Don't think me a snob- I will try any beer at least once (usually a sip of another person's so I am not dedicated to it) and am open to other styles. Belgium ales are consistent choice for me as I love my Blue Label Chimay. The Trappists know what they are doing. But that is another entry altogether. More on that one later.

Ooh, the Kostritzer though! Look how lovely it looks on its own- so delicious.

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For its rich and dark appearance, it has a surprisingly light and clean finish (nothing like a loaf of bread others may offer). It has a delicious malty texture to it as well, but again quite surprisingly light in body. It certainly has body, don't be misinformed- it is such a nice balance.

This is a special treat for me, as I have only been able to find it at this restaurant we go to in Sarasota when we visit my fiance's father. It makes it that much more of a treat to enjoy it in great company.

If you see this one around let me know and try it for yourself. Even if you *think* it may not be your thing, it is always worth a taste to see for sure. Who knows, it could be your new favorite, too!

Much love and divine tastes, xx

That being said, I feel that I must inform you that I'm NOT a party girl. If you dangle a good movie and a comfortable pair of pajamas (preferably some of Mel's because she has the best PJs and I like to steal them) in front of me on a Saturday night, chances are I will eagerly comply. However, once and a great while I will knock that DVD out of your hand, scoff and walk away (and put on my Saturday's best).

Anyway, on my vacation, I appropriately go into party mode. I have high expectations and anticipate a fair amount of drinking (dare I say Patron?? Gasp!), bar hopping, 4:00/5:00 am bed time, hangovers, etc. I have high expectations, I don't necessarily go to great lengths to make sure my expectations are met because as you may or may not have read on Day 1, I threw in the towel to my exhaustion.

Unfortunately, my ultimate NY experience fantasy would not come to fruition on this particular trip (Reality, you bitch) but I write that without any regret because I was able to experience something else that I would put on the list of Ultimate New York Experiences...

It was actually a good thing that we didn't stay out late drinking the night before because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the bike ride as much. We did however (the nerds that we are) stay up late and watch that movie Charley Bartlett.

I woke up in Kristin's adorable two bedroom brick stone apartment on her comfortable bed by the window and through my sleepy eyes reached for the curtain to peer outside her window to a clear sky over Harlem and the Chrysler building off in the distance. New York is so beautiful in the morning. I did this every morning I was there. One morning I left it open and fell back asleep so that I could see it when I woke up again, but a while later Kristin shut it--oops, sorry Kristin. I forgot most people prefer to sleep without the morning sun hitting their face. I think I am among the few who can sleep with their blinds wide open (I know, it's weird).

Kristin and I got ready and headed off to the bike rental place. At this point, I still had no idea what to expect. We rented our $5.99 an hour bikes and rode a couple blocks up to Park Avenue. All I can really say is that it was an amazing experience to ride down a main street that is normally filled with traffic and feel so tiny in comparison to the beautiful architecture of Park Avenue. The weather was perfect and the feeling of perpetual bliss among the other bike riders, skateboarders, rollerbladers, walkers and runners was contagious. I must have said "amazing" and "awesome" at least 50 times. Count me in if they do this in LA. They absolutely should and the best part is that I'm sure it's a different experience in every city (I think this idea was originally done in Bogota, Colombia or Paris, France... not sure. Anyone care to elaborate for me?)

I was on that street a few days later crossing the cross walk before I realized that was the same street we rode our bikes down. It was monumentally different. The once eerily peaceful street became chaotic and crowded.

After this we did a little bit of window shopping with our sweaty helmet hair and later returned to Kristin's to await Tiff's arrival. Tiff was full of energy once she got there or so she thought. I knew better having experienced the NY high the day before. The NY high is when you're so overwhelmed with excitement to be in NY that all tiredness is forgotten. As with any stimulant, your high only lasts for so long before you experience the inevitable debilitating crash. We did come to find out that Tiff's high was also thanks to meeting a guy at the airport (juicy details for Day 4).

I put on my Saturday night's best because I was fully aware that this was pretty much my last night to party in NY. The night started off great! We were giggling endlessly on the subway due to some photograph mishaps and other such things, we went to another cool vegetarian restaurant and then made our way to a bar and ordered some Chimay. All was well.

Then something happened. The mood shifted. The giggling ceased. Tiff's NY high predictably expired (as mine did about the same time the night before), Kristin was tired from the bike ride, her friend that we were supposed to meet up with had just informed her that she wasn't going to meet up with us after all and they were nursing their beers as I ordered a second. I failed to notice all of the telltale signs at the time, because as you know, alcohol impairs your judgment.

Kristin and Tiff decided to leave after I finished my drink and I was thinking alright! Where are we going next?! Then when we got to the subway, I was thinking cool! We have to take the subway to the next place?! Wherever we're going it must be awesome.

