mdf191
Well-Known Member
I am not from Belgium nor have i been, but I, like many of us, appreciate and have drank and brewed many a Belgian beer. I recently got into a debate with a very snobby egotistical food critic about quality Belgian beers. Here is the story for your amusement. Hope you enjoy.
I am a waiter at a fine dining restaurant, the chef and I have created a night in which we pair three interesting beers with three different tasting courses every week. Its a Byob...so the beer is just a taste and complimentary. I tell them as little or as much as they want to know about the beer, why it pairs, the style, or anything they want to learn.
On this faithful night we paired the third course: BBQ Baby back ribs with St. Bernardus Abt 12.
I was remarking to this critic who was in to try the tasting, how St. Bernardus Abt 12 is in my opinion one of the best Belgian Quads out there. He snickered, actually more laughed in my face, and said that since he has been to Belgium (are your picturing the snobby way this guy acts and talks?)...that Belgians themselves certainly don't regard it as a good beer. This surprised me, but I thought maybe he knows something I don't know, so I asked, "What do they consider the best of the style.. Westvelteren? Rochfort? Or was St Bernardus simply looked down upon due to being in the style of but not one of the official 6 Trappist breweries?
He...not knowing, had stumbled into the storm of knowledge we homebrewers have, and was quickly discovering he was not some dealing with a mere 25 year old weekend beer drinking waiter, ...looked at me and his wife with only a snobby blank grin....but had no response.
I feel I made those who appreciate our hobby and the beer gods proud! Oh, I also continued to expose his lack of knowledge on numerous other styles throughout the evening (while being nice of course, with a smile on my face), just to prove a point. Other points made in the night was the history and reason, and brewing style of Steam Beer (paired with the second course), beer additives in belgium, as compared with the german Reinheitsgebot, and the history or why IPA's are IPA's, which since that is one of the more well know beer tidbits...said to our snobby friend, "Surely then you know how India Pale Ales got the name then right?" He and his wife gave their normally snobby look and said of course!" "Well then maybe you should tell me, I said?" They looked at each other, didn't actually know the answer, and I quickly filled them in and walked away. Check Mate.
Never mess with a homebrewer! When beer styles are on the line!
Also don't get me wrong I am no beer snob. Normally I am excited when people share knowledge of beer, so we can get into more in depth conversations, and when people don't know but are interested I am happy to tell them what I know.....but this guy wasn't one of those people ..just a classic one upper, who got in a beer fact fight with the wrong guy...and lost.....badly.
Jerk or not, he did spark my interest what real Belgians think of their beers though. So my question to all you homebrewer's out there, who may have been to, or are, or know Belgium, what do they consider the best beers?
I am a waiter at a fine dining restaurant, the chef and I have created a night in which we pair three interesting beers with three different tasting courses every week. Its a Byob...so the beer is just a taste and complimentary. I tell them as little or as much as they want to know about the beer, why it pairs, the style, or anything they want to learn.
On this faithful night we paired the third course: BBQ Baby back ribs with St. Bernardus Abt 12.
I was remarking to this critic who was in to try the tasting, how St. Bernardus Abt 12 is in my opinion one of the best Belgian Quads out there. He snickered, actually more laughed in my face, and said that since he has been to Belgium (are your picturing the snobby way this guy acts and talks?)...that Belgians themselves certainly don't regard it as a good beer. This surprised me, but I thought maybe he knows something I don't know, so I asked, "What do they consider the best of the style.. Westvelteren? Rochfort? Or was St Bernardus simply looked down upon due to being in the style of but not one of the official 6 Trappist breweries?
He...not knowing, had stumbled into the storm of knowledge we homebrewers have, and was quickly discovering he was not some dealing with a mere 25 year old weekend beer drinking waiter, ...looked at me and his wife with only a snobby blank grin....but had no response.
I feel I made those who appreciate our hobby and the beer gods proud! Oh, I also continued to expose his lack of knowledge on numerous other styles throughout the evening (while being nice of course, with a smile on my face), just to prove a point. Other points made in the night was the history and reason, and brewing style of Steam Beer (paired with the second course), beer additives in belgium, as compared with the german Reinheitsgebot, and the history or why IPA's are IPA's, which since that is one of the more well know beer tidbits...said to our snobby friend, "Surely then you know how India Pale Ales got the name then right?" He and his wife gave their normally snobby look and said of course!" "Well then maybe you should tell me, I said?" They looked at each other, didn't actually know the answer, and I quickly filled them in and walked away. Check Mate.
Never mess with a homebrewer! When beer styles are on the line!
Also don't get me wrong I am no beer snob. Normally I am excited when people share knowledge of beer, so we can get into more in depth conversations, and when people don't know but are interested I am happy to tell them what I know.....but this guy wasn't one of those people ..just a classic one upper, who got in a beer fact fight with the wrong guy...and lost.....badly.
Jerk or not, he did spark my interest what real Belgians think of their beers though. So my question to all you homebrewer's out there, who may have been to, or are, or know Belgium, what do they consider the best beers?
