World Drinking Tour 2009 - Poperinge, Westvleteren and Brussels

Yeah, I've done a pretty crap job at keeping this blog up-to-date. I can't believe I didn't file a trip report about the Belgian beer bar in Grenoble (Freres Berthom) ... or the 2009 tour planning session at the PorterHouse earlier this year. For that matter, where's the report on the late spring scouting trip to Brussels, where we've identified a few more great bars to go to when the Delirium and Floris are overrun during the beer festival?

But I'm here to make up for all that. After all, who wants to hear about things after the fact?

This year's Belgian Beer trip will be one for the ages.

Next week, Keef turns 60.

And you know what that means ... yes, that's right, it gives us an excuse to justify another Belgian Beer Weekend trip to Brussels.

We're calling this year's trip, 60 Beers for 60 Years. September 2 - 7, 2009.

But it's more that that. We're talking about Keef here ... the man, the myth, the legend ...

The man who slept in a bunker on the golf course outside of the Skimmington Castle.

The man who drank 14 Westmalle Tripels and was still able to get up the next morning and supervise the unpacking of a trade show booth.

The man who drank the lifetime limit of Kasteel Blondes in a single evening and still made the trip to St. Sixtus at Westvleteren the next afternoon. (In case you're curious, it is only possible to drink 12 Kasteel Blondes in a single lifetime. Beyond that your body will simply not accept any more. I've watched Keith try on several occasions, but it always ends up a nasty mess. You have to admire his determination though.)

To belatedly celebrate Keef's 60th birthday in September, it is only fitting that we pay a visit to the St. Sixtus Monastery in Westvleteren, Belgium. (And I believe St. Sixtus is the patron saint of sixty plus year old beer drinkers.) With enough participants, it should be easy enough for the group to enjoy at least 60 beers at St. Sixtus ... after all, I was there with Keef, Dale and Allan several years ago when the four of us ordered 14 in a single round. That was the night we broke the sofa in Keef's room and almost burned down a hotel in Bruges ... so this time we should probably stay in Poperinge.

I've gotten a little ahead of myself ... but here's the plan ... in honor of Keef's birthday, you have 5 days to enjoy 60 quality Belgian beers with Keef.

And if you've never met Keef before, what better way to make his acquaintance.

The first part of the trip is an excursion out to the Westvleteren monastery where we'll debate the merits of the Westvleteren 12 against the under appreciated Westvleteren Blond. Then we'll convene in Brussels for the Belgian Beer Weekend (http://www.belgianbeerweekend.be/). Hopefully you can make the whole trip ... but if you can't ... consider joining us at least for the beer festival in Brussels.

The tour starts in Poperinge on the evening of Wednesday, September 2. Some of us will be meeting at the Brussels Airport to catch the 15.30 train that will deposit us in Poperinge at 18.00.

There are two bars in Poperinge that have over 100 beers ... Café de la Paix on the Grote Markt (http://www.cafedelapaix.be/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23&Itemid=7&lang=en), conveniently just a few doors down from the hotel ... and the bar in the Hotel Palace (http://www.hotelpalace.be/index2.php?page=bar) which seems to have the reputation as being the best beer bar in Poperinge ... I look forward to comparing them for myself!

We plan to spend Thursday, September 3 at the In de Vrede Café, across the street from the Westvleteren monastery (http://indevrede.be/languagee/index.htm). Join us in the café and wallow in the Westvleteren 12 and Blond ... be a glutton ... order them 4 at a time if you're so moved (seriously, the service is a little slow, so you might at least want to double up ... even if you don’t double up the double ups).

I can almost taste the Westvleteren 12 right now. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/1545

Actually I might start with the Westvleteren Blond ... what could quite possibly be the best summer beer ... http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/1808 (ignore the reviews that don't rate the Blond that high ... it does not travel as well as the 12 ... the 12 improves with a little age ... the Blond should be drank fresh).

My day is shot now ... I can't concentrate any more.

At the end of the day, taxi back to Poperinge ... have a meal ... maybe forget that you just had a meal ... and have another one. You're on vacation (quite possibly a mental vacation at that), so it's your option.

On Friday, September 4, we'll train back to Brussels for the weekend.

The plan is to arrive in Brussels early enough to pay a visit to the Cantillon Brewery (http://www.cantillon.be). They close at 17.00, so we're going to try to make it by around 15.00 or 15.30.

Then it's time for another Belgian Beer Weekend (www.belgianbeerweekend.be) on the Grand Place in Brussels.