"Where are we going?!" I asked, expecting an exciting answer of the New York kind.

"Home," one of them replied, I can't even remember who said it. All I can remember was my drunken disappointment, because really, who wants to be drunk on the subway?! Especially when you're friends are sober?! Don't drink when you're friends are sober. Don't do it. Look for the signs (i.e. beer nursing, mood shifts etc)! What a waste of a buzz.

I wasn't upset at them or anything like that (I heart those two). I just sort of realized that this would not be a party vacation. It would be an AMAZING vacation none-the-less just not a party one. Oh, well. We went home, watched Kristin's tivo-ed programs while Tiff and I chatted with the same person on ichat. Poor Brandon. All of sudden he was bombarded with texts from Tiff and me requesting his AIM Screen name and then we were both trying to ichat with him at the same time. When he wasn't chatting with me I would hear Tiff's keyboard clicking away and then I got mad and felt ignored (even though I wasn't being ignored, again, side effects of alcohol) so I exited ichat only to get on later when Tiff was off and finish my chat with Brandon. I couldn't compete with the chatterbox queen (no one can. Many have tried and failed miserably. I dare you. Go ahead, but remember I warned you). I went to bed winning the Chimay induced competition in my head.

Appearance - Thick white head pour after pour. Leaves a nice lace on the goblet. Little bit darker than chimay white and I can't see through it but no loss there. The bubbles are small, round, and eventually fall to a rocky, thin head after a few sips. They don't stick around long enough to obstruct drinking.

Smell - Fantastic. There's vanilla in there, almond, and apricot. No hops seem present in the nose. Bottle has a touch, and just a touch of funk which may be a result of aging.

Taste - It's chimay, it has the chimay taste. If you like it, that's good. I love it. There's a bit of bitterness but nothing obviously hoppy, maybe some kind of dark fruit flavor and a bit of clover or honey. The Belgian Candi sugar really shines here - it's not enough to go "OH SUGAR" but there's enough there to get the yeast to make some neat flavors.

Mouthfeel - Sort of thin, probably the result of the candi-sugar. The carbonation can get in the way at times and lift the beer away from the tongue while tickling. It's a neat effect, but makes the flavors less accessible.

Drinkability - See above. The carbonation makes this a really burpy beer. Considering in Brew Like a Monk the Chimay monks espoused the idea of "digestibility" to mean something compliments eating, this doesn't quite work as advertised. If you treated it as an aperitif, and let the bottle breathe a bit, it would probably fly. Pairing it with spicy foods provided a good contrast but I felt the taste wasn't strong enough and the spicy would overtake the subtle flavors.

Nose - Great nose. Hints of vanilla and almond once you get past the hops. Good Belgian nose, you know what you're getting into. A good amount of funk to get past, expect the other scents to come along after some warming and after you smell it a bit to get past the funk.

Foam - Good head on the first pour, not so much on the second. Considering I was splitting the bottle, that was a bit of a disappointment. The head stuck around forever.

Taste - You can occasionally get major vanilla out of it when it warms up if it's still foaming. But, and there's always a but, the first glass comes off in typical Chimay style with no surprises. The second glass has a surprising amount of hop harshness.

Mouthfeel - A bit rockier than what I expected. Not quite as smooth. It feels like if I had cellared it for a few months it would have been better. As it stands, there's a disconnect in the style.

Serving type: bottle

I was feeling particularly dejected after a post-break up rejection (another blog entirely) when Tiff introduced me to Chris and said "she just broke up with her boyfriend too!" He proceeded to give me a big bear-hug and said to me, "I specialize in break-up hair." I really needed that hug and I didn't know it until he gave it to me. Sold!

So with gas prices being the way they are and Chris' salon Splitends, being in the city where I like to shop, get waxed and hang out in, I decided to give it a try instead of making the trek to Hermosa Beach.

When you find a hair person that does your hair the way you like, it becomes like a relationship. No matter how many times you stray to hair people that are closer, cheaper and more convenient, they'll always take you back -- of course, not without demeaning the skills of the person you cheated with. They just KNOW your hair.

Going to a potentially new hair guy is like getting into a new relationship. I was soooo nervous and excited. I was also a little sad because after 8 years I wasn't sure if it was the end of my trips to the LA area and beyond to get my hair done. So many emotions and it was just a haircut!

The actual haircut was the fastest, smoothest haircut I've ever had in my life. And I have this really gnarly cowlick that stumps some hair stylist (excluding Ray, my other hair guy) when they are cutting my bangs so they never really turn out great, not the case this time, my bangs could NOT have been more perfect when I left that salon. He knew exactly what to do with my crazy-all-over-the-place-hairline. I paid $85 for my haircut, which is more then I'm used to, but it was worth it.

