when held to the light.  there were a lot of different and pleasurable flavors in the mix caramel and a slight sourness that was more of a fruity apple-cherry tartness than vinegary The fruit aspects and slight tartness define the term “lip-smacking.” I love how the tart fruit notes hit the tongue at first then a little caramel sweetness appeared to soften that then a dry finish cleansed the palate to prepare you for the next sip the oak character did not have any burnt character but gave off nice vanilla and wood flavors although the ale does not contain any actual cherries That is one of the wonders of master brewers using their expertise to manipulate malts and yeast to achieve the flavor profiles they want I think the main difference between the Vintage and regular Rodenbach is that the caramel malt was more noticeable in the Vintage and the oak flavor came out more without being overly woody is really on a roll this year after releasing its Alexander and Fruitage beers.  Rodenbach is a subsidiary of the Palm brewery of Belgium Its products are imported by Latis Imports of Ridgefield and its Beer Finder link is at www.latisimports.com/beer-finder.  Beer Man sez: If you think Rodenbach makes a great Flemish red ale check out the even more sophisticated improvements of its Vintage 2015 gets paid to drink beer and write about it for Weekend He can be reached at beerman@postcrescent.com Read past reviews at www.postcrescent.com/go-920/beer                                Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home Assisting the Montana communities of Helena to Carl Rodenbach and Margaret McNichol in Quakertown Some of Lisa’s favorite hobbies included running bike riding as well as riding on the back of a motorcycle Lisa is survived by her husband Jay Roberson Children Ward Roberson and Shelby (Caleb) Gardner; her sister Phyllis (Jose) Coronado and brother-in-law Mike Trees; and grandchildren Liam and Beau Gardner She is also survived by her mother-in-law Emma Roberson and multiple nieces and nephews Preceding Lisa in death are her mother and father Carl and Margaret Rodenbach sister Mary Trees and her father-in-law Don Roberson A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 pm on May 21 at the Lincoln Community Hall located at 404 Main St In Lieu of flowers please consider donating to one of the following: Huntington’s Disease Research https://hdsa.org/get-involved/donation-opportunities/ View map Please visit the floral shop page for assistance in choosing a local florist Share your photos Read the thoughts and memories, then feel free to add your own. March 1, 2022 at 6:46 pm March 1, 2022 at 7:00 pm We’re are so blessed by Lisa’s and Jay’s friendship over these years His mercy and His preasence so real to all of you March 1, 2022 at 11:14 pm we love your family & will be praying for all of you March 2, 2022 at 7:18 am May the Lord give you peace and strength for the days ahead She was a sweet and graceful presence among us March 2, 2022 at 9:43 am We are so sorry to hear of Lisa’s passing Over the years we seemed to always be neighbors and we remember Lisa going for a walk or run past our house and Ward and other family and friends we offer our deepest condolences You will be in our prayers Rest now sweet Lisa you fought the good fight.Paradise is yours ❤️🙏 March 2, 2022 at 7:00 pm March 2, 2022 at 8:05 pm March 4, 2022 at 11:39 am March 6, 2022 at 4:38 pm Lisa’s memory will be cherished for years to come I enjoyed getting to know her as we had many conversations on the challenges of diabetes over the years I wish the family peace and serenity in the months to come March 10, 2022 at 7:18 pm Lisa was my boss for a few years and also a good friend May 2, 2022 at 10:20 pm Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 · Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home · Website by Luci's Office Belgian craft brewery Rodenbach has made its cherry-flavoured craft beer The beer is made from a blend of ripened and aged ale processed through “meticulous” fermentation “The main fermentation and warm maturation occur with top-fermenting yeasts at ambient temperatures between 15 to 25 Celsius,” explained the brewery “Secondary fermentation takes place over a two-year maturation period in oak casks facilitated by bacterial flora and wild yeasts present in the oak.” These microorganisms initially produce organic acids which are then transformed into fruity esters Rodenbach Fruitage is available for an RRP of $17 for a four-pack and $84.99 for a case in Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores nationwide Contact our editorial team Octomedia publication known and recognised around the world as the leading brewer of Flemish Red Brown Sour Ales announced it will be investing heavily in its brands markets and brewery infrastructure in Roeselare All Rodenbach beers will undergo a redesign and the brewery will receive a $3MM investment in its brewing technology The all-new RODENBACH portfolio of beers: Rodenbach Fruitage Rodenbach Vintage and Rodenbach Caractere RougeRODENBACH Grand Cru – new packaging and new Rodenbach glassware for optimal enjoyment All Rodenbach beers will have a completely new design to create a sense of unity of the portfolio will have a new look that pays tribute to the brand’s 200 year-old heritage of artfully brewing and crafting Flemish Red Brown Sour Ales while simultaneously introducing new consumers to the brand Rodenbach ‘Classic’ is the new name for what was previously known as its session beer Rodenbach Classic joins the new Rodenbach Fruitage in the brand’s ‘thirst-quenching’ category Rodenbach Alexander and Rodenbach Caractère Rouge will also get a new packaging design and be designated as part of the brand’s ‘delicious’ category of beers elegant stemmed glass at on premise locations and are recommended with a variety of foods to enhance the flavors and optimize enjoyment Labels for Rodenbach Classic and Rodenbach Fruitage will proudly use the ‘R’ as inspiration for the beer’s descriptor: “Red Ripened and Refreshing.” Rodenbach Grand Cru Rodenbach Vintage and Rodenbach Caractère Rouge will feature the wording “aged in oak foeders” which highlights Rodenbach’s 294 iconic oak vats (‘foeders’) and optimises the vinification and maturation process of all Rodenbach beers along with a team of cellar masters monitor the quality of the beers throughout every step of the brewing process to create the ideal combination of expertise and pure enjoyment Rodenbach will begin marketing and sales support under a new slogan ‘Rodenbach cheers to the unexpected’ which aims to give beer connoisseurs the opportunity to discover the Rodenbach portfolio of beers This campaign continues in the tradition set forth in 1821 when Rodenbach began surprising beer lovers everywhere One of the most awarded beers in the world Rodenbach is the undisputed market leader of Flemish Red Brown Sour Ales 97 and 96 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine and critical acclaim from All About Beer About RODENBACH BreweryBrewed in Roeselare BROUWERIJ RODENBACH is the maker of the original sour ale and the leading craft brewer of mixed-fermentation Flanders red-brown beer Aged in the brewery’s 294 oak casks (“foeders”) master brewer Rudi Ghequire uses a process called “positive selection” to craft a perfectly balanced and delicious beer that has received awards and accolades from beer lovers around the world About Latis ImportsLatis Imports is the US Division of Bavaria Its portfolio of brands includes the iconic Brouwerij RODENBACH makers of world class renowned sour beers in the traditional Flanders red style today announced a limited edition release of its legendary Alexander beer available only in the United States beginning in April 2016 Rodenbach Alexander is a blend of 2/3rd aged Rodenbach (2 year matured beer from oak standing Foeders) and 1/3rd young ale Rodenbach Alexander is offered in draught one-way kegs and 750ML bottles adorned with the image of Alexander Rodenbach one of the brewery’s founding brothers “We were inspired to brew Rodenbach Alexander over two years ago due in large part to the popular requests among beer connoisseurs bar owners and beer lovers throughout the United States,” said Rudi Ghequire “Rodenbach Alexander pays homage to one of our original founders rewards our loyal customers and simultaneously allows a new generation of craft beer lovers to try our beers.” Rodenbach Alexander is the first in a series of Limited Edition beers that will be presented in the Rodenbach Limited Edition Sour Series in 2016 a bottle and draught program with special sour brews from the Rodenbach brewery “It’s an exciting time for beer lovers across this country,” said David van Wees “Consumers are enjoying craft beers in record numbers and sour beers such as Rodenbach Alexander is something new and exciting to enjoy on their beer exploration journey.” Brouwerij Rodenbach is the maker of the original sour ale and the leading craft brewer of mixed-fermentation Flanders red-brown beer Latis Imports is a specialty beer importer and marketer focused on premium brews Founded by industry veteran David van Wees its portfolio includes Belgian beers such as Palm Ale arguably the most awarded brewery globally the leading brewer of oak-aged mixed-fermentation ale dating back to 1821 and an inspirational source for sour beer producers around the world has announced an intent to brew a collaboration beer with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery craft brewery and producer of the fastest growing beer in the fastest growing craft beer style in America This news marks the first time RODENBACH has agreed to a collaboration brew in its nearly 200-year history and a monumental step forward in bringing a unique sour beer to consumers who are seeking a refreshing alternative to what is currently available on the market today Known and loved throughout Belgium for its deliciously refreshing qualities and an exceptional choice for pairing with a variety of foods sour beer has become one of the fastest-growing segments in beer and is responsible for introducing new generations of consumers into the beer industry “This is an historic moment for our brewery,” said Rudi Ghequire “Not only is the time right for this partnership as sour beer has become more popular than ever before (thanks in large part to Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench Ale) but we found an incredible partner and kindred spirit in Sam Calagione and the Dogfish Head brewing team our breweries share many similar values and principles From our independent and family-owned brewery to the spirit of collaboration among the people at our respective organizations our shared appreciation and respect for quality ingredients and how the coast influences both of our beers We couldn’t have found a more perfect partner in our first collaboration voyage “I have been a huge fan of Rodenbach beers since the early 2000’s when legendary beer writer turned me on to them at the Brickskeller in DC RODENBACH are the global pioneers in sour and wild beers production Dogfish Head is proud to have the number one selling sour beer in America So we have a lot to learn and explore together — and getting to know Rudi David and the Rodenbach team has been rewarding and fun I am confident we are going to make a beautiful The idea of a partnership first came about following a panel discussion of leading sour beer experts at the Craft Brewer’s Conference in Nashville Rudi Ghequire was joined by several sour beer brewmasters including Bill Marchi Dogfish Head’s wild beer and barrel aged program to discuss the nuances of traditional sour beers and the modern expressions showcased by Dogfish Head and others “We’ve always had a deep appreciation for Dogfish Head and the beers they craft and what they’ve been able to do with SeaQuench Ale is nothing short of spectacular,” said David van Wees President of Swinkels Family Brewers Imports and as we got to know one another we realized how similar our passions were about sour beer and its potential in the marketplace We noticed striking similarities between our breweries – family-owned independent and a deep expertise in brewing which got us talking and thinking that now is the right time for RODENBACH to take this step and Dogfish Head was the perfect partner for us.” visited the Dogfish Head facilities in Milton Delaware to explore further and solidify plans abundant creativity and an infectious passion for beer that exudes throughout their entire organization it did not take long to finalize a plan for bringing a new beer to market “We spoke a lot about how RODENBACH’s traditional methods of brewing and blending dating back centuries would heavily influence the direction of the beer and that began the foundation for our collaborative brainstorming,” added Van Wees “It was amazing to watch these two icons work so closely together and see the magic happen as wheels started spinning about what a final product could look like.” “We intend to take our time and get it right for a beer of this magnitude and in order do that we have to go to where it all began – to Roeselare explore the area’s culinary influence and experience the legendary brewery and cooperage which undoubtedly will serve as a huge inspiration behind the beer we create.” the beer is planned to be brewed and blended in the United States in 2019 and available for an early 2020 launch for American consumers to enjoy the duo will explore a release of the beer in Belgium “We see great opportunity for the years ahead,” added both Ghequire and Calagione “While we’re taking things one step at a time we have great hope and expectations that this will be the beginning of a long-term relationship between our breweries for several years to come.” Brewed in West Flanders region of Belgium since 1821 BROUWERIJ RODENBACH is arguably the most awarded brewery in the world the leading craft brewer of oak-aged mixed-fermentation ale and revered by beer drinkers The beer is aged among the brewery’s 294 oak casks (“foeders”) for a minimum of two years before master brewer Rudi Ghequire expertly crafts a perfectly balanced and refreshing beer that pairs exceptionally well with food First gaining international acclaim at the 1894 World’s Fair in Antwerp RODENBACH has gone on to win Gold medals from the most reputable critics and publications in the world including its most recent accolade of World’s Best Sour Beer (2018 visit www.sfbimports.com or www.rodenbach.be or Instagram @RodenbachUSA Dogfish Head has proudly been focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened as the smallest American craft brewery 23 years ago Dogfish Head has grown into a top-20 craft brewery and has won numerous awards throughout the years including Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Brewery of the Year and the James Beard Foundation Award for 2017 Outstanding Wine It is a 250+ coworker company based in Delaware with Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats a geographically enamored seafood restaurant a beer-themed inn on the harbor and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery a production brewery and distillery featuring Dogfish Head supports the Independent Craft Brewing Seal the definitive icon for American craft breweries to identify themselves to be independently-owned and carries the torch of transparency brewing innovation and the freedom of choice originally forged by brewing community pioneers Dogfish Head currently sells beer in 44 states and Washington D.C Twitter: @dogfishbeer and Instagram: dogfishhead today announced its latest innovation with the arrival of RODENBACH Fruitage RODENBACH Fruitage gets its name from aged-old brewing techniques It’s an instant classic – comprised of 25% authentically aged RODENBACH (2-year matured beer from oak standing Foeders) blended with 75% young RODENBACH ale with added fruit of cherries and elderberries RODENBACH Fruitage is light and refreshing perfect for easy drinking and to be enjoyed year-round First Time RODENBACH is Offered in Cans in the United States Tested in draught format late last year to rave reviews from consumers and beer professionals alike RODENBACH Fruitage is the first and only RODENBACH offered in slim and the first time any RODENBACH is available in cans in the United States This innovation follows years of research and requests from consumers and beer professionals who have been requesting a RODENBACH beverage in a can format it is approachably priced as compared to other premium imports 2017 and will be on store shelves in late May 2017 – just in time for the warm summer months “This is an exciting new innovation in our legendary portfolio of beers and we’re thrilled to offer this product in the United States,” said Rudi Ghequire “RODENBACH Fruitage is a light and refreshing beverage that is full of flavor perfectly balanced and compliments a variety of foods and occasions.” “RODENBACH Fruitage opens the door to a new generation of craft beer drinkers to the legendary RODENBACH portfolio,” said David van Wees “Consumers are seeking alternatives to the heavier beer selections and RODENBACH Fruitage offers a lighter style of beer that is both refreshing and filled with flavor in keeping with authentic RODENBACH brewing practices.” Belgiumhttp://palm.be/en/rodenbach4.2 percent ABV The famed Rodenbach brewery has released a new fruit ale called Fruitage that is its first canned beer in