The first of many blog posts from Belgium this winter

We are lodging in Gent for the 4th straight year. I always dread getting ready to go, am reluctant to leave Chicago, then as soon as I arrive remember what a wonderful town Gent is.

There will be non-stop action all this week.  But first,  Don and I “hit the ground running” once we got to town by going for personalized fittings for Tempur pedic pillows. Hard to be beer experts without a good night’s sleep.

I reread “A Tall Man in a Low Land” on the night flight from Chicago to Brussels, an Englishman’s take on Belgium, by Harry Pearson. This in preparation for a 4 day excursion with dear friends – will give a copy of the book as a keepsake of the trip and try as much as possible to share Harry’s optic on the Belgians with our pals. Book handles  such topics as pigeon racing (invented here), candidates for prize as the worst name for a Belgian beer (a contest idea in there), oddest town traditions (pea soup fest is high on list), musings on Belgian contempt of government, love of dogs, rules of the road that terrify non-natives to reveal the Belgian character with humor and affection. It and busts the myth that Belgium is boring. Pearson sure appreciates the food and the beer – especially Dupont’s – which of course endears him to us even more. *****recommendation.

Speaking of Dupont  – we will be there on Tuesday for the collaboration brew for Philly Beer Week and will be taking pictures during the day. Probably really dumb, but I will be test driving my new camera on Tuesday. I liked the Philly Beer Week page and hope you will too. We need to get cracking on making sure that crowd knows the beer is heading their way.

Monday, we have a visit to Dendermonde to catch up with our friends at Dilewyns, Belgium’s newest brewery. Our first visit since their grand opening.  When we were there last spring the place was still under construction.   Do you know about their sensational
Vicaris beers. More news soon.

Took hundreds of pictures today but must learn how to handle pixelmator to shrink em for the blog. One fun thing about Gent is the awesome graffiti. 

We are grateful to Andre DiMattia for his very thoughtful and comprehensive review of Foret Blanche reprised in total below. We are on a business trip to the West Coast – today in Berkeley where we are watching the Denver New England Game while catching up on emails. A guilty pleasure and our team is leading. But I digress…

If you are in Colorado head over to Mile High in Lakewood (right next to Whole Food) on Vance Street (303) 936-0272 for some Foret Blanche. It’s on sale and it is a deal.  On the strength of this fine writeup on Dupont in general and Foret Blanche in particular we are naming Andre and Mile High Liquors of Lakewood, Colorado our first Hero of the Good Beer Movement of 2012.

Bomber of the Month: January
Brassiere Dupont Foret Blanche
By: André DiMattia
Published: 1/12/2012
ABV: 5.5

“The Dupont Brewery or Brasserie Dupont is a much respected and highly regarded producer of varying styles of rustic Belgian Farmhouse beers. The current brewery stands on the grounds of a working farm, Moinette, and is said to have started as far back as 1759. Their multiple yeast strains have been utilized for decades and are now a thing of legend in the brewing world. The historical convictions of their particular style of brewing and the distinct equipment allows for each of the Dupont beers to be traced back to a particular house “Style”.

Modern brewers have fallen in love with the flagship beer of Dupont, the Saison Dupont, and have gone to great lengths to replicate the beer by cultivating copies of the breweries multiple yeast strains. There seems to be a bit of magic in this brewery as their beers bellow with honesty and a rounded rustic quality that is anything but typical. Even with the long history behind the Dupont brewery, there has been a recent movement to dabble in the exploration of new styles.

The first of these new beers is the wonderful Foret Blanche. This is a softer, more gentle sister beer to the all Organic Foret Saison. Foret Blanche shares a very basic principal of being created from the source of 100% certified Organic ingredients. The difference comes from the fact that the beer is actually a loose elaboration on the well-known Belgian Wit Bier style. Wheat adds texture and works nicely on top of the flavors that Belgian Yeasts give, Foret Blanche is one step ahead as it has less in common with the sweet orange tones of Hoegaarden and more to do with the wild and somewhat funky flavors that can only come from being brewed in the open air of an active farm.
On to the Tasting Notes:
Foret Blanche pops with a carbonation that is not too far off from the appearance of the clouds above Belgium. Frothy and firm, the carbonation is active and quickly engulfs the entire empty glass. The origin from where the beer was born shows it’s self by way of the aroma of Dupont’s distinct yeast. The bready, tropical and downright lovely farmhouse “style” is there from the start. More citrus aromas begin to emerge and a somewhat husky, raw grain like comparison follows. Zippy and zesty, the beer is refreshing even before the first sip.