After my cut Tiff and I went to the vegan restaurant Native Foods at The Camp, then Avalon, where we talked about our trip to New York over a glass of Blue Moon. I'm going to New York in a couple of weeks! Excitement overload!

Videos:

Un petit résumé du week-end avant l'arrivée des photos, dans l'ensemble ca a été très sympa :D

Samedi

• 5h00 : Le hamster a réussi à se barrer de son aquarium, Ludo me réveille (enculé !) pour l'attrapper car Laurinne a peur.
• 8h00 : Départ, difficile pour les 3 passagers qui n'ont pas dormi des masses
• 8h30 : Tout le monde pionce dans la charette sauf moi ... :-(
• 10h30 : Petite pointe à 192 Km/h sur l'autoroute Belge pour tester la vitesse max de la C4
• 11h30 : Arrivée à l'Atomium, la mini tour eiffel des Belges
• 13h30 : On a fini de visiter l'Atomium, une belle merde à 9€, merci la Belgique pour tes monuments à chier ! 30 minutes de queue pour monter dans l'ascenseur le plus rapide d'Europe en 1958 (hein Anaïs !)
• Après-midi : Direction Bruxelles pour voir la grande place, le Manekken Pis & pour "prendre des risques" (t'inquiète le ouf). On a même vu un espèce de défilé à la con avec des géant en pâte à sel, c'était de la balle.
• Encore après midi : merci la caissière du Cora qui a des yeux aussi éclairés que mon cul. 48 bouteilles de Chimay pour la modique somme de 16€, et en plus elle était bonne ! Manque de bol pour Ludo qui paye bien cher ses bouteilles de Bush Prestige (13° Alcool). 15€ la bouteille de 75, à gouter mais si c'est de la pisse c'est la rage mdr !
• 18h : Rentrage à Charleroi pour une douche et un petit somme à l'hôtel. Pis décollage pour le Quick à 20h pétantes
• 20h : On se dit que ce serait mieux d'aller dans un petit bar plutôt que de retourner à l'Irish Times Pub, idée adoptée par tous, on ira dans un truc éclairé un peu plus loin que le Quick après un rapide retour à l'hotel pour ramener la voiture.
• 21h : L'idée du petit bar était pas mal mais en fait non, on retourne au pub irlandais (moins de monde que la derniere fois et de la bonne musique)
• 22h : Tout le monde est déchiré à la Chimay ou à la bière qui sent la chupa chups.
• Minuit : Laurinne commence à danser et donner des claques aux voisins de table avec ses pieds, tout le monde est torché surtout les filles, c'est l'heure de rentrer pour pas recouvrir la table de gerbe !
• Dans la nuit : Laurinne gerbe. Génial, j'ai gagné mon pari ! :D

Dimanche

• 9h : Réveil, pour les filles en tout cas, car Ludo veut dormir !
• 9h30 : Anaïs vient tapper à notre porte, toute fière d'être déjà lavée et habillée. On s'en branle, comme d'habitude.
• 9h45 : Petit déjeuner, Anaïs est une grosse vache.
• 10h30 : On se casse de l'hôtel, direction Chimay !
• 11h30 : Arrivée à l'Auberge de Poteaupré, achat de 2 packs de 3x75cl, discussion rapide avec la vendeuse qui nous a reconnus (va falloir t'habituer car on reviendra souvent :D) & 2 petits fromages à la bière que j'aurais aimé ramener depuis longtemps, chose possible désormais grâce à ma boite à gants réfrigérante !
• 12h : Départ pour Chimay, la fête de la principauté, en fait c'est nul donc on se casse rapidement.
• 12h30 : On s'en va, le plein de la voiture juste avant de passer la frontière & retour en France par les petites routes.
• 16h : Arrivée

Du week-end comme on les aime, le Manekken Pis est trop petit pour Ludo et les filles, et les serveurs du bar Leffe à côté de la grande place sont des gros cons (du moins un d'eux).

- Vendredi soir : Départ + Arrivée à L'hôtel + Descente au bar pour vomissage

- Samedi : Journée à Walibi + achat bière

- Dimanche : Visite de Chimay (Auberge de poteaupré + Abbaye de Scourmont)

[gallery]

Jamais j'aurais cru que ces pauvres 33cl m'auraient fait me sentir si bien, en plus d'être exellente, la Chimay Bleue déchire la tête en moins de temps qu'il ne faut pour le dire !

