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GTG Downtime-Extra!
WDT Amsterdam-Bruges-Brussels
Triathlon 2011
A Special Daily Supplement from
The Grey Town Gazette
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Seven Days : Seven Beers : Seven Reasons to Live
Tues 23rd Aug 2011
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T minus 6
and counting...
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Drink Driver
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Europe is in crisis: bond markets are collapsing; the proles are rioting; and governments everywhere are running out of other people's money to spend
But, fear not! For those who are bold enough to go forth and seek it, there is liquidity aplenty. And it tastes good
To help boost Eurozone confidence the internationally renowned NGO WorldDrinkingTour.com has organized a special moral-boosting Triathlon starting on the 29th August in Amsterdam then taking in Bruges and Brussels. At each stage the participants - unpaid volunteers all - will selflessly be doing their bit to lift spirits And (never ones to shirk from our journalistic duties) the GTG's staff will be there in the thick of it reporting events as they unfold
Countdown Reviews
To help the participants 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
Our second featured beer is Chimay Bleue, another stonking Trappist brew but contrasting in character to the Westmalle: it's smooth and comforting but with a hint of spice to keep you awake
The tour culminates at the Brussels Beer Weekend in Grand Place Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th 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
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Beer of the Day
Chimay Bleue
Comfort Food from a Bottle
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Annotated Diagram
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Vital Statistics
Brewer: Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey
Style: Dark Trappist beer
AI Value:* 9
Killer App: Makes every day feel like Christmas
Medicinal Qualities: Steroid-free growth: turns Bears into Bulls
Tasting notes: Rich, dark and spicy: comfort food in a bottle
Grey Scale Rating:** Platinum
Wt Relativity Index:*** 9.7
* AI, or Alcoholic Index is a key parameter in the temporal equation defining (perceived) Drink Time. Ref. Alcohol Induced Time Dilation Effect, 'Quantum Qorner' section GTG Dec 2009 ** The official GTG product review rating scale:
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Origin - Happy Christmas!
The Cistercian Trappist monks at Chimay have been developing their beers and cheeses since 1862. In 1948 they isolated the the yeast strain that's still in use today and later in the same year they introduced a Christmas beer which in time became Chimay Bleue
Chimay Bleue is also available in 75cl bottles, in which it's named Grand Reserve, and 150cl bottles, named Magnum Grand Reserve
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)
More info: Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey
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Watering Hole
A great place to enjoy today's featured beverage
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Drinking Den
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Aux Bon Vieux Temps, Brussels
Drinker's Hideaway Hidden down a tiny alleyway, not far from Grand Place, Aux Bon Vieux Temps is like a time capsule, where you can enjoy a drink or three in an environment that would probably be recognisable to drinkers of yore (assuming after a life of drinking Trappist beer they could remember anything...)
The bar was founded in 1695 and it's quite possible much of decor is original, perhaps too, some of the staff. Dominant features include the large open fireplace and stained glass window, complemented by furniture and fittings that all add up to a feeling of a bygone age
I don't know if Belgium has bothered to implement EU anti-smoking regulations but centuries of being stepped on by marauding foreigners has probably given it's people a healthy disregard towards impertinent rules and regulations, and this establishment would appear consistent with that philosophy
The beer selection is not huge by local standards but more than ample, with a good selection of Trappist and Abbey beers and, for any billionaires or judgement-impaired customers who might fancy a treat they often stock the elusive beers from St 'S' (that's S for Shush..don't say!), albeit the latter at prices that would make NASA blush
Aux Bon Vieux Temps, Impasse St.Nicholas 4, off Rue Marché Aux Herbes 12, Brussels 1000
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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 2011 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 by design 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
The Grey Town Gazette - spreading the truth through enlightened disinformation
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