the United States Rodenbach ales are known for a sweet-sour combination that is among the best in the world and lip-smacking fruitiness The base ale is aged for two years in oak barrels before being blended with 75-percent young beer and the fruit This method gives the beer a solid blended base offering subtle oak notes from the old beer and the fresh The fruit makes up 9 percent of the ale — 7 percent cherries and 2 percent elderberries providing a slight blackberry flavor with tartness RELATED: Peppers give these beers a kick RELATED: This ale is a tribute to 'Game of Thrones' The fruit gives the beer a dark red color with a pink lasting head which is also in the background of the flavor That is one area where most Belgian brewers outdo their American counterparts — they never forget the malt in beer The only quibble I have with Fruitage is that it is sold in tiny 8.5-ounce cans — 12 would have been better; 16 even more it is being sold in four-packs with a suggested retail price of $6.99 Another amazing fruit beer I came across recently was Frootwood (8-percent ABV) I had it on tap at the Stein Haus in La Crosse Frootwood is a bourbon barrel-aged ale made with cherries and maple syrup with the maple balancing perfectly with the fruit and not being overly sweet or cloying It also included whiskey and vanilla notes from the bourbon barrel Founders is available in nearly every state and its Beer Finder link is at foundersbrewing.com/find-our-beer Beer Man sez: Two fruit beers from Rodenbach and Founders show the delightful variety to be found with fruit beers This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The beer is already recognised as a regional product but the European label will further protect the way it is brewed and its origin Flemish red-brown beer is only brewed in eight breweries in West Flanders An application has now been submitted to the European authorities to grant ‘Flemish red-brown beer' so-called Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status This European recognition is given to agricultural products and foodstuffs that are typical of a certain region the way it is produced and thus also its taste As a result it is also an important quality label Flemish agriculture minister Jo Brouns (Christian democrat) is confident that the application will be approved ‘Flemish red-brown beer is a unique type of beer characteristic of West Flanders It is only brewed at a limited number of locations The national authorities examined all conditions were met before the application was sent to the European commission Recognition by the European authorities would be a nice confirmation of the quality work done by the producers.’ The application has been met with enthusiasm at the Rodenbach brewery in Roeselare ‘It would be nice to see our ‘Flemish red-brown beer’ on the list of products with a Protected Geographical Indication 'Traditional curdled milk tarts from Geraardsbergen and Brussels chicory are already on the list,’ says brand ambassador Didi Decaesteker What makes the ‘Flemish red-brown beer’ so different from other beers is but the way it is matured in upright oak barrels ‘That maturation method is unique in Belgian brewing culture,’ Mr Decaesteker explains ’and gives the typical mildly sour flavour It also allows the beer to be stored for longer.’ grains and hops,’ Mr Decaesteker continues as they provide a bitterness that slightly sour beers do not tolerate Some brewers add another step to the brewing process and soak red fruits in the beer Flemish red-brown beer needs to contain at least 3 per cent alcohol.’ Last year was a particularly challenging year for them falling beer consumption at home could still be offset by larger exports The Protected Geographical Indication could generate greater interest in Belgian beers and in West Flemish red-brown beer in particular and Habesha brands from Swinkels Family Brewers into the United States announces that a selection of Swinkels Family Brewers beer brands will be added to their portfolio starting September 2022 The Dutch family brewer oversees a range of beer brands that vary in style The common thread across this portfolio is world-class quality The United States import rights for Rodenbach ‘I’m very excited to announce our new partnership with Swinkels Family Brewers said BBL ‘The BBL team may be the most excited of-all about the news Adding this unique selection of brands to our portfolio brings products that American consumers are excited for and are value added to our existing book.’ She continued ‘We’re thankful for the national network of distribution partners the Swinkels have built We’re also very grateful for the groundwork and professionalism of our import colleagues at Artisanal Imports through this transition.’ She added ‘We are currently going through the diligence of reaching out to the established distribution network and working on a successful transition for growth in the coming years.’ ‘This new relationship quickly unfolded into a natural fit for us’ David van Wees North American President of Swinkels Family Brewers said ‘BBL’s close relationship with Brouwerij L Huyghe aligns with our independent family-owned business philosophy.’ van Wees continued ‘Streamlining our international logistics with BBL’s existing portfolio and BBL’s clear commitment to brand building gives us confidence for growth under this new partnership Our importer relationships are built for the long-term and BBL is giving us confidence in what’s to come The brands in this new relationship are well-known to the US Market; maybe most of all This Flemish Red-Brown Ale is a long-time darling of American Craft beer drinkers Rodenbach’s range includes classic executions of the Flemish Red Style Rodenbach’s brewhouse and 294 oak fermentation foeders are located at their brewery in the town of Roeselare La Trappe is an ‘Authentic Trappist Brewery’ The beers have been brewed at Brouwerij de Koningshoeven in the Netherlands under the watchful supervision of Trappist monks of the Cistercian order since 1884 and Quadrupel are currently their most visible brands in the US a golden lager that is well known throughout the country as ‘Cold Gold,’ and the name itself is a term that indicates all Ethiopians are connected by their origin Habesha has found targeted success in Ethiopian communities across America Swinkels Family Brewers is a 100% independent family brewer that take pride in their three centuries of brewing heritage Passing this heritage and respect for brewing onto the next generation is paramount in everything Swinkels Family Brewing does BBL is currently the US Importer of Delirium Beers and other Belgian beer brands produced at Brouwerij L Huyghe is also a family-owned Brewery stretching back four generations with the fifth currently taking on brewery duties under his father For More Information:https://swinkelsfamilybrewers.com/en.html American small breweries are going through trends like a sports bar goes through Bud Light on a Sunday afternoon in September saison and other once-obscure styles taken up by one brewer after another until the next trend comes along and they all have to try that Now the new thing appears to be Flemish-style sour ale I’ve been an adventurous beer drinker for more than two decades and until recently I knew of only one beer in this style: Rodenbach from the West Flanders province of Belgium two of our Rhode Island microbreweries came out with sour ales inspired by the Flemish style Flemish red ale is one of the world’s most delicious beers It combines the tartness of unripe fruit with the mellow complex character that emerges from oak barrel aging the style has been the sole province of traditional Belgian breweries with the old-fashioned patience to make beer with rare and difficult yeasts and store it in wooden casks until it is ready the faint sound of cart wheels turning on the cobblestones outside It’s not a scenario suited to modern business models the Belgian examples of the style are far superior Rodenbach (Brouwerij Rodenbach/Palm Breweries Not for nothing is Rodenbach known as “the Burgundy of Belgium.” the body medium-light and the carbonation small but fairly sharp Lush sour cherry and unripe plum flavors are rounded by oak caramel sugar and a slight hint of vanilla Rodenbach is made from a blend of 75 percent young ale and 25 percent mature ale aged for two years You’re not going to see this happen at a typical American microbrewery chasing a trend It is expensive — I recently paid $16.50 for six which come in a box — but Rodenbach is well worth the price Vichtenaar Flemish Ale (Brouwerij Verhaeghe Vichtenaar is much harder to find than Rodenbach and even more expensive ($19/four pack) drinkers who love this style should try