Depuis, on organise régulièrement des pèlerinages en Belgique, principalement pour se ravitailler en Chimay (bien trop chère en France) mais aussi pour visiter ce beau pays qu'est Walibi Belgium et se rendre au pub Irlandais où Laurinne a marqué son territoire (moi j'ai réussi à gerber comme un pro dans les chiottes).

Longue vie à la Chimay Bleue !

Some days I dream of escaping London for a bit. Lately I've been dreaming of Brussels, a place I have yet to visit. I bought a bottle of Chimay Blue weeks ago and have been saving it for a day like today. (OK, beer pedants-- I know Chimay is not brewed in Brussels, but it is Belgian.)

London doesn't do well in the summer-- its broad, grey shoulders look blanched in the sun and can only really seduce when rain-wet. Air conditioning is almost non-existent here, and the city floods with tourists, making it hotter, slower, uglier. What's a native to do but dream of invading someone else's city?

(Not to mention I had a miserable day dealing with arrogant, Apple/Mac-cultists at the Regent Street "genius" bar-- whoever thought labeling customer service reps "geniuses" was an idiot, but I find myself in one of those I need a drink moments.)

I've always shied away from Belgian beers-- seeing them as the yuppie choice here in London. So many lovely pubs here eschew British real ale for Belgian brews for which they can charge dearly. I tried Leffe and it left me cold, and Hoegaarden couldn't charm me either-- maybe I needed to pair the right food with it? I lost patience with the precious endeavor. That is until today.

I decided today was a good day to dream with my Trappist aid. The 9% seems to say: GOD(ess) WANTS US TO BE HAPPY. I'd found a Chimay-ready chalice at a charity shop a few days before, and it looked grand in it-- amber and cloudy with an optimistic, beige head. It tasted of a dark mysterious fruit, the juice of something Edenic and forbidden. The dominant flavour was alcohol, or maybe that is what I most needed to taste at that moment. Prunes with a sour taste that's unlike citrus- it is it's own flavour and it's delightful. I wished I had a some frieten-- comfort food! But as the heady 9% hit me I decided it was time to book that Eurostar ticket.

Eats: yeast pate on seeded bread

While listening to: Jaques Brel-- Jackie

THE BEER WENCH AND BRISTOL BAR BRING YOU A BELGIAN BEER BONANZA

COLUMBUS, OH June 9, 2008 – Bristol Bar has joined forces with local beer blogger, The Columbus Beer Wench, for an evening of Belgian beers and local pizza.

Since February 2008, The Beer Wench has been hosting informal and formal beer tastings all throughout the city of Columbus – both in local restaurants and bars as well as in local homes. Themes of the tastings vary (from board gaming to cupcake pairing), each having had a unique element -- making the tasting experience distinct from other beer events.

This time around, The Beer Wench has partnered up with Bristol Bar and local DJ, DKilla, to co-host a Belgian themed beer tasting on Saturday, June 14th.

Bristol Bar invites the citizens of Columbus (as well as travelers from all around) to explore realm of Belgian beer through the eyes of The Beer Wench. The tasting will include a vertical tasting of all three Chimays – side by side – as well as samples of various other styles of Belgian Ales. Tasters will learn the distinctive nuances of the different Belgian styles, all while enjoying fresh local pizza from The Rossi.

The official tasting will take place on Saturday, June 14th from 6pm until 9pm. The event will cost $20 dollars a head and includes both the beer and the pizza. Tasters will also be offered discounts on select Belgian Ales throughout the evening as well as have the opportunity to take advantage of Bristol Bar’s outstanding Happy Hour specials.

Bristol Bar also invites the tasters to hang around after the tasting for "Saturdays at Bristol Bar," a weekly event hosted by Scott Litch, Aaron Miller, and Dan Kilroy. “Saturdays at Bristol Bar” have become its most popular night thanks to the bar's excellent bartenders, AMAZING music, never-ending martini creations, and talented guest DJ's. Each week they spin the very best in downtempo, lounge, electro, house and techno. Visit www.squaredonline.com for the podcast, photos, text-updates, schedule, and more!

Bristol Bar Location: At the corner of 5th and Summit St.
132 East 5th Avenue Columbus, OH 43201
Free lot-parking: Across 5th from Bristol at the Zipf Lock Shop and House of Security building.
Free street-parking: Summit + Surrounding Streets

Also check out the BRISTOL BAR BELGIAN BEER TASTING BONANZA FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE. Feel free to RSVP for the event as well as invite other guests to attend!!!

BRISTOL'S STORY
A small dream for a Columbus native became reality after a trip to the city of Bristol, England.  Located at the northern tip of Italian Village, Bristol bar opened its doors on August 22nd, 2003.  Providing an alternative to the Columbus cookie cutter bar scene, Bristol bar has quickly become know for its extensive Martini menu and unique hand crafted interior.

