Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Orval Trappist article in Celebrator Beer News-online now


(Photo, above: the new brewhouse at Orval, with
stained-glass windows in the background.)



Sorry for my absence lately. It's been a very busy few
weeks.

I'm happy to say that I have a 1,000 word feature article about
Orval, one of the seven Trappist Abbeys that brew beer,
in the December issue of Celebrator Beer News.


I'm even happier to say that you can read the entire issue
on-line now, for free, here. Enjoy!



(Photos, above: The new Guardian Angel Cafe, and the new
Petit Orval on draft there.)

You do have to have Adobe Flash player installed.

Simply click on the page image to zoom in and read.

(Photo, above: a very old enamel plate in the Orval
brewery offices.)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Coast to Coast Toast is in one week


Vanberg and DeWulf's Coast to Coast Toast is just one
week away.

OK, so just what is this event? Well, it's a celebration of
importing Belgian brews into the USA for 30 years.

Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, the husband
and wife duo that are Vanberg and DeWulf, first started
importing Belgian beers stateside in 1982.

They were the first to import Duvel, Rodenbach, and
many other hallowed beers from "The Beer Country"
to our shores.

Currently, Don and Wendy import several beers from Brasserie
Dubuisson, which are labeled as Scaldis in the USA, and Bush in
much of Europe. It's just about time for Scaldis Noel, and Scaldis
Prestige and Prestige de Nuits always hit the spot. Scaldis,
Scaldis Triple and Scadis Refermetee are also fine brews.

They also import the Witkap beers of Brouwerij Slaghmuylder,
as well as several from the new Brouwerij Dilewyns of Dendermonde.
Several other special brews, such as Lambrucha, Hop Ruiter
and Lambickx are also brought in.

Their best known brewery, though, is certainly Brasserie Dupont
of Tourpes, in Hainaut Province. With a dozen world-class Dupont
brews on their import list, including Saison Dupont, Moinette,
Cervesia, and Avec les Bons Voeux, Don and Wendy have an incredible
portfolio from this world-renowned brewery.

As mentioned in the previous post, here, I have produced a movie
and article about the brewery, which publicans can download
and show attendees next week.

In fact, I will be at The Brewer's Art in Baltimore next Tuesday,
where we will show the Dupont movie. And enjoy a few beers,
I expect. Max's Taphouse and Hudson Street Stackhouse are other
local spots for the Coast to Coast Toast (C2CT) here in Charm
City.

There are already about 350 bars, restaurants, and shops across
the USA signed up to be hosts for the event.

and....a trip to Belgium will be given away to some lucky (pair)
of beer lovers! You heard right. Untappd, Vanberg and DeWulf,
and the Belgian Tourist Office and Delta Airlines have teamed
up on this.


For more details on the C2CT event, see the Eventbrite and
Vanberg & DeWulf websites....and enjoy!!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Brasserie Dupont movie and article


(Photo, above: Olivier Dedeycker, brewmaster,
Brasserie Dupont.)

Looooong time no post here. Ten days in Belgium at the end of
September, then ten days of Baltimore Beer Week, and then
several article deadlines soon after will do that to a beer writer.

Yeah, I know. Excuses, excuses.


(Photo, above: the brewhouse is in this building)

But there is good news for all you Belgian beer lovers out
there., especially those who like world class saisons, strong
blonde ales and legendary winter brews.

I've been working on a movie of Brasserie Dupont for some
time now. Using the iMovie program on a Mac, I've taken about
70 still photos I snapped at the brewery, along with an audiotaped
interview with Brewmaster/Director Olivier Dedeycker, and made
it into a six minute movie.


(Photo, above: Dupont's 1920 boiling kettles.)

There's also a nearly 5,000 word article based on interviews
with Olivier, with much of the history of the brewery. Much of
it I had never heard before, so I think it makes for a very
interesting read.

Brewmaster/Brewery Director Dedeycker has never been to the
USA, despite working at Dupont for 21 years, and being the head
honcho for the last nine of those.

Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, the husband and wife team
that runs Vanberg & DeWulf, importers of the Dupont brews and
many others brews, tell me this will one of the first times most
people stateside have seen, let alone heard Dedeycker speak.


He's a soft-spoken, modest, reserved guy, but he's also a serious
beer lover. In fact, Olivier told me he is a fanatic for authentic
lambic and gueuze, such as Girardin Black Label Oude Gueuze.

I picked out some of my best shots inside and outside Brasserie
Dupont, as well as at their taproom, Les Caves Dupont, and the
Cafe La Forge just a hundred meters away.

You can read all about this in the pdf article which is paired with
either a Quicktime movie, or MPEG-4 files.

Each zip file download comes with small, medium and large size
files of either the Quicktime movie (best for Mac users) and
MPEG-4, which will open in newer versions of Windows
Media Player, and also in Quicktime.

PC and Mac users can download Quicktime for free at:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/#quicktime

The price for this content filled, fascinating look into and
article about one of the world's great breweries? Just $2.99
U.S.

You can purchase the movie at the top right hand
corner of this blog page where you see the Visa/
Mastercard emblem.

Cheers, and Sante!