it dark berries and sugar balanced by oak-mellowed malt and vinous microbrial flavors Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale (Brouwerij Van Steenberge Made in Belgium for a Philadelphia brewhouse called Monk’s Cafe this scrumptious brew is in the Flemish oud bruin (“old brown”) style although it’s the only Flemish beer I’ve found that puts the word “sour” in its name one of the most delicious beers I’ve ever tasted My quest for Flemish red ale led me to a wine-size bottle from it makes sense that an artisanal brewer in a country not known for beer would gravitate toward the brew that most resembles wine And this is the most wine-like Flemish-style red I’ve tasted alcoholic tinge that comes from being aged in cognac barrels from Bordeaux it’s a rare luxury for those who enjoy Flemish red Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red (Boston Beer Co. butter churn-shaped bottle comes Sam Adams’ version of Belgian sour ale it “defies traditional beer style definition.” Stony Brook Red is crisp and tart but more aligned with abbey dubbel ales like Chimay Rouge than the Flemish sour style “Red sky at night” is said to be a sailor’s delight but I found Ciel Rouge less a delight than the better-balanced and the sharp acidity is hardly offset by deeper flavors Ciel Rouge is very similar to Newport Storm’s Xavier 3 (go to NewportRI.com and search for “Beer Chaser”) Grey Sail’s version looks fancier — it comes in a 750-ml champagne bottle — and is darker but only slightly more mellow Although Xavier uses black cherries and Ciel Rouge apparently does not to my taste they’re both too one-dimensional in their puckery sourness People with acid-sensitive stomachs should steer clear Perhaps some Belgian styles are best left to the Belgians When Shock Top or Blue Moon comes out with a Flemish red Beer Chaser runs the first weekend of each month Gary Ruff is a copy editor for The Daily News go to www.NewportRI.com and search for Beer Chaser First look inside pFriem Family Brewers Milwaukie taproom Alesong Brewing & Blending co-founder Matt Van Wyk tells us about a beer that consistently inspires him Every beer drinker has that one beer they turn to time and time again this beer is usually a staple of sorts or at least what one might call a “shelfie” in that it is readily and widely available this is the beer that started it all for you Perhaps it was a pioneering craft brew that enlightened you to the world of beer that actually tastes good or perhaps it is a beer that made you completely rethink what you thought you knew about a particular style this is a beer that made an impact on you and is burned into your taste buds forever In our monthly column The Beers That Made Us we talk with brewers about the beers that have made the biggest impact on them in terms of their personal taste and love of craft beer as well as how it inspired their personal approach to brewing.  Since 2015, Eugene, Oregon’s Alesong Brewing & Blending has been quietly carving out a place as one of the premier breweries for barrel-aged beers in the Pacific Northwest Alesong maintains a lowkey and somewhat underrated presence in the beer market This might be because their operation is small or because they are focused exclusively on barrel-aged beers the small team knows how to make incredible beer Much of the mastery at Alesong comes from the mind and talent of founder Matt Van Wyk Originally from the Midwest where he got his start brewing Matt eventually made his way to the Pacific Northwest and landed at Oakshire Brewing much of it due to the brewery’s impressive barrel-aged beers If you’ve had the pleasure of stopping by Alesong’s gorgeous taproom just outside of Eugene or the Alesong on 5th tasting room inside town you have likely tasted a full array of Matt’s unique style as a brewer This of course raises the question of what beers set this former science teacher on the path to barrel-aged greatness.  Matt Van Wyk (MVW): When I started drinking 'other' beer (there was not a lot of microbrewed imports were the way to discover new beer flavors I began trying and enjoying beers like Bass and Guiness and soon graduated to drinking and homebrewing beers of the classic Belgian styles like Chimay But when I stumbled upon Flanders red and brown ales I [felt that] had found something so unlike any other beer I had ever drank I knew I had to dig deeper to find out how to make something like this MVW: Rodenbach Grand Cru holds a special place in my heart for three reasons 1) It was my first experience with sour beers Since that is what we based half of our brewery on 2) It's a beer that I have yet to be able to master I entered my first attempt at a Flanders-inspired beer in the Belgian sour category the beer earned a silver ahead of a Dogfishhead and behind I stumbled to the stage and mumbled something unintelligible to both Sam Calagione and Rudi Ghequire (brewmaster at Rodenbach). I still hope to speak with him outside of the starry-eyed ramble of that day sixteen years ago Rodenbach Grand Cru was very influential because I had found a beer that was both sweet and sour It is balanced in a way that many other beers are not I know this is hard to achieve as mixed culture barrel-aged beers are typically dry and of course can continue to ferment and evolve in the bottle It was also probably my first experience with aged beer and it opened my eyes to what you could do with oak aging And it provided me a challenge to see if I could ever replicate those flavors myself MVW: Rodenbach is a great beer for drinkers today especially if you are new to sour and mixed culture beers. American brewers can make pretty sour beers and Rodenbach Grand Cru is a good 'introduction' to sour beers in general because it is balanced by so much sweetness and has more body than lambic beers. There is more flavor familiarity for a new-to-sour styles drinker to understand and appreciate you might argue that the smoothie sour beers that are so popular with a subset of drinkers share some similar flavor hooks to Rodenbach You just don't have to line up on a Saturday to get your allotment and some light shines through Flemish red ales we can be reminded that balance and going off the rails in one direction (sourness etc) is not always the best formula for a pleasurable drinking session.  we make a series of dark sour beers that is inspired by Flemish Reds We typically fruit it with cherries or raspberries Originally from the tiny state of Rhode Island and spending his formative years in Austin he has long focused his writing around cultural pursuits Neil brings the same passion he has covering rock and roll to writing about the craft beer industry A pacific northwest based webmag covering the craft beer and cider industry BlogContactAbout If you're unhappy with your product in any way Simply email us at shop@goodbeerhunting.com SHIPPINGAll orders will be processed and shipped in about a week's to ten days time This isn't always perfect (we're not Amazon) so if you have a rush please email us ahead at shop@goodbeerhunting.com to make sure we can pull it off in time Your email or personal information will never be shared or sold to anyone Longreads and photographic journeys documenting our ongoing worldwide adventures in beer the former brewmaster of Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Company Inspired by the ranks of foeders at Belgium’s Brouwerij Rodenbach where he’d brewed for a decade before moving stateside and are most commonly used to ferment and age wine.  “He loved going to California and finding somebody telling him [...] Oh I heard there's four of them that are going to be here; three of them are going to be here,’” says Lauren Woods Limbach New Belgium’s wood cellar director and blender “So he just became this foeder gatherer—he'd go out in the world New Belgium has had its own so-called Foeder Forest surrounded by over 750,000 liters of beer and bacteria spread across 65 foeders As I paused next to a vessel twice my height imagining I could hear the whirring and the chomping of so many bugs noshing on sugars and proteins within I looked down at the pin on my denim jacket one which New Belgium’s specialty brand manager Andrew Emerton had given me The words “WTF is a Foeder?” looked back up at me I could certainly recognize a foeder—I was standing next to one And why do foeders suddenly seem to be everywhere wooden vessels from pins (5.4 gallons) through kilderkins (roughly 22 gallons) and all the way up to tuns (303 gallons) held and matured beer Written references to beer being stored in barrels date back to the 7th century but beer was likely kept in wood long before that Some say the English “invented” the acidification of beer in wood (though given the high likelihood of the beer becoming infected with bacteria due to a lack of brewing understanding and sanitation the phenomenon likely existed far and wide) as early as the 17th century while others claim that the West Flanders tradition of dark acidic beer dates back to the 16th Oral historians have it that Eugene Rodenbach traveled to England in the 1870s to study brewing techniques “and it’s thought he may have visited Greene King to see how stale or stock ale was matured in wooden vats,” writes British beer writer Roger Protz.  