Bristol bar exists for you.  Relax in a comfortable, simple, sophisticated atmosphere.  Listen to the music, savor an original Martini and enjoy your friends.  Meet our mixologists and let them create the perfect cocktail to meet you mood.  Join us for a drink or two. Cheers! Prost! L'chai-im! Salut! Chin Chin!

ABOUT THE BEER WENCH
The Beer Wench is a local Columbus based beer blog written by local “foodie, wino & hophead,” Ashley Routson. With the goal of becoming more educated on the world of beer, The Beer Wench encourages readers to join in her venture towards becoming a beer connoisseur through community involvement and social media tools.

As of this February, The Wench has been hosting informal beer tastings with local citizens at a various local establishments.  The “Drink With The Wench” events have been successfully bridging the gap between the interactive realm and the real world Columbus community. She is a tremendous advocate of supporting the local economy by eating and drinking locally.

ABOUT SQUARED

Established in 2001, Scott Litch a graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design, created Squared, a Columbus-based entertainment and special events company that operates both ground level and online marketing campaigns for clubs and promoters, while specializing in brand development, promotion, and multimedia design.

Since 2001, Squared has hosted events for Columbus nightspots including Mekka, Redzone, Fabric, Virus, Carlile Club, Lotus Ultralounge, Mynt, and Bristol Bar. Squared has also worked with Columbus Alive, CD101, Melt Magazine, Scion, EMI Music, Dr. Mojoe, Milk Bar, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Disco Productions, Mythodic, Entune, and Blubuni to produce events in the greater Columbus area.

Publiek: 8 Spanjaarden, 4 Duitsers, 2 Polen en de 2 Belgen.

Conclusies? Onze bieren werden niet door iedereen gesmaakt maar door anderen dan weer zeer geliefd. Enkele prutsers waagden het om bier te beginnen mengen met limonade... Man toch!

Zij die ervan dronken volgens de gewenste voorschriften, hebben het geweten! De katers opgestapeld in hun hoofden zullen nu wel ontwaken... Maar hopelijk is het met de zoete, bittere en zure smaak in de mond die onze biertraditie voorbrengt!

Schol... !

Та за това едно от нещата, които чаках с голям трепет, отивайки в Белгия, беше да пробвам и да се насладя на любимите ми бири.
След като се настаних в смрадливия хотел излязох на разходка, която завърши с вечеря на гръцката улица, която се намира точно до Гран Плас. Там е пълно с както бихме ги нарекли "дюнерджийници", които понеже се държат от гърци предлагат пити, гироси и тем подобни огромни порции за ядене. Към това нещо аз си поръчах
Orval
Това е абатска бира и една от само седемте бири "Трапист" произвеждани не само в Белгия, но и в света (нашият свят, на другите планети не знам как стоят нещата). Шест от пивоварните са в Белгия и само една е в Холандия. Монасите, които я произвеждат принадлежат към ордена на цистерцианците.
Бирата е великолепна и сега разбирам, че каквото и да говоря за тази и другите бири, няма как да разберете за какво иде реч, ако не ги опитате. За това ще се огранича с по-технически данни. Алкохолността на Orval е скромна - 6.2%. Бутилката е много характерна, както и чашата й. С това се отличават почти вскички бири в Белгия - индивидуална чаша и бутилка.
На път реших да вляза в един от многото

Night Shop-ове.
Това са денонощните магазинчета, които са скъпички в сравнение с нормалните магазини. В почти 100% от случаите те са държани от мароканаското малцинството (мнозинство скоро?). Разгледах предлаганите бири и забелязах една, която не бях пила преди:

