The Belgians are coming!

It is a common misconception that “Belgian” is a style of beer, but it’s really a broad category that includes many different styles. The Belgians have been brewing tasty fermented beverages since the Middle Ages, but the beers’ widespread popularity on this side of the pond is much more recent. Mass-produced Belgian beers like Stella Artois and Hoegaarden have been readily available for years now, but St. Louis seems to be embracing traditional Belgian styles now more than ever – and it’s not the result of the Belgian takeover of our city’s biggest brewer. It’s thanks to our craft brewers, several of whom are producing some great Belgian-style beers that are perfect for summer drinking. Schlafly offers a line of four bottle-conditioned Belgian styles. Bottle-conditioned means that either the beer is unfiltered when bottled or that the brewer adds yeast to the bottle to encourage an in-bottle fermentation to occur. (This can leave yeast solids in the bottom of the bottle, so pour slowly.) My personal favorite of the Schlafly selections is the Grand Cru. It is a strong golden ale that’s slightly sweet and spicy with a smooth, dry finish. And, at 9 percent alcohol by volume, this beer will put you on your back if you aren’t careful. Schlafly’s Belgian styles cycle through availability on the taps at the Tap Room downtown and Bottleworks in Maplewood. Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, located in Ste. Genevieve, is definitely on board the Belgian bandwagon. Its Half-Wit Wheat is a cross between an American wheat – generally a golden, malty beer – and a Belgian Wit – a pale, tart style. The dominant flavor is orange peel (not the sweeter fruit) and the result, to my palate, is that the beer is less sweet than other local wheat beers. Charleville’s newest addition is a seasonal Tripel-Wit, a serious, bottle-conditioned beer with coriander and oranges added to the mix. Cathedral Square Brewery, a new local brewer located in the Central West End, has a red Abbey Ale already flowing at many establishments around town, and a white ale just hit the market. Brewmaster Brian Neville said he focused on Belgian styles because of their rapidly increasing national popularity and their lack of representation with local craft brewers. “My goal is to brew good Belgian-style beers that won’t scare off the casual beer drinker,” he explained. “I want to break from the norm, but with something St. Louis is ready for.” Neville uses the same yeasts as some of the Trappist brewers in Belgium; he also flies in Belgian candy sugar to keep things as authentic as possible – costly, but worth the extra coin in the end. St. Louis has always been a beer town. And with so many quality brewers in the area producing new interesting brews, it likely always will be. Certified sommelier Chad George is the general manager at Eclipse Restaurant at The Moonrise Hotel.