Amazing texture on the palate, the carbonation is almost creamy as it coats the tongue. The sharp prickle from the pepper yeasts and the wheat grain converge the body of the beer into a precise and dry finish. The beer is filled with a rustic honesty as the flavors show themselves without being out of balance. Lemon rind, poached spiced pears, papaya, hay, toasted crackers and cornhusks are as complex in their layering as they are delicious with their approach. The beer is unbelievably refreshing and there is a very distinct heady comparison that is similar to smelling rainwater on wet rocks. This is the beer that makes one feel as if they awoke from an afternoon nap, filled with gratification of life and simply happy to be present. Magic.
Food Pairing:
Wit Biers are notorious food beers as their body and delicate finish gives them a head start for seafood and lighter foods. Foret has a distinct wild character that can be taken further than what one might think. Shellfish, prawns, snapper and even oysters would be fulfilling, as their sea salt flavors would only add to the beers zesty refreshment. Cheeses as rich as triple crèmes, as bold as wash rinds and as powerful as blues could all be met by the beer’s rustic flavors and be lifted from the palate by it’s carbonation. Varying leafy greens would be another great food combo; kale, chard and even cabbage might all have their applications for the beer to work with. A fun beer to drink with food as it is subtle enough not to detract and yet distinct enough to patch any varying flavors.

The beers from Dupont are always favored by a wide range of people; hop lovers, stout enthusiasts, cider drinkers, mead celebrators and even a large amount of wine sippers have fallen for the distinct nature found in all of Brassiere Dupont’s beers. The Foret Blanche is another balanced beer filled with amazing subtle tones that has quickly become an admirable beverage, we only hope it will be made year round. Another classic.”

Wisconsin has a reputation for being a great place for foodies, and if we ever had the slightest doubt of that distinction, our latest Wisconsin trip has more than dispelled it.

It all started with a man named Cliff Kaplan, the Director of Specialty Beer Sales at Beechwood, our fantastic Wisconsin distributor.  Cliff worked long and hard to convince the folks at the Bartolotta Group to host their first import beer dinner.  Once Bartolotta’s said yes, they executed it brilliantly.

Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro sits on Lake Michigan, in a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the same genius behind New York’s Central Park and Prospect Park).  On December 2, Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro hosted a seven course dinner featuring Vanberg & DeWulf beers.  The orchestrators of this stellar dinner, which drew in 90 revelers, was composed of General Manager John Wise, Assistant Manager and Beer Buyer Scott Williams, and James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef Midwest, Adam Siegel. The whole team is to be commended for the love and attention they put into the dinner; you can take a peek at the menu here, but since it was so delicious and special, we will be featuring it in our glossy portfolio next year.

On Saturday, we had a great dinner with Cliff, his wife, and his friends, during which we discovered that Cliff himself is an amazing cook.  On Sunday, we headed off to Madison for a continuation of the 30th anniversary celebrations at Brasserie V, another spectacular dinner that merits its own writeup.  Brasserie V is owned by Matt Van Nest, and the kitchen belongs to Rob Grisham.  To be continued…

Something very nice has happened in the world of Belgian beer: an important domain name has been conferred to the Belgian Family Brewers [the new address is www.belgianbeer.com].  Chuck Cook was a great enabler, and deserves to be commended.  His blog post explains how the domain name came to belong to the brewers.

Volker Stewart, of the Brewer’s Art in Maryland, was a mensch.  He realized that the domain name he had registered in 1996 was an important asset. He deliberated before deciding how to “dispose” of it.  He did good. It’s no secret that Vanberg & DeWulf has long been an advocate for independent family brewers in Belgium in general, and Belgian Family Brewers [the organization] specifically.  Two of our breweries are members of the organization: Dupont and Dubuisson.  In fact, Hughes Dubuisson was the founding president of Belgian Family Brewers.

Brasserie Dupont

Brasserie Dubuisson

Congratulations to all.  We hope the new domain name rockets these brewers’ beers to new levels of success.

Philly Beer Week 2012 collaboration

Here is the press release from Philly Beer Week. Lots more news to follow. Exciting no?

The headline: We’re brewing the ’12 collaborative beer with Brasserie Dupont, its first-ever collaborative beer. And 1 lucky beer drinker will join us for brew day.

