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GTG Extra! : Brussels Countdown
A Special Daily Supplement from The Grey Town Gazette |
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Seven Days : Seven Beers : Seven Reasons to Live
Wed 25th Aug 2010
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T minus 6
and counting...
Wish you were there? |
Its that time of year again: the time when the devout don their drinking boots, pack their beer resistant clothing, dig out last year's surplus bottle tops*, pick up some bulk packs of aspirin and head off on the annual pilgrimage to the Brussels Beer Weekend.
Organized by the internationally renowned WorldDrinkingTour.com the trip - like any worthwhile challenge - is sometimes arduous, often hazy, but always a fulfilling experience allowing true aficionados to connect with their beer induced spiritual side.
The GTG is keen to support cultural events and our reporters will be there on the ground, reporting from the frontline.
Countdown Reviews
To help those of you who are making the trip get in the mood and as a general celebration of the event, we're publishing a special series of 7 daily bulletins featuring reviews of our favourite beverages and bars. Who knows, perhaps we might also entice those who aren't joining us this time to make the effort next year!
But its not just about Belgium. All serious athletes know its essential to follow a disciplined and balanced training regime ahead of major events and so this year's programme includes expert designed warm up excursions to Amsterdam and Antwerp.
The Beer Weekend itself starts Friday 3rd September.
We can't possibly cover all of the worthy beverages in seven bulletins, but we hope these little tasters help wet the appetite and get the heart pounding.
Cheers!
Ed.
* those in the know, know... those who don't, need to find out! |
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Beer of the Day
Westmalle Tripel
A V8 of a beer
What better way to keep things rolling?
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Vital Statistics
Brewer: Westmalle Brewery
(Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle)
Style: Clear, golden yellow Trappist beer
Undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle
AI Value:* 10.5
Killer App: Enables a practiced drinker to levitate
Medicinal Qualities: I feel better already!
Tasting notes: Smooth and powerful, but not too flash : a V8 of a beer
Grey Scale Rating:** Platinum
* AI, or Alcoholic Index is a key parameter in the temporal equation defining (perceived) Drink Time. Ref. Alcohol Induced Time Dilation Effect, 'Quantum Qorner' GTG Dec 2009
** The official GTG product review rating scale:
Coal (pants) Charcoal (bearable) Gravel (average) Ash (good) Platinum (ace) |
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We make no apologies for featuring another widely available beer (France almost certainly included), but some things are just too good to miss.
Origin - a true Trappist
The brewery refers to the Westmalle Tripel as 'the mother of all tripels' and it's considered to be the original tripel style beer. The beer was first produced in 1934 and the current formula hasn't changed in over 50 years.
What's so special about Trappist Beers?
Essentially, to be called Trappist the beers must be brewed within the boundaries of the monastery or under the direct supervision of the monks. The brewery also has to be run with a monastic ethos and any profits over and above those needed to run the monastery must be used for charitable and social causes.
Its good to know that with every sip you are helping a worthy cause.
There are seven Trappist breweries, six in Belgium (Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren and Westmalle) and one in the Netherlands (La Trappe).
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Watering Hole
A great place to enjoy today's featured beverage
The Poker-what? | Poechenellekelder (a.k.a.'Pokemon')
A name that gets easier the more you drink. By your 4th Westmalle Tripel you'll have no problem giving friends instructions to find it.
But be warned: the venue has the unique quality of always having free seats and tables when you arrive, but none by the time friends turn up. This is no doubt due to some strange beer-induced quantum effect, but to be sure we need to do more investigation.
Like several hostelries in the area this bar is stuffed full of manikins and puppets (it seems to be a local fetish). You know it's time you should be leaving when you catch yourself saying 'excuse me' each time you pass the ones seated by the stairs to the loo.
The 'Pokemon' is notable for serving more than the obligatory Brussels plates of bland cheese, salami and that glutinous obscenity known as 'Kip-Kap'. They also do some very decent pastas and other meals.
Poechenellekelder, Rue Du Ch�ne, 5, Brussels. |
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Fed-up with Rubbish News?
Been on a Desert Island?
Got a Bad Memory?
Or Simply Been out on the Razzle?
If you need to check what has really been happening in the world, or would just like to check out the threads on some of Grey Town's top news stories, this is where to look!
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Small print:
Copyright August 2010 The Ministry of Light.
All Rights Reserved etc.
The Grey Town Gazette is published by The Ministry of Light, a division of Borg International Ltd, London.
Disclaimer:
The Grey Town Gazette is published in good faith. The accuracy of the stories is questionable and is certainly not guaranteed. If you think any are true we respectfully suggest you consider therapy. Any reference to persons living or dead is unintentional and purely coincidental.
Product and venue reviews are purely subjective and reflect the views of the reviewer(s). Product and supplier details are based on published sources and not guaranteed to be correct.
The Ministry of Light - Croydon's Leading Think Tank |
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