As usual, we'll stay at the Ibis Off Grand Place ... be sure to make a reservation! (www.ibishotel.com).

We've done a research mission and found a few great alternative destinations for those times when the Delirium Café and Floris Bar are too crowded.

Of course, if you've yet to make this trip, the Delirium Café and Floris Bar will be your new home away from home. (Well, actually some days it can be a challenge to get out of the Hotel Ibis bar, a true home away from home.)

To whet your appetite, here are some past trip reports:

http://worlddrinkingtour.blogspot.com/2007/09/briliant-brussels.html

http://worlddrinkingtour.blogspot.com/2007/08/remembering-belgian-beer-weekend-2006.html

Friends of the World Drinking Tour ... if you want to join up with us, leave a comment ...

Belikin Stout ... The World Needs more Summer Stout

Maybe my taste buds are feeling deprived. Actually no maybe about
it...Belize is not a beer tourist destination.

However, it is a great and diverse country with many sites to
see...from its coral reefs to its caves to its Mayan ruins. But we're
not here to talk about that...we're here to talk beer.

Belize has a virtual beer monopoly with one brewer that controls the
market with local brews and some international brews under contract.
Most are forgettable ... another bland tropical lager that quenches
thirst ...

Maybe 9 days of drinking Belikin Stout has clouded my judgment, but
it's actually a pretty nice beer. I'm not sure it's a stout...my
favorite stouts are the bottle conditioned Cooper's Stout from
Australia and for draft the PorterHouse brews out of Ireland (proudly
served at their branch in London Covent Garden). I like a good draft
Guinness...but if I'm in Dublin I hit every PorterHouse before
returning to the hotel bar for the Guin. Oh ... and don't get me started on imperial stouts ... that would be a nice nightcap right now as I sit on the beach.

Anyway, the Belikin Stout is a lighter stout but has some depth to the
flavor...I question whether or not it is a true stout, but let's call
it a summer stout. A darker beer that drinks well under the hot
sun...the world needs more beers like that. I'd gladly drink a Belikin
Stout back home by the pool.

America needs a good summer stout ... Belikin has done something
right ...

The world needs Belikin Stout

What I learned while drinking in Aruba

Aruba is not exactly what you'd call a beer destination. Like other Caribbean destinations, it's the land of fruity drinks and bland lagers.

But that's ok. The local beer, Balashi, tastes pretty good when you're sitting on the beach. If you're going to have a couple of beers, I always recommend drinking local, so be sure to have a couple of Balashis. On the other hand, if you're going to have 11 or 12, then I'd recommend the Heineken (usually not my first choice ... but Heineken does encourage you to enjoy Heineken responsibly, which I think means that you can keep drinking it until you accidentally spill one)...

What else did I learn?

I learned about heretofore little known and mythical religions of the Indian subcontinent. Then again, perhaps the religion was not native to India, and had only been outsourced there ... that doesn't make it any less significant to the people who lost their religion because of this outsourcing, but I digress.

What was I talking about again?

The Drinking String. An inspiring relgious tradition.

A group of young Indian men approached the hot tub, and one had a long string draped over his shoulder.

Naturally we inquired about the string, and it was explained that it was of religious significance.

The young man's religion did not allow him to buy alcoholic drinks. However, when he wore the drinking string, we was able to accept drinks purchased by others.

Yeah ... I don't think he got too many free drinks that way, but it was a religion that intrigued me.

I also learned that Springfield Missouri is the capital for "eggs and kegs". Apparently it's not just for St. Patrick's Day any more, but a regular weekend ritual in Springfield Missouri. Bored from years and years of pouring beer on their corn flakes ... morning after morning ... more Springfield residents prefer a hot breakfast with their cold beer these days, and I salute them for their effort. (And I guess it is better than warm beer with a cold breakfast, although the latter is a lot easier to prepare with a hangover.)

I also learned a few things about Aruba that are useful for the beer drinking tourist.

The supermarkets do have some limited Belgian beer offerings. I picked up some Hoegaarden Grand Cru at one shop and a friend found some La Trappe (Dutch trappists from just over the Belgian border) at another.

And to prove that I can find a Belgian bar anywhere ...

There's also a small Belgian bar/restaurant called Taste of Belgium that has 8 or 9 Belgian beers, great frites, and some of the better food that I had on the trip. It's in a shopping mall across from the Holiday Inn ... otherwise known as the mall with the movie theaters. Not the biggest selection of Belgian beers, but when your palate has tired of Heineken and Balashi, a Westmalle Double, Kwak and Duvel all taste pretty good. The restaurant tables are out in the mall, which provides a bit of entertainment for tourist watching ... and there's also a small bar area that you can go into if you're just interested in a beer.

