Far more than froth

Flemish-style pots and pans, hearty laughter, the clinks of beer glasses, continuous shouts of “sante” and mussels along with wheat beer and curry are the mainstays of a typical cafe in Belgium and now those same ingredients have found their way to Phuket.

Last December, the Brussels-based pub chain Belgian Beer Cafe launched its first branch at the Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa. Back home as well as in the southern resort, the Beer Cafes draws on the look of traditional alehouses in the period during the two World Wars and incorporate many elements of Belgian art nouveau architect Victor Horta.

“I took my grandmother to a branch of Belgian Beer Cafe and she said, ‘Wow! This looks exactly like the cafe down the street while I was growing up’,” says Thomas Leclercq, CEO of Third Place, the chain’s franchise consultant.

“Here, we focus on the mix between beer and food. People always think this is a bar, but it’s not, it’s a cafe. The food comes first and the beer complements the food. So it is about the balance between beer and food and the pairing of the beers.

“We show people that they can drink beer with anything. Try beer with cheese, try beer with dessert. Actually, Cherry Beer is very good with chocolate.”

“Though Germany is famous for its beer and pretzels, especially during the Bavarian Oktoberfest, Belgian beer is regarded as one of the world’s best. 

But the Belgian people are humble when it comes to promoting themselves. People all know about German beer and I have to admit that the Germans have done a good job. However, Germany has a purity law, meaning they can only make beer from certain ingredients. The beer from north to south, from east to west in Germany is the same. Belgian beer on the other hand has several varieties. We have diversity and there are so many dishes that go together with the beer,” Leclercq says.

The Reinheitsgebot, a Bavarian beer-purity law dating back to 1516, banned anything but water, barley and hops. Belgian brewers are more experimental. In addition to raspberries, cherries and other fruits, herbs such as coriander and liquorice, spices like ginger and nutmeg, Belgian brewers use everything else that they can find like cereals and dry orange peel to season beers.

These versatile recipes give each Belgian beer its unique taste and style, as does its glassware featuring a label both on the glass and bottle. Every beer is served in its own signature glass designed to highlight the beer’s special flavour. Hoegaarden is served in its typical hexagonal glass, the shape and extra thick cut of which help to maintain the desired serving temperature. Leffe is served in a high stemmed glass, known as the Leffe Chalice, enabling drinkers to enjoy its delicate malt aroma and robust, creamy warmth. The Stella Artois Chalice releases the beer’s flavour and multi-textured aromas. 

If signature bottles and glasses are the haute couture outfits for Belgian beer, a good pouring technique represent the etiquette and shows respect both to the beer and those drinking it. Stella Artois, one of the world’s best-selling Belgian beers, created a nine-step pouring ritual to ensure the taste of the beer would not be spoiled and the drinker now enjoys its best beer in a well-suited chalice. 

“We have to be trained in the nine-step pouring ritual to preserve and maximise the taste and aroma of the beer,” the chief bartender explains.

Watching the bartenders doing their job is amusing, as their smooth and graceful moves are rather like a dance. Step one involves rinsing the clean glass with cold water, allowing the glass to reach the same temperature as the beer. Next, they swiftly open the tap to let the first burst of foam flow away, then hold the glass at a 45-degree angle so the ideal proportion of foam relative to liquid will be created when the beer hits the glass and begins to circulate. 

The fourth step is straightening and lowering the glass for a foamy head to prevent the beer from coming into contact with the air and losing any flavour. They then close the tap in one quick action and move the glass away from the font before cutting the head gently with a knife at a 45-degree angle to eliminate the larger bubbles and speed up the dissipation of the head. In step seven, they make sure that the foam is about two fingers thick to keep beer from going stale then rinse the bottom and sides of the glass to keep the outside of the glass clean and comfortable to hold. The ninth step is serving it on a coaster and turning the label side of the glass to the customer. 

A cold reddish-brown Westmalle Dubbel is my tribute to the Trappist beer of Belgium and the next on my list are the Delirium Nocturnum, a sister of the 1998 world champion beer Delirium Tremens, and the delicate blond Duvel, which was originally called the “Victory Ale” to commemorate the allied victory in the First World War. Those wanting a stronger kick should order Kasteelbier Dark with 11 per cent alcohol. 

With friends, fine food and more than 50 types of beer to test and try, the night is still very young. “Sante!”