Trappist Rochefort
Тази бира пък има три варианта: Rochefort 6 (7.5% алк.); Rochefort 8 (9.2% алк.) и Rochefort 10 (11.3% алк.!!!). За мой късмет имаха само Rochefort 10, а пък аз не забелязах процентната алкохолност и зашляпах уморена към хотела с мисълта как ще си прибера и ще отворя духа от бутилката. Номерацията е останала от времената, когато етикетите не са били много на мода и само по номерата на капачките се разбирало какво се пие.
Стигнах бързо в хотела, защото в Брюксел всичко е близо и няма опасност да не стигнеш до там, за където си тръгнал. Първата ми работа естествено беше да си отворя бирата и, след като си съблякох якето се заех със задачата. За мое щастие Емил положи доста усилия и търпение да ме научи как да си отварям бирата когато наоколо го няма него или отварачка. Работата е в това, че ме учи да го правя със запалка, а аз като един страстен непушач запалки не си нося. "Хубаво, казах си аз, взех си ключовете, Емил може с тях, значи мога и аз". Обаче не можах. Оказа се, че тази прелестна бира има много яка метална капачка, която реши да се пази девствена. Хванах хубаво гърлото, поставих ключа, обхванах го с ръка и аха ключа да се превърне в лоста на Архимед и ми се изплъзна от ръката. След още няколко такива опита пръстите ми почервеняха и започнах да не ги усещам. Чувствах се като маймуна пред буркан, която не знае как да отвинти капачката, за да напипа сладкото вътре. Напънах още веднъж и проклетията издаде едно съвсем скромно "Пссст" ( даже не "псссссст"). Накратко след още 10 минути пънене около шишето и то без да го счупя се докопах до съкровището на братята от Абатството Нотр Дам де Сен Реми, близо до Рошфор. И тези отчета, както и другите шест, произвеждащи трапистка бира, я произвеждат само с цел да си поддържат манастира и някоя и друга тяхна кауза. Водата за бирата се добива от кладенец в абатството, а 15те монаси пазят много строго тайната на бирите. Отпих глътка и за първи път открих бира, която да не харесам. Беше прекалено плътна за разбиранията ми, авкуса хем беше много характерен, хем имаше много силен аромат на спирт. Хммм, тогава забелязах алкохолното съдържание. Може да беше пък заради умората, не знам. Но наистина за първи път срещнах много силна и горчива бира...Знам ли, на вас пък може да ви хареса.
Сега превъртам малко напред, до следващата вечер, когато се срещнах с моите състуденти. А това стана на любимото ми място в Брюксел:

<a href="[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=place+st+gery+brussels&sll=50.845812,4.35389&sspn=0.007858,0.019398&ie=UTF8&ll=50.854455,4.351616&spn=0.001964,0.004849&t=k&z=14&iwloc=addr&output=embed&s=AARTsJpTE7MW_92dMDUiyIVZ7dju5Zej-A&w=425&h=350]">Pl. Place Saint-Géry
Намира се близо до Борсата, която е на Анспахлаан, срещу нея е страхотния ирландски пъб "О'Райлис", а като го подминете по малката уличка с индийски ресторанти ще стигнете площада с доминиращата сграда на старата рибна борса, която сега е изложбена зала.
Това е нещо както четирите кьошета, като на всяко кьоше има по един бар със собствена атмосфера. Главните четири бара - Mapa Mundo (хубава музика от всички класички по малко), Zebra (реге музички, Mano Chao и такива), другото краля на нещо се казваше (електронна музика) и четвъртия съвсем не го помня - към рибната борса е и правят много хубаво мохито. И четирите се държат от един човек, който разработил мястото, а сега наолколо е пълно с още такива заведения и площада е просто великолепен за среща с приятели и пиене на бира! Та с колегите ми си направихме там един тур из заведенията. Лично джурнах по един
Chimay - отново любима трапистка бира. Тя е Червена (7%), Синя (9%), Бланш, бяла т.е. позната и като трипъл (8%). Бялата не съм я пила, а от дургите предпочитам синята, от която и си поръчах.
Tripel Westmalle - последната трапистка бира, която джурнах по време на престоя си. Проценти 9.5%, много приятно полепва по небцето и освен да викаш:"Ням, ням" след всяка глъдка просто няма какво друго да кажеш.
Duvel - винаги му бъркам ударението, но какво да се прави - тази бира означаваща на фламандски "дявол" така ме омагьосва, че от възхищение забравям как беше правилно. 8.5%, прозрачна и на пръв поглед лъжеща, че наподобява нашенска бира, просто поразява със страхотния вкус. Рекламата им от 2003 е просто убийствена и най-хубавата реклама на бира по мое мнение - уверете се сами (на tv spots изберете третата реклама отгоре надолу и Shhhhh!).

След толкова бирички, спомени и смешки с колегите беше време да тръгвам, че на сутринта трябваше да направя и туристическата обилколка с моята сестра. Един от колегите се запъти към Хавана - прилична дискотека в подножието на хълма, на който е издигната Съдебната палата. Единствената дискотека, в която поради нямане на място съм си позволявала да танцувам на маса! Палатата пък е прочута с това, че е предизвикала ожесточена съпротива при строежа й - унищожен е цял стар квартал на града за изграждането й, но както и НДК - пръканло се е нещо от обществено значение. През 2004 г. в деня на националния празник на Белгия и 60 години от влизането на американските войски в града имаше всенародни тържества, на които по улицата всички държавни служби представяха работата си. Полиси-то(на фламандски полиси за полиция звучи страхотно) бяха организирали спускане по въже от покрива на Палатата до площада пред нея. Чакаше се супер много но гледката над цял Брюксел си струваше, както и усещането да си видя крачката на ръба на 30меторова пропаст и последвалия ми боен вик:"Юпииииииииии". Все още не съм скачала с бънджи или парашут, но и това си струваше. За награда получих и химикалка от полисито.
Погледнах мъгливият град от площада - в далечината светкаше обновения Атомиум. Ехххх, Брюкселееее!
Хайде, остана да ви разходя само дневно. А вие бързо към магазина, защото там продават Hoegaarden и Leffe Blonde/Brune и ми кажете какво мислите.

