Moeder Lambic Fontainas (Brussels, Belgium)

Real men eat quiche

7/30/12, 7/31/12

I found Moeder Lambic during my planned walk listed on Cantillon's website.  If heading to the Cantillon tour, a stop at Moeder Lambic is a great before or after combination.  I thought I had my return down pat when I noted in the morning that the bar is near the Anneessens metro stop.  However, when exiting at Anneessens, it's important to follow the signs to Fontainasplein. Underground walkways lead to several separate "pleins" (open places) and they are two blocks from each other.   I was hoping for a easy up and getting a beer, and got a walk through an interesting immigrant neighborhood instead.

Zwarte Piet by Brasserie de la Senne here in Brussels is the first beer of the night. Zwarte Piet means "black Pete" and is a helper of Santa Claus in the Netherlands, but I understand little about Pete beyond that.  In this case, I got a robust, dark beer that is a nice contrast to the lambics and golden Belgians I've been drinking this week.  Flowing brown lace on the glass leads to a deep ruby ale that's opaque, and smooth without being light.  Dark cherry and chocolate mix with a spice in the nose and taste that seems to be from theyeast but could also be hops—probably a blend.

Zwarte Piete and my view at a table just inside the door

Second beer of the night is Bitter Sorachi Ace from a French brewery, Brasserie du Mont Saleve.  From my trip, I've noticed that bitter styles are starting to make inroads into Belgium, but my impression is that they still shy away from hops compared to Americans.  This is a hazy, pale yellow ale with a giant head in a small footed glass. Very pretty but the taste disappoints.  I love Sorachi Ace as a hop when placed front and center in a beer by Brooklyn Brewery, simply called Sorachi Ace. This use is less than masterful, and while I understand the critique of over-hopped American beers, American brewers have really pushed the limits of hop science and know how to use them.  This is a nice attempt by Mont Saleve, but it falls a little short.

For dinner, I expanded my horizons and ordered the salmon quiche, which was excellent. Those shocked reading this fact, I added fish back into my ovo-lacto diet recently and this is the first I've tested it overseas. The Bitter Sorachi Ace complimented the quiche fairly well.

Moved on to Noir de Dottignies by Brouwerij de Ranke.  A Belgian strong dark ale with a clean tan lace and dark brown to ruby in the glass.  A very light nose of dark fruits and alcohol spice on top of a smooth maltiness.  Body is a bit light with a slickness letting the same fruits and spice slide right off the back. The beer came with a small amount of malt, but not sure why and the waiter left so quickly that I couldn't ask. Nothing on BA either.  This is listed as a "dark and bitter" beer, so my guess is that the sweet malt is supposed to compliment or reduce the Challenger and Saaz hops dosing.  Can't say the combination does much for me besides leaving chunky grain in my mouth instead of slightly hoppy dark beer. Confirmed the next night that the malted barley is meant to be a "chip" to snack on—a sweet to counteract the bitterness.

After a month in Belgium and France, I came home and gain only two pounds, drinking and eating as I wished.  I love the smaller portions of food and beer in Belgium, maybe Europe in general.  Delve into the full list of 2012 Belgium and 2012 France posts; the reader will note that I've had a fairly large number of beers—all glasses of 25 centiliters.  Food is served in manageable portions as well, so a meal ordered for one doesn't make me feel like a glutton.  A very safe and sane way to to eat and drink.  Moeder Lambic is the epitome of this idea.  This, I think, the US could learn a lesson on how to do.

Finished the night with Rose de Gambrinus, the framboise from Cantillon that I visited this morning.  I didn't have it on-site since I planned to get here later to try several lambics.  Amazing pink head that lingers fluffily on top of a dark red lambic.  My info from Cantillon says 150 kg of raspberries are macerated and placed in the kegs per 500 liters of beer and left to soak for five to six months.  Incredible raspberry in the nose with a light twang from the lambic pushes its way in from the background.  Take a sip and—wow—what sour: vinegar-like kick with the fruit just barely keeping up, almost achieving a balance.  This is a framboise for lambic lovers instead of an introductory lambic like Lindeman's with the fruit leading the sour by a ways.

In spite of the weird, techno backbeat from the bar's music, Moeder Lambic is a great beer adventure.  Besides, the music isn't loud and the focus of the place is light conversation.  I'm pretty sure that one of the workers I saw today at Cantillon is sitting at the bar, so others seem to think that it's a good stop as well. Also, the bar has an especially strong WiFi signal, so I'm catching up on emails while digging deep into the beer list.

Finding Moeder Lambic on my second attempt went much better.  After my adventure at the Atomium (giant model of an atom for the 1958 World Expo that attracts loads of tourists), I emerged from the subway looking right at the bar.

Started tonight with Dupont's Monk's Stout. Black and opaque, even in the mini-imperial pint glass.  Roasted malt and chocolate in the nose that smells like a standard good stout except for a light Belgian yeast funk underneath. More spice appears in the taste to compliment the Guinness-like quality of this beer.

Kerkomese Tripel from Brouwerij Kerkom is a hazy yellow with a stark white head in a glass.  A triple with an amazing spice and fruitiness on top of a light body. The 9% is completely hidden in this smooth drinking beer.  Next, when in Belgium, drink Norway.  Nogne O Imperial Stout is on tap as a special beer, so it's hard to resist this absolute black ale with a creamy tan head. Nose is light for the style, but the taste is fairly spectacular: full bodied, roast, chocolate, slight cherry and an alcohol slickness that makes it smooth. Opens up well as it warms.