The rest of the story:
Philadelphia, PA – On Wednesday, November 30 beginning at 7 p.m., beer lovers are invited to City Tap House for the second-annual Philly Beer Week (PBW) Benefit Raffle. This year’s raffle will take place at 8:30 p.m., for two prizes: a trip to Belgium with a local brewer of their choice to brew a collaboration beer at renowned Brasserie Dupont; and the Philly Beer-Stravaganza, a PBW gift package that includes a trip to Tröegs Brewing Company with top local brewers to create the local collaboration brew Brotherly Suds 3. Raffle tickets cost $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20 and people can enter at City Tap House up until the time of the drawing.

“PBW is more than a series of events; it’s a year-round celebration of beer and beer drinking in ‘the best beer-drinking city in America’,” says Executive Director Don Russell. “This spirited raffle is a terrific fundraiser, allowing PBW to continue to grow and thrive, as well as a great opportunity for craft beer enthusiasts to brew with the best in region – and the world.”

The collaborative beer is a first for 167-year-old Brasserie Dupont and was organized by its American importer, Vanberg & DeWulf. “It’s only fitting that Dupont make its first collaborative beer for Philadelphia,” said Wendy Littlefield co-owner of Vanberg & DeWulf. “Philly was the first American city to really grasp the Belgian scene.”

On each raffle ticket, entrants will select the brewer that they would like to send to Belgium. At 8:30 p.m., one raffle ticket will be picked and the person who entered, along with the brewer named on their entry, will win the free trip. A second drawing will be held for the Philly Beer-Stravaganza; all entrants are automatically eligible for both prizes.

Prizes include:
The trip to Belgium includes: one-on-one time with a local brewer of the winner’s choice (from a list of participating brewers); travel to Belgium in March 2012; and brewing the official collaboration beer of PBW 2012 with their chosen brewer, representatives of Philly Beer Week and Vanberg & DeWulf, and fourth-generation family brewer Olivier Dedeycker of Brasserie Dupont. The beer that is created on this trip will be bottled and distributed throughout Philadelphia, with a debut in June during PBW 2012. The brewery Dupont is co-writer of a real part of Belgian beer history. Situated in Tourpes (Leuze-en-Hainaut), in the centre of West-Hainaut, and incorporated in an old farm, originally dating from 1759, the brewing has been going on since 1844. They have been, and remain, committed to tradition and quality in all their beers, including their legendary saison. For more information on Brasserie Dupont, please visit belgianexperts.com/beers/dupont.

Participating brewers include: Jason Kohser of Boxcar Brewing; Scott Morrison of Dock Street; Tim Hawn of Dogfish Head; Beau Baden of Fegley’s Brew Works; Casey Hughes of Flying Fish; Chris LaPierre of Iron Hill Brewery; Doug Marchakitus of Manayunk; Gordon Grubb of Nodding Head; Ben Schamberg of Philadelphia Brewing Company; Chris Rakow of River Horse; John Trogner of Tröegs; Rob Pfeiffer of Twin Lakes; Adam Bartles of Victory; Chris Wilson of Weyerbacher; and Tom Kehoe of Yards.

The PBW Beer-Stravaganza includes: two tickets to Opening Tap, the kick-off event of PBW; two tickets to Forum of the Gods, an annual round-table discussion with some of the top craft brewers in the nation; a beer sampler featuring some of PBW’s most popular and unusual brews, including both collaborative beers; and working with the brewers to create Brotherly Suds 3.

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at City Tap House up until the time of the drawing on November 30. All tickets will be tossed into a hat, and two winners will be chosen at random. The first drawing will be for the trip to Belgium, which will include the brewer selected by the participant on their ticket; the second will be for the PBW Beer-Stravaganza.

Raffle tickets will also be available at every stop along the Craft Beer Express, this Saturday, November 7. Stops include: Kraftwork, Johnny Brenda’s, Standard Tap, The Institute, Bishop’s Collar, Kite & Key, Jose Pistola’s, The Sidecar, Pub on Passyunk East, Devil’s Den, Brauhaus Schmitz, and Race Street Café. For more information, visit www.craftbeerexpress.com.

For more information about PBW and the raffle, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org.

About Vanberg & DeWulf – this marks the 30th year of importing specialty beers from Belgium and Northern France. The company was founded by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, two of the pioneers of America’s artisan beer revolution. In addition to their work as importers, the pair also founded Brewery Ommegang. For more information about Vanberg & DeWulf, please visit www.belgianexperts.com.

