food and beverage

Beer brewing in Europe continues to be a serious traditional business. For thousands of years
Europe has been a leader in brewing this popular beverage. Many countries have perfected distinctive beers; some are like mythological ambrosia. Maintaining the quality of centuries-old recipes
many brewers realise that their strength lies in maintaining tradition over promoting innovation. Not to say there aren’t several breweries experimenting with new flavours
but mostly they leave the newfangled risk-taking to the Americans. Why fix and change that which is not broken?

To promote the preservation of European beer culture
several countries have banded together to create organizations such as the European Beer Consumers’ Union (EBCU). This union was founded in Bruges in 1990 with three founding members: Campaign for Real Ale of Great Britain
Objectieve Bierproevers of Belgium and PINT of the Netherlands. It sounds like a Monty Pythonesque union with contrived names
but it is a legitimate one with twelve countries as members: the above three
plus Austria
Switzerland
Italy
Poland
Sweden
Denmark
Norway
Finland and France.

Their aims are simple: preserve European beer culture
its traditions
beer brewing and breweries; promote traditional beers; support the consumption of traditional beers; and represent European drinkers in a campaign for choice
quality and value. This is not the only pro-quality beer organization in Europe. Others include the Guinness 1759 Society
the British Guild of Beer Writers
and the Brothers of Beer.

The continued production of traditional beers has added one innovation to its traditional facade: beer tours. Beertrips.com
founded in 1998
promotes many beer-tasting experiences in countries like Belgium
France
England
Germany and Austria. If you are interested in experiencing Germany’s beers
for example
there is a 10-day tour of Munich’s Fruhlingsfest and Bavarian Country Breweries. A personal favourite is the Brewers and Distilleries of Scotland tour. Check the website for details.

Each country in Europe seems to have a beer type focus. In Ireland
they continue to promote their stout beers. Stout is thick and heavy
with an earthy
full-bodied taste. They sell lagers and ales
but the focus and specialty is on beers like Guinness. The Guinness brewery was bought and opened in 1759 in Dublin
Ireland by Arthur Guinness. The original stout is strong and bitter-tasting.

In Spain
lager is the most popular. Spanish lagers are a touch stronger than other countries’ lager offerings. Two of their most popular beers are Especial and Extra. Especial is a pilsner beer
quite light in colour and taste while Extra is a pale lager.

Alas
until recently
Sweden had been a beer desert for decades. Their people have choked and sputtered for more to slake their thirst
all to no avail. Histrionics aside
it was the rigidly-controlled regulations for beer brewing that depleted this country’s brewers. Since Sweden joined the European Union in 1995
its regulations have grown more lax and the country has transformed itself from a desert to a vibrant and diverse beer culture. The industry in Sweden imports from many other countries; this has inspired a search for their own beer identity. How better to discover a beer identity than to try many things to see what works for the people of the country?

In Holland
the industry continues to produce their own phylum of beer: Bierbok. A good version of this type of beer is difficult to produce. Bokbier is a 16th century beer from Bavaria that has endured and been perfected. It is dark in colour (red-brown to black)
sweet on the tongue with a mixture of bittersweet flavours
such as toffee
raisins
licorice
coffee
and chocolate. These are not ingredients
but flavours. It is a beer strong in alcohol with an alcohol percentage of 6.5% to 8%.

When applied to beer brewing
history and tradition are not necessarily dusty
boring or dry like old history books or documents. Thousands of years ago
beer was a product in development; it was new and ever-changing. Beer brewing traditions live on and interest drinkers because of the exceptional tastes developed over centuries
not in spite of history and tradition.