Perhaps it seems unlikely that wooden vessels would continue to flourish today in an era of stainless steel and painstaking lab testing But foeders are an increasingly common feature in breweries across the world that’s largely down to Bouckaert’s influence and it’s likely that breweries in other countries have also followed suit Even the proliferation and popularity of a certain style of foeder among modern brewers—the tall slightly conical vessel seen in New Belgium’s Foeder Forest—can be traced via Bouckaert to Rodenbach and they have all these foeders and I just asked them: ‘How come you decided to buy that shape?’ And they're like you just emulate the thing that you see; sometimes you don't even ask yourself why you're doing it.”  As with their stainless steel counterparts foeders don’t follow a one-size-fits-all rule—their varying shapes and dimensions suit different types of beer flat top (as seen at New Belgium and Rodenbach) lends itself to sharp A horizontal oval or cylindrical foeder is suited to fermenting and maturing Lambics.  dry spell—that they don't really have in Belgium as much and your whole top loses a little bit of liquid and now that whole top is exposed to the air.” In an upright with a large surface area even half an inch of evaporation can have drastic consequences on the beer: the acetic acid-producing bacteria Acetobacter thrives in oxygenated conditions so even a miniscule reduction in volume could significantly alter the final product “When you have one little tiny bit of evaporation it just kind of touches the crest of the oval,” Limbach continues “So you have this very little amount of exposure to oxygen and therefore you're definitely making a more Brettanomyces-forward and lightly lactic beer.” What this means every single one of New Belgium’s foeders had a propensity for producing acetic beer—which is an ongoing problem when that’s not the desired result I would take half of the uprights out and move these large ovals in “or any of these things where you can try to just play around with all the different shapes and sizes.”  founder and president of Foeder Crafters of America bowling game (and sessioning Oskar Blues Brewery’s Ten Fidy Imperial Stout) with some of the New Belgium team when Walters made wood cellar brewer Ted Peterson a bet you get a free 60-barrel foeder,’” says Walters turned around facing us and put his hand to his ear and all the pins went ‘Kaboom!’—and he threw a strike.” The next morning telling him his foeder was halfway done—would he like to finish it with them and a couple of weeks later it was sitting on the back dock of our brewery.” That 60-BBL upright (and later the 15-BBL oval was Walter’s way of saying thank you to the brewery that “basically started the sour beer industry in the United States and cultivated it,” he says was also the first horizontal foeder in the Foeder Forest.  ordered Foeder Crafters’ first foeder—and then its first 30-BBL Foeder Crafters is the only specialist foeder producer in North America that focuses on supplying breweries has supplied ex-wine foeders to numerous breweries—New Belgium “When we sell wineries new units to replace their old ones but not the new oak flavors like the wineries want.” Other cooperages do the same and although there are other foeder crafters outside of the U.S. such as Tonnellerie Allary in France’s Cognac region “The best wood in terms of the ability to hold water comes within about 60 miles of our shop,” says Walters “It’s basically a 60-mile radius of the best oak in the world.” Before the logs have been brought in putting the wood to their lips and sucking to check for bacterial infections as well as burning a small piece to smell the smoke the chosen logs are cut and dried for around two years in an open warehouse the wood is shaped with an interior and exterior radius and finger joints are cut into the sides.  “Our foeders are kind of Americanized: I wanted to build a foeder that was finger-jointed; I thought it would be structurally far more sound,” says Walters “What ended up happening was our foeders started making excellent beer over The reason is that our tops hold air better I can make consistent beer with a Foeder Crafters foeder,’ our business just kept growing so well we're only gonna buy one or two foeders,’ but every year they buy another one It’s this control over air ingress that makes brewers collect foeders the way punks do stick ‘n’ pokes a foeder gives a brewer greater control over fermentation “You can put a wort directly in there and ferment in the foeder or you can ferment in something else and then put that fermented beer into the foeder,” explains Walters “Or let's say you put it in there with a couple of tons of apricots and your bacteria and yeast combination have a symbiotic relationship and you try to leave them alone in the dark You have a tasting valve on there so you can kind of taste it The decline in interest from brewers in Seguin Moreau’s ex-wine foeders isn’t wholly surprising given that Foeder Crafters’ website states that it continues to “get busier every day.” Brewers appear to be turning away from repurposed vessels across the board as they grow and can afford more specialist equipment—not that Foeder Crafters’ foeders (try saying that three times after sessioning Ten Fidy) are particularly expensive: they’re cheaper than Chinese-made stainless steel fermenters of the same size “One thing that's financially interesting is that a used French foeder was of a very high value when I started the business,” says Walters “A used French foeder from a winery was selling for almost the brand-new price And now you can get them all day long for a couple grand.”  founder and brewer at Edinburgh’s Campervan Brewery recently bought three new foeders from Tonnellerie Allary for his new fermentaria He says he prefers to buy new as opposed to repurposed foeders because it’s “hard to source transport and verify the quality of second-hand [foeders] and you would likely need a cooper to rebuild [them],” as well as issues with “excessive waiting lists at European cooperages that repurpose old wine foeders.” “High demand is a big issue,” he continues or too hard to find.” For the brewer looking to exert maximum control over that which occurs inside the wood—including clean such as lagering—a foeder with a lifetime of wine-aging behind it isn’t necessarily ideal Though an argument could be made that certain mixed-fermentation beers might work well in an older wine foeder the consensus seems to be that brewers are increasingly opting for their tanks to be a tabula rasa it’s more that the brewery perhaps wants to be the ones dictating what the foeder does and can do and in inheriting an already-established flora or culture you don’t really get to do that,” says Derek Bates co-founder and head brewer of the U.K.’s Duration Brewing (and whose foeders I saw in construction when visiting Foeder Crafters) the amount of pre-used barrels I’ve had to toss because they were full of acetic or butyric acids or a myriad of other shit; I just can’t afford to do that with something that is 10 times the volume and price.” While aging a batch in a number of barrels as opposed to one foeder can have benefits in terms of flavor and the ability to blend different characteristics together a foeder makes a brewer’s life significantly easier “One great thing about the foeder is that they go slower,” says Limbach this thing is going too slow at first,’ but you need for the barrel to be able to say you missed it.’ And sometimes in a small barrel Foeder Crafters’ increasing overseas exports and the greater and greater number of breweries investing in oak—Missouri or otherwise—could be an indication of the vinification of craft beer: an increase in the influence of the wine world on the brewing industry which is becoming particularly apparent within the realm of mixed fermentation It could also be an indication of the maturing of the industry “Arguably foeders is craft beer growing up and looking back to the time when beer was matured in large wooden vats which allows more focus on yeast and bacteria vs spirits or wine as an added flavoring,” says Gibson makers such as Walters will keep sucking on oak for the foreseeable future we want them to have the opportunity to have a foeder,” says Senn “These foeders become like passion projects for the brewery We just want those people to be able to have the opportunity to have a foeder in their place Ultimately it's just kind of geeking out and wanting everybody to have what they want to have.” and Publications that’ll drive you to drink We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences More information about our Cookie Policy on our Privacy Policy The first CYO boys basketball game for District 5 was held Sunday afternoon at St took on the Indians of the Lehighton Athletic Booster Club The final score of the game was Lehighton ABC 48 The high scorers for each team were Brody Hunsicker for Lehighton ABC with 16 points and Andrew Rodenbach for Ss Peter & Paul with 6 points The Lehighton ABC team players are Jayce Graham The team players for Ss Peter & Paul are Jacob Rodenbach The coaches are Bill Keer and Ed Rodenbach both teams participated in a free throw competition Ethan Lilly from Ss Peter & Paul took first place Jayce Graham from the Lehighton ABC came in second place The CYO program was put together by Phil Liszka District 5 CYO commissioner for the Diocese of Allentown Liszka also assigns the officials for the District 1 and District 2 games during the basketball season for Ss Peter & Paul Church you agree to the use of cookies in order to offer you content and services that are tailored to your interests Represented byFilm Talents AgentSimon Rey Sommaire de la ficheShareFacebookMailFavoriteFermerContents Artistic agencyThis content is for registered users only.Are you a member The latest cottage-country news, trending stories, and how-to advice Fix-it info, project ideas, and maintenance tips from our DIY experts Nature and environment news and inspiration for people who love to get outside Need-to-know info about buying, selling, and renting cottage real estate Untangle the thorny process of cottage succession with expert advice from lawyer, Peter Lillico The pick: Rodenbach Caractere Rouge, a fruit beer for the ages. Probably because they’re so refreshing, sours and fruit beers are a trend with seriously long legs. Have you ever noticed, though, that, with some of the new sours, you can only handle one? It’s a problem. Not one, however, that you’re likely to experience after your first Rodenbach—a perfectly balanced beer with plenty of sweet and mellow flavours to punch down the sharp acidity. Best of all, at under $10, Rodenbach isn’t even terribly expensive. Sadly, though, it’s affordability guarantees they’ll be snapped up quickly by people who wait for it all year long. If you miss the brief Rodenbach window, look for a barrel-aged sour from your local craft brewer. We’re getting better and better at emulating the Belgians here in Canada. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page the LCBO has a real doozy that should get your taste buds tingling Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Straight from the brewers at Browerij Rodenbach in Belgium comes a special little offering of a Flemish Red Ale that has been aged for two years in oak casks before being bottled and sent to Ontario stores for beer fans to sample tart and bubbly beer that has turned heads and won a pile of awards It won World’s Best Sour Beer at the World Beer Cup Awards in 2018 in Nashville Previous vintages of the brew have also won Gold at the World Beer Cup in 2018 There’s no debating that when it comes to buzz By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of The Evening Citizen will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. A Flemish Red Ale is a farmhouse beer that originated in West Flanders there typically wasn’t much temperature control or sterilization employed in the early days there often wasn’t even the beer yeasts that many people associate with many of their favourite suds Flemish Ale’s typically underwent wild fermentation which left them to ferment with wild yeasts that could come from the air which gave them their unique sour or tart flavours It was a farm after all and the beer was being made to keep the farmers and their farm hands hydrated during hot summer heat waves employ specific yeast strains and known bacterias which are harmless to people but impart the desired flavours and textures that sour beer lovers demand They’re not carbonated in the same way mass produced commercial ales are which gives them more champagne-like bubbles they are quite tart in taste and are often cloudy Rodenbach Vintage 2018 pours a hazy amber colour with very light off-white lacing around the top of the glass which quickly dissipates and leaves a beverage with a very bubbly-champagne like appearance there is very little oak flavours or scents in the drink Almost like licking the sour coating off of sour kids like what you’d get in a pale ale or an Indian pale ale (IPA) The flavour is rounded out by the malty backbone in the beer The champagne like carbonation of the brew makes it more of a sipping beer that’s best for sharing as opposed to something that you’d drink in high volumes At a relatively high 7 per cent alcohol by volume Rodenbach Vintage 2018 highlights the characteristics expected of the style admirably which is likely why it’s been so successful on the international scene I wouldn’t say it’s the best sour beer available today as there are several with more complex flavours to offer at $12.75 for a bottle at the LCBO it is definitely a beer that’s worth trying and will likely impress especially for those people who demand to try the latest in beer offerings from around the globe transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account the Order of the Butter Weighing gets together in a small village called Esen in West Flanders Belgium to confer Butter Knighthoods on three new members Each recipient bows down in front of the Mayor of Esen so that they can be decorated with the antediluvian honor celebrates butter production in the village and the surrounding areas (there’s a cheese order and the annual inductees undergo a series of butter specification examinations (including taste and weighing tests) before being knighted and paraded round the village His camera is particularly focused on the faces of the new knights so they can later be painted “I don’t tell them beforehand,” says Kris Herteleer You can’t say to someone that they have such a crazy face that you want to paint them Each year’s paintings—which are framed 70cm x 70cm and granulated with translucent watercolors—hang congruously on the warehouse wall of the village’s only remaining brewery. Herteleer is a painter, but he’s also enjoyed previous careers as a practicing architect and a local historian. For the past 36 years, however, he’s been the owner/brewer of De Dolle Brouwers the producer of Belgian classics such as Oerbier the antiquated nature of the brewery itself and his eccentric personality have all created perceptions among beer lovers of an unpredictable genius artist the introspective creative who cares not for what the world thinks But all this hyperbole undermines his contribution to brewing “We put ‘Anno 1980’ on our labels because I knew we would be copied by everyone,” Herteleer says “Some people claim that La Chouffe was the first small artisanal Belgian brewery The guys from Abbaye des Rocs said they were before me Between the opening of Pierre Celis’ original Hoegaarden brewery and ours De Dolle Brouwers emerged from the homebrewing successes of Herteleer and his brother In their late teens they were buying malt extract kits from England and brewing in a copper vessel which was designed for washing laundry “When my brother finished his studies to become a doctor he wanted to go to South America to help there,” Herteleer says “Before he left we decided to try all the beers we had made One guy there knew an investor interested in starting a brewery and together we set about trying to find an old brewery to buy.” In the late 1970s you didn’t look on the internet when shopping for a brewery “Under ‘A’ there was no brewery,” Herteleer says “Under ‘B’ was ‘Bavik,’ but that brewery was too big we saw ‘Brouwerij Costenoble,’ so we went to take a look.” What they saw on their visit to Costenoble was a beat-up brewery dating back to 1835 in a village of 2,000 inhabitants which at one time housed as many as six breweries but we had never seen a brewery before,” Herteleer says “The brewer told us that it would be sold that afternoon to another guy So we told him to sell it to us at the same price Herteleer and his brother bought out the investor And with the help of some skilled brewery technicians they went about shaping the mechanical efficiency of the system while maintaining