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September 1997 Home
Click on any of the book covers below to get ordering information.
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Stephen Beaumont's Brewpub Cookbook |
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A Taste For Beer |
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Great Canadian Beer Guide |
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A World of Beer |
Taste of the Month
Having spent part of the month in France and another part in Belgium, it is not the easiest of tasks trying to isolate one taste to highlight as the TOTM. There were, for example, the incredible ribs enjoyed at De Hobbit in Brugge, the delicious steak tartar at Brasserie Bofinger in Paris, fresh Hoegaarden Blanche sampled at the brewery, the aged Belle-Vue Sélection Lambic Gueuze from our train picnic (please see "A Tale of the Train") and the moules á la gueuze we inhaled at Drie Fonteinen in Beersel. And that's just to name but a few of the fabulous flavours we experienced on our recent travels.In the end, however, I feel that I must repeat myself -- sort of -- and give the nod to the tremendous St. Lamvinus I sampled at Brasserie Cantillon in Brussels.
Regular readers will remember that the TOTM for the month of February was the wonderful Vigneronne from this traditional gueuze brewery. Refermented with Italian muscat-style grapes, the Vigneronne was a marvellous cross of beer and wine with subtleties of flavour that I am still trying to understand.
Even better, however, was the St. Lamvinus Christine and I sampled at the conclusion of our brewery tour in Brussels. Refermented with cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes from France's St. Emilion region, the St. Lamvinus offered complexities that made the Vigneronne appear simple in comparison. With its unmistakably lambic start and equally distinctive Bordeaux finish, the St. Lamvinus may well be the beer that finally and effectively marks the meeting ground for beer and wine.
The first commercial availability of St. Lamvinus should begin this fall. Be on the look-out for it!
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