П.П. Забравих да разкажа за полодовите бири, които ще представляват интерес за дамите - черешова, малинова, прасковена...абе лимонади. Съдържанието на алкохол в тях е около 3% и пада даже до 2. Най-известни марки са Belle Vue и Timmermans. Препоръчвам на хората, които не обичат бира, а не препоръчвам на любителите.

Beer looked great, nice auburn color with a good looking foam head with good retention.  Unfortunately, not alot of taste to back it up.  Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the beer and it was very drinkable and enjoyable, its just that I remember being challenged a bit more by this beer when I first had it.  I can see why this particular Belgian is so popular, Mark said it best "its the Budweiser of Belgians".

So true.  It did not seem like the beer was trying to push anything new, or even try to attempt something interesting.  It was gorgeous and certainly drinkable, it just lacked that "Belgianness" that so many Belgians had.  Still, it is still a very worthy beer up the snob ladder.  If you haven't had a Belgian before, it is a great way to get introduced to the genre and to take your snobbery up to the next level.

Overall: B

Beer snob would rather drink: They will want to drink this.  Foreign beer in a goblet?!? Sign me up!

Now this is good beer! Just...don't order it at Taco Mac without looking at the menu first. Actually, don't order anything "exotic" without looking at the menu, then asking the server, then asking the manager for price confirmation, because otherwise you may be surprised at what you see on your bill. Thus was my experience last night, but you'd find the specifics pretty boring.

Taco Mac, like many other establishments, is undergoing big price hikes to compensate for increased shipping and transportation costs from their suppliers. Some of those hikes are already on the menu, and some are definitely not. Either way, the extra cost is becoming especially apparent (as they are passed on to you, the patron/passport member) when ordering imported beer.

I don't mean a Heineken or Scottish & Newcastle product--those possess the economies of scale and bargaining power that allow for minimal increases to the consumer--I'm talking about the more esoteric offerings from abroad, ones that find US distribution with "boutique" firms here, such as Merchant Du Vin, the importer of Samuel Smith and Lindeman's beers. A Sam Smith beer now costs $7.50 for a 12oz bottle at Taco Mac, and a Lindeman's Lambic is over $12. The Chimay I've got in my hand above? That'll be $13.50, exclusive of tax and tip. That's over a dollar an ounce!

Now, I very much enjoy all of these products, and yes it does cost more to ship things now, and I understand that Taco Mac and others are in business to make a profit. As such, a hefty markup over the pricing you see on store shelves is expected, but we're looking at an almost 300% upcharge on beers like Sam Smith. Maybe we'll see an increase in package stores to match what we're seeing in restaurants, bringing that upcharge back down to a relatively "reasonable" 100-150%, but, um, I really don't want to see that! This makes me think I'll never complete the Passport club, out of budget constraints if not principal itself.

So, how do you, the aspiring beer cicerone, fight the power? That could be a tough call, but I've got an idea: support your local or regional microbrews first and foremost. They're much cheaper than exotic imports, at least in restaurants, and offer an astoundingly diverse range of styles and flavors. And...we're gonna be one of them, so we want you to give us a shot when we're on Taco Mac's menu. Until then, to really stick it to the Man, have I ever mentioned that we have free beer available, all the time?

All for one simple reason. You messed with The Logo.

You don't mess with the logo. Wilt? Fine. Mikan? Fine. James Worthy? Well, yeah, he probably drinks Miller Light. But, the logo, Jerry West?

Hells no, you do not go there.

The logo deserves to be on a bottle of Chimay, not the next step up from the champagne of beers.

I don't care how many so-called World Beer Championships Miller Light has supposedly won, have you had some recently? It's watered down crap. Sure, if I had my choice between that and the so-called King of Beers or the Silver Bullet, I'd choose Miller Light, but that's pretty much the only time.

Still, I come back to The Logo. It's Jerry West, Mr. Clutch, perhaps the greatest GM in NBA history, you just don't disrespect The Man like that. It's almost as bad as having him featured in a Soulja Boy video. Now, don't get me started on Soulja Boy. I previously went on a personal crusade to eradicate this world of all things Soulja Boy.

Here's just one of many reasons why.

 Oh and did I mention it's FREEZING HERE! In April. And it's going to rain for the next two days. Yeah, life is good. Right.