Last, but not least, if you're in Aruba, you might as well ride the Kukoo Kunuku party bus one night. Where else will they take you to a bar where they still play "Where the f#*$ is Alice"?

Stone Sour Fest - Escondido, California USA

Fate smiled upon me.

Last Sunday I had the good fortune to find myself on the road between Los Angeles and San Diego. I was in LA for a friend's wedding, and turning the trip into a long weekend with a couple of days in San Diego sounded like a good idea.

I hadn't planned on including any beer excursions on this trip. Oh, yes, of course, I had done my homework and had contingency plans for beer ... I ALWAYS have a contingency plan that involves beer ... but honestly, that plan was just a contingency.

The wedding was in Manhattan Beach, just a couple of miles south of LAX airport, and one of my contingency plans found me at the Manhattan Beach Brewing Company on Friday afternoon. Alas, to say that the beer was uninspiring would be an understatement. At least the porter was drinkable enough to merit a pint after the sampler. But it's kind of sad to say that the soft pretzel was the best offering on the bar menu.

After that less than stellar experience, I figured that I'd spare my wife from any more brewpub visits on the trip. But as I was driving down I-5, with my wife asleep in the passenger seat, I thought about Stone Ruination IPA. I don't get to drink it very often, but I figured I could at least pick some up at a package store in the San Diego area, and enjoy it later on the beach.

By the time we got to Oceanside, the thirst was driving me crazy. I was about to tell my wife about the purple gargoyles, but she would see them soon enough...

I knew that the Stone World Bistro was about a 15 to 20 mile detour inland, and I had seen so many great reviews of this out-of-the-way establishment ... how could I let this opportunity pass me by?

The GPS was already programmed with its new destination coordinates by the time my wife woke up from her nap, and she acquiesced to yet another brewpub lunch stop.

The GPS was a little bit off in finding the exact location of the brewery, but the smell of the hops, and an extremely strong beer magnet steered us into the brewery on auto-pilot.

There was a 45 minute wait for a table, which seemed like a good opportunity to sample a beer or two at the bar.

Then I noticed the green wristbands. Something was going on at the outside bar.
The Second Annual Stone Sour Fest.

30+ lambics and mostly Belgian style sour beers on draft ... and another 30+ in bottles?

At this point, I figure that my wife is going to think that it was not just a spur of the moment decision that led me to the Stone World Bistro that afternoon. In fact, she's probably figuring that I somehow convinced my friend to have his wedding that weekend. (Not true ... if it were, I would have made sure that he and some other friends were with us at Stone.)

As I'm already quite familiar with the Belgian lambics, I mostly stuck to trying American craft beer offerings. Valley Brewing had a strong sour, their Grand Cru, that was pretty awesome. Another standout was an American lambic that was a collaboration between Lost Abbey and the brewmasters from Avery and Dogfish Head (among others) which was very nice, I believe they called it the Isabelle Proximus.

I also tried a few that weren't so great. So I have to admit, I couldn't stay away from the Rodenbach Grand Cru, which was the most satisfying sour beer of the afternoon. Zotezuur was also very nice.

I found it quite interesting that Stone would host this event, when they didn't have a single beer included in the festival. I couldn't leave without sampling at least one Stone beer fresh on tap ... so I had the Cali-Belgique IPA, which is a style that I'd really like to see in Belgium. The mix of flavors is fantastic, just think of a richer (maltier than Westmalle) tripel with a heavy hop infusion. 21st Amendment in San Francisco does an occasional Double Tripel IPA as a seasonal, but Stone's is hoppier, and was awesome with lunch. While I love Belgian beer, one thing that is missing is a truly hoppy Belgian beer.

I wish I had been better prepared with luggage that could handle taking some back to the east coast. But alas, beer doesn't travel well in a garment bag. So for take away, I settled on a six of Ruination and 2 big bottles of the Stone 12th Anniversary Ale ... a bitter chocolate oatmeal stout.
Stone Ruination Ale is always a treat. But I really enjoyed the anniversary beer ... while it had some hops, it used bitter chocolate as its primary bittering agent, and it was a pretty bitter stout.

Now comes the challenging part ... working out the logistics to get a contingent from the World Drinking Tour to Escondido, California.

Actually, the bigger challenge would be getting them to leave.

