belgium beer

[lonedrinker]

Has anyone ever had Jupier its from belgium, I highly recommend it. If anyone has a recipe like it please pass it on.

[Theakston]

The land that produces the most diverse range of Ales on the planet is better represented by anything other than a mass produced Pilsener -- a style you can find anywhere in the world.

Jupiler is Belgium's equivalent of Budweiser.

I suggest you try some of the Belgian real ales instead.

Good Belgian Ales to try as an introduction to Belgian Beer:

Duvel -- a strong blond ale
Goudenband by Liefmans - an excellent sourish Brown Ale
Trappist Beers such as Orval (very hoppy), Westmalle or Rochefort
La Chouffe or any of the De Dolle brews.
Lambics -- fermented with wild yeast -- a bit more challenging an experience. Some have fruit added to contrast with the sour taste. Liefmans are widely found, Cantillon are better.

Some other Belgians that are easier to find are:
Hoegarden (white beer)
Leffe (blonde abbey style beer)
These are good introductions to Belgian beer even if they are somewhat mass produced and distributed by the evil interbrew (who also produce Jupiler and Stella).:eek:

[bierman2000]

Jupiler well it may be the Bud of Belgium but its not too harsh the real Bud is Stella. Its a nice malty beer, I had a couple over there when I wasn't having Abbey Ales.

[lonedrinker]

I DID TRY MANY BEERS WHILE I WAS THERE
A RASPBERRY BEER THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING BUT WAY TO SWEET. ALL OF THE REGULAR BELGIUMS AND SOME PRETTY RARE ONES AS WELL. I WISH I WOULD OF KEPT SOME NOTES.
I WAS INTERESTED IN JUPILER BECAUSE AS POPULAR AS YOU SAY IT IS YOU CANT SEEM TO TO GET A HOLD OF IT UNLESS YOUR IN BELGIUM.

[Theakston]

Good. I'm glad you got to try the rarer ones while you were there. Still a little surprised that you found Jupiler so appealing. I guess you need something a little milder to wash down all those strong ales and sour lambics. I liked the De Koninck ale for that - probably because the glass was called a bolleke (pronounced Bollicker -- English people such as me think that is funny).

It is strange that you can't get Jupiler outside of Belgium. Interbrew are certainly pushing all of their other products agressively all over the world. (I even ran into an interbrew rep pushing Leffe and Stella in St. Martin!) I guess they figure that Stella is their premium pilsener and Jupiler is just one Pilsener too many.

[turkey247]

Yes I must agree, Belgium makes some of the best ales. I would agrue that they make the best. They know how to add spices, and fruit so well. I try to get up there as much as I can. A must try for any one who never has. I love Duvel. Also had a white ale, that had corriendar (spelling on that one might not be right) in it, and was awesome!!!! Cheers

[paul84043]

The best way to get belgian ales here is to make them yourself!!
We made a Dubbel that is one serious beer! All of my freinds talk about it with reverence and a little bit of awe in thier voices...it's something else.

I have looked around and despite the fact that I can't get them here in Utah at all, not even in the mail, if I could, they are bloody expensive!

[Theakston]

Recipe please!!! I've always found Belgian Dubbels are one of the hardest styles to reproduce (that is apart from Lambics which are impossible unless you have the payotenland micro climate with the all the wild yeasts swirling around)

Please post your recipe. I'd like to try this style again!!
Which Dubbel is it based on? is it a dark one or a golden / blond ale?