Weather for Ronkonkoma, NY

42°F Mostly Cloudy Wind: S at 6 mph Humidity: 60% Thu 47°F | 38°F Fri 45°F | 40°F Sat 49°F | 38°F Sun 52°F | 36°F

Weather for Tampa, FL

75°F Clear Wind: E at 4 mph Humidity: 80% Thu 85°F | 67°F Fri 83°F | 70°F Sat 81°F | 67°F Sun 81°F | 67°F

Last night we went to the Tap House Grill in Bellevue.  If you have been there or to someplace similar, you will know how outstanding this type of place is for beer lovers.  These folks have 160 beers on tap, all lined up on the wall.  I started with a Chimay and then went for the Hale's Cream Ale and stopped there for about the next 5 beers.  They were extremely smooth and had a great flavor.  I finally ended by finishing off a friends Pyramid Apricot Weizen that he didn't like... shame on him, good for me. :)

So, about the Hale's Cream Ale... it came in a wheat beer glassand had a milky complexion starting about half way up the glass that blended in to the thick head.  It was a light golden color, nearly blonde, and the milky complexion settled out a bit over time.  It actually lived up to its name... this beer is truly a cream beer with a creamy texture on the tongue and a silky smooth move through the mouth and down the gullet.  Overall an outstandingly easy beer to drink.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

No picture for this one... I took it with my phone and emailed it to myself, but my phone sucks and the pictures came through blank.  Maybe I need to start a send us free phones page...

I made a commitment, recently, to drink more beer from across the pond. I've also been in the market for a proper beer glass. So here's to killing 2 birds with one stone.

In this case, one stone is three beers. A few weeks ago I saw that Bottle Barn still had holiday packs of Chimay, complete with a 325 ml bottle of Red (Rouge), Blue (Bleue), and White (Triple/Blanche) and a Chimay glass. When I went back earlier this week I grabbed 2, because you can't have just one proper beer glass, you need to have 2.

Now I have had Chimay in the past, but never really gave their line a real sampling. Most recently, a friend, who is a fan of the silver bullet, gave me a bottle of Red, since he had been given 2 as a Christmas gift at work.

So with three bottles in front of me, I decided to start small and work my way up the ladder. Red is the entry level Chimay. Rich, malty and full of the Belgian yeast charachter, I enjoyed this beer a lot. You have to like Belgian beers to like this brew. It is very up front about what it is, and does not make any compromises to attract mainstream drinkers.

Blue was next, and as I told a friend, Blue is like Red, but more Red than Red. Does that make sense? Probably not. Maltier, richer, stronger, this is a great beer.

To be honest, these two beers had me feeling a little warm, and I wasn't going to dive into the a triple on the same night. The White waited in the fridge until the next night. The White is a much lighter brew, a strong belgian pale ale, full of wheat and a real yeast showcase. Lately I've been learning to love wheat and yeast and a beer like this only hastens my education. I still prefer the Blue, but this is a different beast all together. If you've ignored the White in the past, give it a chance. Definitely not a beer to miss.

In the picture you'll see the trio of botles with the red in the glass. If you need a nice beer glass, look for a tulip glass. The Chimay glass isn't quite a tulip, the mouth is fairly straight up and down, but when you get 3 beers and a glass for under $15, it's a good deal. Also look for other belgian gift packs, as I remember seeing orval, duvel and ommegang selling similar packs.

Därför satt vi tre stycken, jag själv, min fru och min granne, med tre stycken Chimay Blå. En nyligen inköpt från 1999 och så från min egna ölkällare 2005 och 2007 års årgångar. 2005 visade sig vara mest tråkig. Inga direkta nya smaker, mera som en avslagen öl istället. Tolka mig inte fel här nu. Den är inte kolsyrefattig men liksom dämpad, träig och inte alls fräscht. 2007:an smakade givetvis som man är van att en Chimay Blå ska, massor av bubblor, nötiga toner, fin balans.

1999:an har också en fin balans men på ett helt annat vis. Madeiratoner, källardofter, mjuk och väldigt avrundad. Intensiv i all sin massiva oxidation. Vi pratar ett helt nytt öl och ett helt nytt drickområde. Detta är ett öl för brasan, i finnast glasen, gärna inte Chimays egna kupor utan snarare i klassiska konjakskupor eller sherryglas. Nästan inget skum, disigt och "smutsigare" i färgen. Färgen har i mitt tycke inte alls utvecklats till det bättre. Aromen där emot är fantastisk. Dofta, dofta och dofta igen. Tag ett kex, bred på en smakrik vitmögelost eller en getost. Njut av doften igen och så låt hela munnen får komma i extas i en formidabel smakexplosion.