Mr. Johnson wrote:
This is mostly true, and the same goes for fosters, I expected to see it all over Australia but I barely saw an advert for it.
People here still drink stella, but mostly the elderly chav-father/mother types, as their weak bodies can't handle all the great manbeers we have.
^ that. The Belgians think it's terribly funny that the UK thinks Stella is a premium beer
Fave beers;
Ale
I love English real ales but sadly they tend not to travel (as anyone who has ever had a pint of draft Speckled Hen in Hong Kong will attest) so I save ale drinking for trips to the UK or very special occasions (like when Ramsgate Breweries brought 2 barrels of IPA to the Brusselensis festival 3 years ago)
The Black stuff
When watching rugby I drink Guiness. This is because it travels OK, is available and relatively piss weak so I can drink it all afternoon at about 1-2 pints a half and get through 3 rugby matches without passing out on the table in the pub (a deffo if I were drinking Belgian beer and watching rugby)
The Belgian stuff
A lot of the stronger Belgian beers (<6% is not beer) use quite a lot of sugar to carry the alcohol, I tend not to like these beers (with a couple of notable exceptions, Duvel not being one of them) and so stick to the "reasonably strong" brews at around 8% rather than the nutty ones at 12 as they tend to be drier
Standouts;
Westmalle Triple. Breaks the rule, 11% and dry. I become a ranting loon after about 3 of these, but it's OK because after 4 I'm usually asleep
Rochefort 6. Actually 8% not 6 and take care of the fines in the bottom, will give you the runs. Not very available in Brussels, but can be found in the ardennes
Chouffe and Mc Chouffe. Outstanding Blonde and brown (respectively) beers from daan sarf. The only french (ok, wallonian) made beer that the flemish I work with will admit to liking
Trpile Karmelite. Breaks teh sweet rule, but manages not to be too heavy with it so I drink this at times
Orval. 6% so quaffable and the closest to an English bitter that I think I've found
Palm. A lager with a nice honey back taste. At about 10 quid for a case of 24x33cl, My house lager
Rodenback. A flemish red for when I'm feeling especially contrary. Used to be brewed in oak barrels, which is what gives flemish red beers their acidic twang. now made in stainless vats with planks of oak hanging in them, if the rumours are to be believed.
Ichtegem Grand Cru is better, but I can never find it
Oude Beersel Kriek and Geuze. The brewery that sponsors our bike club. Geuze is a very specifically brewed beer that takes 3 years + to get to the bottle. Usually quite acidic, rather like a good strong cider, sometimes called Brussels Champagne. Kriek is the same but steeped in fresh cherries. Great for summer but nothing (NOTHING) like that Lindeman's shit you'll get in your local belgian pub in the UK. Kriek is the beer that commercialisation and internationalisation of belgian brewing has done the most damage to IMO, fortunately there are still several (about 10) small breweries doing it properly. If it doesn't make you pucker, it's not the real stuff.
Non beer drinks
Gin and Tonic
Rum and Lemonade or Mojito'd - turns me into a raving loon almost as fast as Westmalle triple
Lemonchello - moorish digestivo of choice
Jenever - often known as flemish gin but has nothing to do with Gin afaik. Usually a couple of bottles hanging around in odd flavours from a recent farmer's market
Red wine. lots of
Ghetto cocktails
not much really, we just make sure we don't run out . and good red wine (at least, good enough for us) is cheap as chips here so there's few excuses to run short[/u]
