Introduction

Belgium is called the fatherland of beers. Their breweries and brewing traditions are passed from generation to generation. Belgian beer is known for its superiority in taste, quality, and craft compared to its peers. They are the masters of different Belgian beer types, brewing each of them with utmost care and perfection. They take extreme care about the serving of their beer with adherence to proper temperatures and glasses. Foam is important in some, while their temperatures are the alluring factor for its connoisseurs around the world. Belgian beer tends to contain more yeast, giving it an exceptional taste and texture. Talking about beers reminded us of a shared commonality with Belgium. Our very own Cincinnati is considered the beer capital of the world because of its passion and exquisite breweries. Cincinnati’s craft beers have their fan club. This has led to a lot of debates and competitions but let us look at the bright side- both places brew the finest beers in the world. 

Belgian Beer Styles You Must Try

Belgian beer styles are often fruity with balanced sweetness, spicy, and bitterness. We can easily identify the type of Belgian beer by studying their labels and colors. Often, the type is mentioned along with their names. Let us explore some of the Belgian beer styles that we must try. 

• Lambic

Lambic is pale yellow or golden colored. It is spontaneously fermented by the natural, in-air yeast. Lambic beer is kept in open barrels and the cold temperatures of nature facilitate the fermentation. It uses unmalted wheat, malted barley, and aged hops. The secondary tastes and scents of lambic beer may include that of its barrel, the attic where it was kept, etc. Lambic beer is known for its rawness and natural flavours and it ferments for a maximum of five years. 

• Saison

Saison means ‘season’ in English, directly translated from French. So, Saison are seasonal beers, fermented during the cold months so that they can be enjoyed in the warmth of the summer. Their color varies from a pale to a hazy shade, depending upon the ingredients used. Saison beers are fruity, having different sweet, citrusy, and spicy flavors infused with the main ingredients of yeast, hops, and malted grains. Different portions of these ingredients decide the flavor and the alcohol amount of these beers.

• Dubbel

Dubbel or double in English requires double the amount of grains used, and hence the name. They use chocolate caramel, burnt sugar, and charred raisins to add a sweet flavor to this type of beer and thus, this beer is dark-colored. Dubbel is less bitter and more fruity. Since it is carbonated in bottles, it is known to have high alcohol amounts. However, the alcoholic taste is subdued due to the other flavors. These beers are brewed in the secular breweries. 

• Tripel

Similar to that of Dubbel, tripel has three times more grains than a normal beer. This has a yellow to golden color because the fruity flavors are the only sweeteners in this variant. Tripel has a thick white foam that often residues in the glass. Despite its high alcohol content, it is not considered as boozy. 

The Unique Brewing Process of Belgian Beers

We need to understand the Belgian beer-making process to gauge why beer connoisseurs celebrate Belgian beers. Belgian beer is brewed differently than normal beers around the world. The Belgian brewing processes are unique to the breweries and the types so each type of Belgian beer has a distinct taste. Lambic beer needs to have at least a third of unmalted grains because of their coarseness. They use almost six times the amount of hops usually used, and that too, the matured ones for the right amount of bitterness. Yeast straining is almost absent because more than the injected yeast, they depend upon the yeast that is present in the air. 

Lambic beer ferments in an open barrel, in naturally cold weather for at least five years before they are released. For Saison, mineral water is added in addition to the hops for a more dry and sour taste. The fruity beer ferments under wild yeast strains and then matures in warmth when carbon dioxide is added further. For Dubbel and Tripel, they use a traditional recipe of the monasteries and are fermented twice, once in vats and then in bottles. They have a unique blend of herbs and hops which balances out the grainy flavour. 

Belgian Beer’s Influence on the Cincinnati Craft Beer Scene

We need to look at how this deliciousness traveled from Europe to America to understand why Cincinnati is called the beer capital of the world. In the 1800s, an Englishman set up a brewery to give Cincinnati and its surroundings a taste of Germany, and slowly, German settlements increased in Ohio, Miami, and so on. Breweries started increasing and in no time, Cincinnati became the largest craft beer producer. Belgian beer is known to have multiple layers of taste and texture. Cincinnati has adopted that in its brewing process. Some of the significant Cincinnati beer events include Oktoberfest, Bockfest, and Brewing Heritage Trail. For instance, 3 Points Urban Brewery has beers conceptualized by local artists and hence, we can try different kinds of beer types and tastes, finding something right to our tastes. Braxton Labs is an experimental brewery where they try different flavors of beer, just like Belgian beers have different tastes of fruitiness, spiciness, and bitterness. 

Pairing Belgian Beers with Local Cincinnati Cuisine

We need to know the food and beer pairings because being a beverage of its kind, one needs to balance it with some good meals. Cincinnati breweries and eateries provide just the right kind of items from Cincinnati cuisine for the best Belgian beer food pairings. Most breweries have collaborated with local food businesses, whether a proper dine-in or a food truck to provide the right kind of bites with the brews. Mostly, pizza, tacos, and meat platters are preferred with the beer. In some taprooms, snacks with queso, popcorn, and pretzels are also provided free of cost. Breweries like Little Miami Brewing Company have their kitchen in their taproom from which they offer their freshly baked pizzas. They also offer a variety of tacos, sandwiches, BBQ wings, chips, and wines. They have a separate section for their monthly special dishes which are the popular companions of the beer from their brewery. We need to keep in mind that some breweries do not allow food from the outside or allow food only from their partnered food businesses. Some breweries are liberal enough to allow our food, even if we get it delivered from someplace. 

Why Belgian Beer Is a Perfect Addition to Your Taproom Visit

We should consider the taproom and craft beer experience of a brewery because that is where the magic happens. To understand how every glass of beer gets its unique taste, aroma, and texture, we should take a keen interest in what the breweries have to offer us. Belgian beer is made in a refined manner. They try to make the beer clear and, hence, go to different lengths to ensure superior quality. Cincinnati taprooms have tours and events, especially for connoisseurs like us. We can look up any brewery and visit them in the designated time slot for a tasting and touring event. Taprooms will also give us a fair idea about the layering of flavors in Belgian beer taprooms and what beer types the local breweries in Cincinnati have come up with over time.

Cincinnati has underground tunnels for fermenting large amounts of beer. Little Miami Brewing Company even offers a virtual tour of the taprooms. We can sit in the comfort of our rooms and take a beautiful and exciting tour of the taprooms.

Why You Should Try Belgian Beers Today

Belgian beers have authenticity due to their ancestry and history. Hence it is extremely important to try Belgian beers at least once in our life to understand how different it is from other liquors or wines. Without Belgian beers, the craft beer industry and experience are incomplete. Thus, exploring the Belgian beer and craft beer industry is an essential part of experiencing and understanding the longstanding love and solidarity for beer. Cincinnati has a history of beer revolution- how beer was banned once, but later, the ban was lifted. This history has allowed them to come up with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic variants. So, let us not ponder upon it and visit Cincinnati’s beer industry and history with Little Miami Brewing Company.