About Philly Beer Week – PBW 2012 will be held from Friday, June 1 until Sunday, June 10. PBW is a 10-day celebration of “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City,” and kicks off on the first Friday in June annually. Established in 2008, it’s the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights throughout Greater Philadelphia. PBW highlights the region’s diverse beer scene – its world-class breweries, neighborhood taverns, trend-setting restaurants and rich beer culture and history.

Esquire magazine called PBW “an awe-inspiring ode to craft brew,” and they weren’t alone: more than 50 cities across the country have founded their own Beer Week events, inspired by the runaway success of the original in Philadelphia. Philadelphia magazine awarded them a prestigious “Best of Philly” award for “Best Event.” The festival is organized and operated by Philly Beer Week Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization overseen by a board comprised of brewery owners, distributors, restaurant owners and others, to promote the beer and hospitality industries.

Through a series of unfortunate events we ended up losing our distributor in Nevada a couple of years ago. Our little setback was not about to alter the course of beer commerce in the Silver State. But for some reason a man named Alex Puchner cared. He had a place in Reno called BJ’s and wanted to get the beer back in there.  Periodically Alex would call to check in. Were we close to being back in business? Could we please hurry up? He was unfailingly kind, polite, encouraging and insistent. He put in a good word with the distributor we were hoping to work with. Soon thereafter we got signed up with Southern. No coincidence. Puchner’s vote of confidence made a big difference. After all, Southern took us on at a time when the economy was tanking and in general they were cutting, not adding, SKU’s.  And so on the strength of Puchner’s persistence and encouragement, which really set us on the right track in Nevada, we decided to make him the subject of a Hero of the Good Beer Movement profile.

In preparation for giving Alex a call for the interview I discovered what a dunce I’d been. All that time he had been calling, I had no idea what a powerhouse enterprise he was running – while still making time to give us a call. I confessed my ignorance when around the time of the Coast to Coast Toast we had a good long phone conversation. I hope I do justice to Alex’s interesting path in beer.

Alex Puchner is Senior Vice President of Brewing Operations at  BJ’s. This restaurant group  has 114 restaurants operating in 12 states. The majority of the beer they sell is brewed by them at 4 locations around the country.  Even though they make their own very good beer, they have guest taps that they rotate space for. Lucky for us, a Vanberg & DeWulf beer makes it into the mix from time to time. Alex loves Belgians and sour beers… as do we.  His favorite beer is Rodenbach Grand Cru, something we brought to this country.

Alex Puchner went to Cornell and got his MBA from University of Chicago.  He picked up the habit of homebrewing as a student. After biz school he headed to California to take on brand management responsibilities at Mattel – all the while continuing home brewing, picking up prizes, and earning judging certifications. At Mattel, a colleague working on the Barbie (yes, Barbie!) business turned him on to the fact that a brewpub was opening down in Huntington Beach and looking for an investor. This was in ’93. Alex stopped by, and agreed to invest on the condition that he would be able to use the brewing equipment from time to time. In Alex’s words: “[before long, he] had hung up his suit, quit [his] job, and cut [his] salary by 2/3rds.” It was the best decision he ever made.

Not long thereafter, the people who had started BJ’s set up shop across the street, and retained Alex to consult on their beer program. He joined them full time in 1996. Brewing, growing the operation, developing the hub and spoke brewing system, selecting guest beers, and no doubt doing a zillion other smart things we didn’t get to cover in our wide ranging conversation.  In it, we discovered common threads in Upstate NY, Chicago, brewing, discovering good beer in our 20′s, and working in marketing before we made careers in beer.

We are excited about Hop Ruiter and were thrilled to hear that Alex likes it. Alex is excited about Camaraderie, BJ’s first collaborative beer.  He travelled to Belgium to make it at Bavik. It is an 8% (Amarillo) hoppy ale that blends Bavik’s tripel and aged sour pale ale. We are headed to California in January and can’t wait to taste it.

Hats off to you Alex for all you do in many realms to bring good beer to your people in a grand swath of the US. You are a hero of the good beer movement. Don and I are looking  forward to toasting you in person, with and in Camaraderie, next month!