The Cali-Belgique IPA that I enjoyed with lunch reminded me very much of the Westvleteren Blond. It's a constant debate that several of us have ... which is better, the Westvleteren Blond or the Westvleteren 12? When given the opportunity, I usually opt for a 60% to 40% split of rounds favoring the 12 over the blond. Stone's Cali-Belgique IPA was like a stronger version of the Westvleteren Blond ... no wonder I enjoyed it so much.

As I sipped the Cali-Belgique IPA, looking out over Stone World Bistro's garden area, I couldn't help but think of similarities between this beer mecca and the In de Vrede Cafe in Westvleteren. I could imagine Keef wanting to pitch a tent and simply live in the garden area. I wonder if they'd let him fish in the koi pond? If so, I suspect he'll pass on his fishing club's trip to France next year ...

There's no doubt, Stone is world class. And while the Stone Sour Fest was great ... I look forward to a future visit where I can enjoy an afternoon and evening sticking only to the Stone brews.

Belgium annexes La Trappe, 800 Greenwich Street, San Francisco

It pains me to write this review.

Yes, I use sites like Beer Advocate, and I scour the web for details about bars and breweries in places that I am traveling to. But I've also seen how a lot of the great places become overwhelmed with crowds and become a less appealing destination.

I don't want that to happen to La Trappe.

I want them to be successful, so that they are around for me to enjoy for a long time ... but not too successful, if you know what I mean.

That said, La Trappe is simply one of the best Belgian beer bars in the world. And I've been to a lot of them. Bruges t' Biertje. Kulminator. In de Vrede. Beer Circus Croydon (RIP). Belgo Zuid (RIP ... the only Belgo that ever really mattered). Brewer's Art in Baltimore. The Trappist in Oakland. In de Wildeman. The Gollem. Academie de la Biere (Paris), Delirium Cafe and Tap Room. I could go on, but off the top of my head that's a good top 10 list. And not to mention countless others with vast beer selections that were not necessarily Belgian focused.

La Trappe in San Francisco is less than a year old, but it is well on its way to establishing itself as one of the best Belgian bars in the United States ... or for that matter, the world.

Indeed, it is almost as if Belgium has annexed 800 Greenwich Street.

Why do I give La Trappe such high marks?

Well, of course, the beer comes first. Their growing beer list has over 200 beers ... mostly Belgian, with a few interesting Belgian inspired American offerings, such as Jolly Pumpkin La Roja. 15 rotating taps, including my new favorite, Zoetzuur.

Second, there's the atmosphere. When you first walk into La Trappe, it doesn't impress you all that much. You're going to think that you're in the wrong place, a simple neighborhood eatery. Look for the steps leading downstairs if the kitchen staff doesn't point you in that direction. The steps take you down into the beer cave ... a.k.a., the Trappist Lounge ... where beer nirvana awaits.

If you're there with a group ... or a date ... what a great place to hang out.

If you're flying solo ... definitely hang at the bar. I've met some really interesting people there, and some very bizarre people as well. The Irish guy whose job is transporting federal prisoners was a real hoot ... I don't know how much of what he said was real, and how much was delusional, but it doesn't really matter.

This should be enough information to get you to pay a visit to La Trappe ... but wait, there's more.

How about some authentic Belgian food?

Yeah, it's a restaurant too. The moules and frites over coconut jalapeno rice rocks. I have a hard time ordering anything else. There are other traditional moule pots as well ... waterzooi ... oysters on the half shell.

And their fish soup is the best that you'll find west of Bruges. Well, it will be. That is the only thing missing. So when you visit, be sure to ask Michael about the fish soup. Once that's added to the menu, the perfect Belgian bar and restaurant will finally exist.

It pains me to know that the next time I visit La Trappe, it'll probably be hard to get a seat at the bar. But on the other hand, if fish soup is on the menu, that's a small price to pay.

Beer and Loafing in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is not what you'd call a beer town. It's a cocktail town. So what's a beer guy to do in Vegas? More than you would think.

I've long been a fan of the Gordon Biersch Brewpub in Las Vegas. It's not too far from the Hard Rock Casino. Yeah, Gordon Biersch is a chain, and one is pretty much like another. And while the beer is not outstanding, I have to say that it is pretty good and it is consistent. Better yet, the food is always great. Since I'm usually in Vegas for a convention, I try to stay somewhere near GB, which is an ok walk to and from the convention center. And there's a Starbucks right across the parking lot from GB ... what more do you need? You can almost forget you're in Vegas ... good beer, great food ... stumbling distance to your hotel ... coffee in the morning. Life is good.