the charm of the old brewery They named the enterprise De Dolle Brouwers a derivation from the name of a cycling team they had started together with some friends “In Flanders we call a bike a ‘stalen ros’ or ‘steel horse’,” Herteleer says “‘Dravers’ is terminology for riding a horse Aging beer in wooden barrels to extrapolate flavor is now commonplace in breweries all over the world. Goose Island Brewery was one of the first in the States, using bourbon casks to impart vanilla, spice, and charred oak notes in their beers. Founders Brewing Co. was another of the early Stateside adopters Innis & Gunn were doing the same in Scotland with whiskey barrels De Dolle was among the global front-runners when it came to wine barrels They claim to be the first in Belgium to use barrels—not as a souring technique—but to extract the character of what was previously in the cask That accident took place 16 years ago because of a forced change in the yeast De Dolle were using De Dolle used yeast from another notable local brewery Oerbier (translating to “original” as well as being a Flemish play on words meaning “our”) and a Strong Blonde Winter Beer of 12% ABV called Stille Nacht (“silent night”) where the Rodenbach brewery is based,” Herteleer says they considered this an appreciation of their beer and they were so proud of it that they mentioned it on their brewery tours.” When Rodenbach joined the Palm group in 2000 the supply of yeast to local breweries came to an end “The yeast from Rodenbach was very complex,” Herteleer says but there are Lactobacillus and Pediococcus strains in there as well which changed the way the microbiology behaved and the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae became stronger and stronger because they had no enemies anymore our bottles of Stille Nacht started to explode Herteleer called another brewer—Jean-Pierre Van Roy of the Cantillon brewery in Brussels—to ask for help Van Roy was using barrels to age his Lambics and had connections with wine makers in various European countries “We needed nine barrels to put the rest of the beer in those bottles,” Herteleer says Saint-Julien is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine in the Bordeaux region which is known for its high quality and even higher price I put the beer in those barrels that afternoon and then forgot about them.” a group of Americans were touring around Belgium with Italian beer journalist “They were intending to go to Westvleteren but Lorenzo talked to me and I invited them to De Dolle for a look instead,” Herteleer says Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing “I remembered the beer in the barrels in our cellar which had been there for a few years,” Herteleer says “I told them we could try some and they jumped so high off the ground when they tasted it Adam Avery.Lower left: Vinnie Cilurzo Adam Avery.Right: Lorenzo Dabove and Kris Herteleer. Photos by Rob Tod It was the first time Tod had visited De Dolle The beers are so fresh when you drink them there at the brewery There’s nothing like sitting and drinking Arabier out on the brewery terrace when the weather’s good.” Tod recalls the excitement of his American colleagues when they met Herteleer “On that first visit we were taken to the cellar,” he says the Germans rounded up everyone in the village and locked them in that basement for two weeks He told us there had been a problem with a batch and that he was forced to open all his bottles and empty the beer out but we tasted that version of Stille Nacht then for the first time.” That accidental creation became the Stille Nacht Reserva, a universally loved Strong Wine Barrel-Aged Ale that appears only once every five years as a special release De Dolle were trailblazers not only in the products they were releasing but in the way they presented themselves to the market from the very beginning There were no representations of monks here no fictional saints or made-up monasteries they created a cartoon character—Oerbier Man “[He’s] a little man made from a yeast cell,” Herteleer says pointing to a depiction of a Michelin Man-esque figure strewn around various walls of the brewery The yeast cell has a couple of buddings: one is the head the words “Nat en Straf” (English translation: “wet and strong”) are also everywhere—on the brewery signage out front “We discussed for three weeks whether it was going to be ‘wet and strong’ or ‘strong and wet’,” Herteleer says of his obsession to detail “’Straf’ does not mean just ‘strong’,” he continues And ‘Nat’ is more than ‘wet.’ ‘Nat’ means you are wet inside and outside.” It’s a direct reference to the energy and hard work it takes to get the liquid into the glass There’s a warmth and authenticity about the team Herteleer has around him which gives credence to his boldness and work ethic His wife works at the bar serving visitors his mother—now 99 years old—conducted all the tours in both Flemish and English with an energy and level of knowledge which would impress even the most ridiculous beer geeks “We bring those who have been working at Allagash for five years on a trip to Belgium,” Tod says “We always take them to De Dolle and Cantillon I remember a tour we did one February when it was cold They fired up a wooden stove oven with compressed peat briquettes Then there’s Kris’ young brewing assistant He has lived in the house next to the brewery all his life and grew up drinking Oerbier and Arabier He’s a graduate of engineering and microbiology the dream combination for an aspiring brewer Herteleer’s brother Jo still lives in South America where he continues to brew and support De Dolle from afar Herteleer himself recounts the personal story of his brewery face-to-face with anyone who chooses to visit on Sunday afternoons Oerman-speckled smoking jacket and flowery polka-dot bow tie are just a few of the ways he differentiates himself from what has gone before in Belgium Herteleer’s avant-garde nature is equally evident in the brewhouse “We grow souring bacteria for Oerbier,” Herteleer says “We pitch it in our fermenter with our top-fermenting yeast In the beginning it’s the lactobacilli who grow when the yeast is making more and more alcohol Maybe some malts are not good enough or some are too expressive.” Herteleer has never been afraid to use hops in a country whose stoic obsession with balance has led to a generally conservative attitude to alpha is certainly a bitter beer by today’s standards (it clocks in at more 60 IBUs) but in the early 1980s when it was released to a market constituting myriad of beers with residual sugar overload “Arabier is a pure malt beer with a lot of hops,” Herteleer says I love drinking sherry when I’m in the south of Spain But if you drink the same sherry here in Belgium a style uncommon in Belgium and often interpreted by brewers in ways that make them virtually unrecognizable from the style guidelines It’s Herteleer’s least popular beer commercially “One of my brothers broke his leg and his doctor advised him to drink a stout,” he says A beer merchant told us there was a beer which was better it was brewed in Dublin and bottled in Antwerp by John Martin I went on to study the history of stout in London and Dublin Originally it was stocked in foeders like in Rodenbach and the original stouts had the same thing as our Oerbier Sourness is essential in a real stout because the originals that were made in London had a sour oaky taste.”  Herteleer’s status as a pioneer is perhaps best evidenced by the conception and development of Stille Nacht itself a blend of 10 different batches brewed immediately after the fresh harvest of hops arrive from Poperinge in the autumn but Herteleer didn’t like that it was considered an amped-up version of Oerbier “The first two Stille Nachts in 1981 and 1982 were dark,” he recalls “The people talked about the very good Oerbier Then I’ll change the recipe.’ So I put nothing but pale malt in.” Winter beers aren’t so much a style of beer as they are a brewing tradition they tend to be darker and sometimes sweeter than most usually with a generous deployment of spices at the annual Christmas Beer Festival in Essen (which is located on the other side of Flanders from Esen) one of Europe’s most respected festivals at which 178 different Christmas and winter beers are celebrated Stille Nacht has been voted as the best beer on eight different occasions—2005 “The festival organizers come once a year to deliver the prize,” Herteleer says with a smile “The second place beer every year is always different.” There is something very familiar about this story: a middle-aged widower moves to Bruges as it is the town most suited to his melancholy He desperately misses his wife; and in the cloistral moribund city of Bruges he finds the perfect analogue for his grief And then one day he sees a woman in the street who appears to be the exact double of his dead wife and eventually begins a relationship with her But it turns out that she is not the reincarnation of his wife .. This 1892 novel has something archetypal about it in the way that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or The Picture of Dorian Gray do The chief differences lie in tone and the absence of the supernatural; there is also a far more ambiguous approach to metaphor The Stevenson and the Wilde are indisputably great works or maintains a pious silence as to whether it is in the sense that Georges Rodenbach's reputation is as a symbolist writer Villiers de l'Isla-Adam; Rodin offered to carve a sculpture of him in Bruges after his death indignant that (a) Rodenbach identified the city with death and morbid religiosity never mind how appreciatively and ecstatically; and (b) that he wrote in French rather than Flemish (although it would have been most difficult and counter-productive to do so at the time) A note by Will Stone at the end of the book points out that this is still the case and that you will have to go to Ghent to find a substantial memorial to Rodenbach An admirer has put up a modest bronze plaque in Bruges But there is so much to admire in this brief novel despite all those stylistic mannerisms we associate with the era - the most striking being those fainting-sensibility exclamation marks at the end of descriptive paragraphs But it is those descriptions that make Bruges-la-Morte so remarkable the chief character in the novel is the town itself: and this was some time before Joyce had the same idea about doing the same with Dublin in Ulysses It is fitting that Alan Hollinghurst introduces this novel for he has used elements from it in his own fiction His 1994 novel The Folding Star is itself a homage to Bruges-la-Morte although he doesn't feel the need to declare so in his illuminating and sympathetic introduction His narrator says of his lover: "I imagined a life consecrated to the image of Luc the icon of his extraordinary face candlelit in each room ..." Rodenbach imagines the mirrors in Hugues' house "needed only the merest touch with a sponge or cloth so as not to erase her face sleeping in their depths" This is one of the greatest novels ever written about grief loneliness and isolation; and such subjects are (Those suffering similar personal circumstances will find it remarkably consoling.) It is the kind of book that should have been turned into an opera by Debussy along the lines of what he did with Pelléas et Mélisande by Rodenbach's contemporary and fellow-townsman Maeterlinck and I'm not sure that he would have had the right musical attitude I keep thinking about music so much because so much music resides in the words about how a city can be a state of mind as well as a geographical entity It has its shocks and its melodrama: but it is a haunting Congratulations to Dedalus for reviving it · This article was amended on Friday January 11 2008 World’s Biggest Roll on Roll off Car Transporter Sets Sail for Brazil from Changzhou 49 Year Old Superstar Actress Besieged by Fans in Lianyungang Robotic Urban Management Officer Appears in Wuxi Scenic Spot Helicopter Crash in Suzhou Kills 1 on the Ground; Injures 4 on Board Crane Falls 23 Floors in Nanjing Miraculously Missing Construction Worker  Tasty Solutions on the Menu at Shanghai Climate Week Why is the Shanghai Government Sniffing around Our Back Yard?  Gorillas! Who wants to Go See Nanjing Zoo’s Newly Arrived Primates?! So Much Fun for Women’s Day 2025 in Nanjing! Access all Areas, but Not for Dinner! The Fish Worth ¥700,000 Taxi! Nausea, Check; Body Odour, Check; Both Kidneys, Check 3 Taxi Drivers, 3 Journeys; Connecting Us, Connecting Our City Death & Taxis How Close Have You Come to Dying? China Taxis then & Now; The Hardware’s Changed but the Software? Poor Man’s KFC; is Change in China as Good as a Rest? Names is for Tombstones, Baby! But not Maybe Nanjing’s Top Location, Tick; Design, Tick; Attitude, Tick x2; Taste, Ummm… Surprises all Round as Culinary Superlative Lands in Nanjing It’s Italian, Certainly NOT American! And You’d better Believe it English Service for Emergency Telephone Numbers in Nanjing Money & Paying for Stuff in Nanjing Communication & Using the Internet in Nanjing Nanjing Basics; Introduced as Never Before Helping to fluff out Xinjiekou’s rather bleak nightlife is swanky debutante Rodenbach Nestled in the brand spanking new 1913 area of Hongwu Road the restaurant/bar/museum sits adjacent to its sister establishment ladies luncheon sunroom with posh nighttime Champagne drinking you will see the “National Theatre” to your left and the new 1913 Designer Court to your right The first house you come across is Rodenbach because in 1913 this place was in fact called the “Gongyu Club” where the likes of prominent Republican leader Chiang Kai-Shek and his gang would come and hangout The building itself has kept its original European style with the inside having undergone “little” renovation Beautifully decked out with hundreds of plants and lights just sitting outside this colonial blast from the past would suffice then head on inside for what awaits is quite the lesson (in beer) There appears to be not to be a piece of wall that is not covered in original beer memorabilia from across Europe and the United States collected by non other than the museum’s owner Jacky who spends his time skipping across the States to every auction and antique store in order to fill his Nanjing projects with bonafide original pieces Long time Nanjingers will have frequented some of Jackie’s other establishments which include the Mazzo Nightclubs and New York inspired Tribeca Certainly take the time to wander around and have a gander at this impressive collection but what is most interesting (and easy to miss) is the original Nanjing wall bricks that have been set into place above a fireplace which show original script etched into the stones by those who built the wall The beer selection is rather large and yep designed mainly for the Belgium beer lover IPA lovers need not despair; the menu features a few nice fruity ales including the house option Food can be described as “China pub style” yet a few palleas and fancy soups have been added just to break away from all the deep fried goodness Unless you have got a few bucks floating around in your pocket that you’re not keen on The drinks and the atmosphere is what you’re paying for Winter appears to be the best time to spend here for sitting by the fireplace and looking around one could be fooled into thinking Europe was just outside the door; Christmas in Nanjing RODENBACH is located in the 1913 Designer Court Dogfish Head is still pushing the boundaries of what beer can be The Delaware brewery known for popularizing the India Pale Ale style and using culinary ingredients in beer has two new releases that play to its strengths is literally one of the strongest beers you can buy and is a twist on a Dogfish classic first brewed more than 20 years ago Dogfish founder Sam Calagione introduced World Wide Stout a monster of a beer checking in somewhere between 15 and 20 percent ABV and brewed with a ton of roasted barley That beer is a stout in every sense of the word giving off aromas of coffee and licorice and coating your mouth with sweet and bitter flavors and a warming feeling albeit a dangerous one — Dogfish sells it with a bright yellow cap which it calls a “caution cap” for beers with an ABV of 10 percent or higher signifying that they are both boozy and also prime candidates for aging Dogfish has added Honduran cold-press coffee taking down the ABV a tick (to around 15 percent) but giving the brew an extra kick “World Wide Stout has always been one of my favorites but this new iteration holds a special place in my heart,” Calagione said in a press release noting that the beer is brewed with organic ingredients the first stout the brewery made nearly three decades ago Another new offering from Dogfish Head is Crimson Cru (7.1 percent ABV) a collaboration with nearly 200-year-old Belgian brewery Rodenbach a Flemish red-brown ale aged in oak casks that made the trip overseas by tanker infusing the beer with sumac and orange peel and then dry-hopping it with Hallertau Blanc hops This beer builds upon Rodenbach’s Grand Cru a full-bodied beer with aromas of cherry and toffee You get those flavors from the beer as well Belgian-style beers are some of my favorites so it’s good to see this thoughtful partnership making more of them available here Gary Dzen can be reached at gary.dzen@globe.com.Follow him @garydzen. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information