My last beer at Moeder Lambic was Tilquin Gueuze on tap.  This was one of my favorites at the Lambic Vistor Center and is just as good on tap. Stark white, fluffy head over a hazy straw gold beer. This is one of my favorites of the trip: a pleasantly sour beer that's not overwhelming. A very perfectly balanced lambic blend.

So I lied. When I said the Tilquin Gueuze was very good, the bartender said the Lambic Blend on tap was better.  Had to give it a try.   Bracingly tart without being overwhelming and a light malt sweetness underneath, probably from a younger lambic in the blend that hasn't dried out yet.  Looks identical to the gueuze, understandably, since both are a blend of the same base lambic.  Tilquin is fast becoming my favorite lambic brewer/blender along with Oud Beersel.

Time spent is my recommendation—check out Moeder Lambic.

Sorachi Ace (Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY)

Happened to be driving by Petschen's and picked up a few brews to fill the fridge.  Sorachi Ace is a favorite that I haven't had in a while.  In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the best beers from Brooklyn Brewery.  Bittered and dry hopped with the rare Sorachi Ace, it's a showcase single-hop beer.

Frothy, stark white head settles a bit on the second and third pour, then falls to a thick lace. Sun gold colored saison sparkles in the glass from a continuous effervescence.  For me, the nose makes the beer with a clean lemongrass, citrus and underlying sweetness like Hawaiian bread.  An assertive and lingering twang on the tongue from carbonation and a blended hop/yeast spice combines with lemongrass and a slight pepper note through the dry finish.  Lemongrass turns to tart lemon as it warms.

Love this hop.  Drink this worthy beer.

Magic Hat and bottling videos

One of the rarities of a brewery tour is the bottling line.  Generally, the tour is on a Saturday when the production facility is down, which makes it legal to walk through.  Besides, bottling lines tend to be very noisy as well. We've seen running facilities a few times, usually in places where the tour is looking through a window rather than walking through the brewery.

One such tour was Magic Hat Brewery last June.  We were driving through Vermont on the way to Ben & Jerry's, a sign for Magic Hat appeared in my path.  Hard not to stop.  The tour was self guided through a carnival-like hallway with video on very beery topics and memorabilia.  It ended with an overlook of the brewery in production.  Convenient and I hit next on the video that explained that beer is made from four ingredients.

Our pictures from the Magic Hat bottling line are included in this post.  Below are links to videos that have crossed my beer reading over the past few months.  Each video covers a different angle of running a production bottling line.

First is Troeg's that shows a standard, full production bottling line in motion.

Second, is Brooklyn Brewery's  video showing how to finish a bottle conditioned beer--in this case, bottles of Brooklyn 1.  Besides an extended explanation by Garrett Oliver, it's interesting for highlighting the challendges of not only a 100% bottle conditioned beer but also corked and caged bottles.  

Third, Jolly Pumpkin's video shows the bottling of La Roja.  Bottling at home like a homebrewer, the amount work that is needed for a small or fledgling brewery is apparent.

And, finally, the new canning line at Oskar Blues putting out their Deviant Dale in 16 oz tallboys. This one shows the machine going in for the first time, and the joy of a faster, high quality, lower effort fill seems to just radiate from them.  16 oz cans are my favorite packaging at the moment, so I hope more breweries head this direction.

Sorachi Ace (Brooklyn Brewing, Brooklyn, NY)

Got a bottle from Petschens and very happy with Brooklyn again. Hazy shimmering gold beer with a lingering white head. Drank it the same day I bought it, so didn't let it settle out, so I may be the cause of the haze. Gorgeous complex lemongrass, citrus nose and strong peppery spice that is clean and multi-layered at the same time. Carbonic tang on the tongue and the yeast and spice fills the mouth fully. Dry finished that accents the hops. Brewed with rare Japanese Sorachi hops (according to the website), the lemony character is intrinsic to the hop. I'm a fan and would love to get some more of this beer.

Brooklyn Local 2 (Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY)

Dark brown to black body with copper tints around the edges that shimmer a bit when back lit. Tall light brown head with very tight circles. Head dropped rather rapidly and left a thin film with a nearly undetectable lace. Clean, singular nose with a strong but not overwhelming spice with chocolate, dark fruits and malt. Not complex, but elegant. More cherries and malt in the mouth with the spice taking a subdued role in the taste compared to its upper hand in the nose. Dry end that finishes nicely. Warming up well and changing my perception of this beer from the initial taste. Let it sit for a bit—you'll be rewarded.

Brooklyn Local 1 (Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY)

Big, bubbly white head that lingers a half inch thick in the glass after a big pile  sitting on top on the pour over an old gold ale that brightens to a dull yellow. Banana, cloves, fruity esters and a hint of pepper in the nose. Very clean and a pretty yeast smell. Pepper and spice notes strengthen in the taste and build in the nose—almost like a preview. Significant carbonation intensifies the flavors—especially the spice. Extremely well balanced and bouncy. Fun beer that I will savor through the night.