The Freakin' Frog is another venue I always visit while in Vegas. It seems like it used to be the only place you could get a decent IPA in town. And you could usually count on Chimay Tripel on draft and some other interesting beers. But it's a little out of the way, over by the university. The Freakin' Frog has an extensive selection of beer in bottles ... but a lot of the prices are pretty ridiculous (with many of the beers just listed as "market" for the price). I still like visiting the Frog, but it's hard for me to take the bottled beer list seriously as so much of the prices are outrageous. Still, when I was there a couple of weeks ago, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot was on the bottle list for $4. Not a bad bar price at all. I don't remember how many I had, but I'm thankful I woke up the next morning in my own hotel room.

For a better beer experience, I have to say that this time I enjoyed the Burger Bar at Mandalay Place. It seemed a little odd at first, a hamburger restaurant in small shopping mall with mostly upscale clothing shops, with a video constantly playing on the TV with their master chef appearing on PBS making his gourmet hamburgers. But when I sat down and ordered my first pint of Stone Ruination IPA, I knew I was in love. The Burger Bar has some other interesting taps (such as the obligatory Chimay Tripel), and it has a small, but good, reserve beer list. They had a Stone Anniversary Black IPA that I enjoyed with my burger. Since we don't see Stone that much in the southeast USA, I was quite intrigued by their beers.

While in town, I also made a point to check out the Triple 777 Casino Brewery in the Main Street Hotel, down near the Fremont Street Experience. It was maybe a little better than you might expect from a "casino brewery", but not much. It did have one redeeming grace, however ... the beer was pretty cheap ... and the food was pretty reasonable too. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to visit here again, but if you're down near Fremont Street, and you could use a Pale Ale, the price to quality ratio is pretty good here.

Enjoy Vegas. If you find yourself in need of a decent beer, I hope this short report helps you out!

Three Steps to Heaven

or, don't waste time...get wasted!

  

Step 1: Belgo's Centraal

Well.... what can I add to Skippy's concise and informative report on that enjoyable venue?... except to post a couple more photos capturing some of the afternoon's frolics:

   

Step 2: The Porterhouse

By evening it was time to move on and after a lucky near miss (where we narrowly managed to avoid entering the designated nightclub on our prearranged schedule) we decided to join the queue for The Porterhouse. It was a trifle busy. Eventually we gained entry and were each allocated 6 square inches of standing room. Actually there was only room to stand on one leg, flamingo fashion, and buying a round involved a fourteen hour hop to the bar. Our Man from Reigate did the honors and we enjoyed a stout each. But we were starting to get concerned we might die of dehydration so we made an urgent decision to relocate somewhere better able to satisfy our cravings. Ignoring BJ's protestations about the potential cost, we decided it would have to be Zaika.

  

Step 3: Zaika

Phew! - a good choice. Not only sitting (slouching) room, but a prompt and continuous supply of food and drink. Spoilt for choice, yours truly decided to order one of everything from the bar food menu so perhaps BJ's concerns were about to come true...but nothing was wasted....except perhaps for us at the end of the evening. Numerous Stolichnaya Vodka Martinis were consumed. To be honest, your corespondent can't remember all the details (no doubt suffering from some kind of seasonal virus) but does recall wearing a loud shirt!

      

Cheers,

R.A.B.

Christmas at Belgo

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Orlando: Look what the mouse dragged in ...

Orlando. It's not exactly known as a beer mecca. In fact, it's one of the most challenging places to find a bar or restaurant with good beer.

I met up with Mr. Wilson in Orlando recently to see guitar wunderkind Joe Bonamassa at the Hard Rock Live.

Before the show, on a tip, we ventured to the tap house at Orlando Brewing (www.orlandobrewing.com). If you venture there by taxi, be sure to print out a copy of the map from the Orlando Brewing web site. While it is close to downtown (a little south of downtown proper, a few miles north of Universal Studios), the brewery itself is in an industrial area, so it is not exactly a popular tourist destination.

But for the beer lover who happens to find him or herself in Orlando, it is a godsend.

The house beers aren't particularly special ... although I do give 3-1/2 stars to the Old Pelican EPA which is a nice full bodied pale ale. The rest of the line up is fine session quality, and better than what you'll find in most other Orlando bars ... but the guest taps are the real highlight here. I enjoyed a couple of beers from La Chouffe, a Chimay Cinq Cents, a Laguinitas IPA, and wished that I had the time to explore some of the other taps. But alas, we were on to the Hard Rock Live where the best they had to offer was Michelob Amber Bock ...

As I know that fate will lead me back to Orlando again, I know that I'll be finding my way back to Orlando Brewing Company again and again ...