Check out BJ’s and find a location near you:

http://www.bjsbrewhouse.com

Congrats to Iron Hill brewer Chris Lapierre, whose name was drawn last night to represent Philly Beer Week in its annual Belgo Collab. He’ll be brewing with fourth-generation family brewer Olivier Dedeycker of Brasserie Dupont. And congrats to the guy who voted for him: Vince Masciandaro, a Barley Legal homebrewer from Jersey. He’ll be joining Chris on an expenses-paid trip to Belgium in March, courtesy of Vanberg & DeWulf, the Belgian beer experts…

Thanks to Joe Sixpack one of the Philly Beer Week organizers for breaking the news!

        Dress  Nice!

You are Going to Brasserie Dupont.

On Monday, December 5, 2011, Madison-based Brasserie V will be hosting a 5-course “Belgian Holiday” Beer Dinner featuring Vanberg & DeWulf beers.  Join Don and Wendy at this delicious event, and make sure to check into Untappd if you still haven’t earned your Belgian Holiday badge.  More beer dinner information from the Brasserie V site:

Beer Dinner with Vanberg & DeWulf Importers

Monday, December 05 2011, 5:45pm - 9:00pm

Monday, December 5th, we will be offering a 5-Course “Belgian Holiday” Beer Dinner.  Special guests for the evening will be Don Vanberg and Wendy Littlefield, owners of Vanberg & DeWulf Importers.  This marks Vanberg & DeWulf’s 30th year importing specialty beers from Belgium and Northern France. All the beers they represent come from independent, family-run breweries committed to traditional methods of production. Learn more about them here:  http://belgianexperts.com/

Each course will be paired with one of their great beers including Hop Ruiter, Dupont  Avec les Bon Voeux, and Scaldis Noel.  Doors will open at 5:45 for mingling and appetizers with seating at 6:30 for the 5-Course Dinner.  Cost for the evening will be $60 and Reservations are required.  So give us a call at 255-8500 to reserve your spot as it will fill up fast!  Credit Card needed to hold your reservation with a 48-hour cancellation required.

On Friday, December 2, 2011, Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee will be showing a whole ‘lotta love for our beers.  Don and Wendy will be at the dinner, so make sure to say hello!  And if you still haven’t earned you Untappd Belgian badge, make sure to check in at this delicious dinner.  Here is the tantalizing menu, taken from the Bartolotta’s website:

Belgian Beer Dinner

Lake Park Bistro – Belgian Beer Dinner with Don Feinberg, President, Vanberg & Dewulf Importers

A beer dinner at Lake Park Bistro? Absolutely! We have the wonderful opportunity to pair some of the world’s best beers along with Executive Chef, Adam Siegel’s award winning cuisine. French & Belgian cuisine is a natural fit with great beer and it happens to be one of Chef Adam’s favorite to cook with (and drink). Vanberg & Dewulf have been importing great Belgian beer for over 30 years and we look forward to pairing their beer with our food.

Friday, December 2, 6:30pm
$75 per person. Meal includes seven small plates and beer.
Price does not include tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 414-962-6300.

Menu du Petit Plats

Moules Marinieres Avec Citron et Jambon

Mussels Steamed in a Beer and Cream Sauce with Orange, Lemon and Smoked Ham

Saison Dupont et Foret Organic 

Ragout de Legumes et Confit de Porc

Cranberry Beans and Slow Cooked Pork Belly with Upland Cress, Apples and Citrus-Honey Vinegar

Foret Blanche

Coquille Saint Jacques avec Café et Lentils Du Puy

Espresso Dusted Sea Scallop with Braised Green Lentils, Celery Root and Glazed Carrots

Saison Dupont – Brasserie

Pigeon Roti

Roasted Squab Breast and Confit Leg with Chestnuts, Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction

Hop Ruiter

Fromage

Selections of Cheeses with Fruit Preserves, Honey and Baguette

Peche Mel

Poire Poche Avec Pain Perdue et Glace de Epices

Poached Pears with Brioche French Toast, Spiced Ice Cream and Caramel

Moinette

Gateaux de Chocolat

Warm Chocolate Cake with Amarena Cherries, Pistachio and Crème Anglaise

Scaldis

This is just one in a series of totally fabulous iterations of the Coast to Coast Toast here. The excellent and resourceful Jon Myerow of Tria Cafe in Philadelphia coerced the writer Lew Bryson to come in and quiz his customers.

The list of beers includes ones we once imported and or brewed as well as some in our current portfolio. We were glad to be in Chicago …. but sorry to miss out on being at this place with these wonderful people. Not surprisingly Draft Magazine named them one of the 100 Best Bars in the Nation.