Culinary Culture: Fields of gold

Written by Vincent Verrydt
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 13:02

I was born in Belgium. A place where beer is so entrenched in the cultural fabric of society that it’s considered a national treasure. The legacy of beer is passed on to Belgian kids like a heritage tale, and unlike the Yankees – who allow their kids to drive at 16, go to war at 18 but to only have a beer at 21 – beer drinking and, even more so, beer appreciation is a big part of growing up in Belgium.

My parents moved to South Africa when I was a mere worm, and 34 years later I’ve emerged from my European cocoon, a real Afropolitan. But Belgian blood still runs through my veins, which is why I’m so discerning about the beer I drink – or at least I should be.

I once arrived in Thabazimbi on a Saturday to discover the bottle store had closed at 3pm. Faced with the bleak possibility of having to enjoy the bush with no ale meant I was forced into a local village to buy beer from the only open shebeen. I left with 12 quarts. Now, I’ve always been adventurous, embracing local brews of wherever I find myself, but even then I select the beer based first on recommendation and second on bottle presentation. Now here I was faced with the quart, a rough, uncouth option, or so I so perceived it at the time. But what I discovered was a big bottle, filled with fine beer (Castle, Amstel, Windhoek, Heineken and even Peroni are all available in quarts now) and an added spirit of ubuntu. You see, of the quarts I bought, I opened one at a time and shared the beer with my mates – a common practice among the brothers, I’ve been informed. My northern-suburbs mates still need convincing, but it’s a matter of time.

The bottom line is fine beer is not a matter of size but rather of quality. With this thought in mind, I considered the top contenders in my imaginary beer Olympics. Top contenders include Belgium (naturally), Ireland, the United States and South Africa.

Belgium
We all know that Belgium is the top beer producer on the planet, not because of quantity but rather quality and diversity. Of the Belgian brews submitted to the beer-testing site www.ratebeer.com, Belgium received 50 gold awards out of 50 beers submitted. You can’t argue with that! This reiterates Belgium’s high standards in brewing. Stella Artois has the widest distribution across the United States, Europe and in Belgium, but no less than 15 varieties of beer are produced in regular quantities.
Belgium’s most popular: Stella Artois, Leffe, Jupiler , Maes and Hoegaarden.
Vince’s choice: Kriek – cherry-flavoured beer ale.

United States
Amazingly, 50 of the 80 brews submitted to the Rate Beer awards from the United States received gold awards. Good going considering beer isn’t as deep- rooted in their culture as in, say, Belgian culture. Beer makes up 85% of all the alcohol consumed in the United States, and there are more than 1 400 breweries, ranging from mega-brewers such as Budweiser and Coors to tiny microbreweries producing their beer in buckets. Interestingly, most of the country’s most-well- known breweries are not on the winning list. Instead it’s the lesser-known Cigar City Brewing, Russian River Brewing and Hair of the Dog Brewing companies that appear.
America’s most popular: Budweiser, Coors Lights, Michelob.
Vince’s choice: Samuel Adams, an amber-coloured lager with a floral, pine and citrus flavours.

Ireland
Let’s be honest, no beer Olympics would be complete without Guinness! Arthur Guinness set up his brewery in Ireland in 1756. Today, Guinness produces a number of beers, but it’s the thick, black stout that has made its mark on the world. It’s served with a nitrogen-gas backing instead of the standard carbon-dioxide line, and in the early 20th century it was the world’s largest brewery. Today they’re no longer the biggest, but if you walk into any bar anywhere in the world and order a Guinness on a nitrogen tap, you’ll get it. This is a true testament to Ireland’s beer-producing position.
Ireland’s most popular: Guinness, Murphy’s Irish Stout and Beamish.
Vince’s choice: Guinness, delicious heaviness with a hint of coffee.

South Africa
We may be way down at the point of Africa, but South Africa is a force to be reckoned with in international brewing. South African Breweries (SAB) owns international brands such as Miller Genuine Draft in America, Pilsner Urquell in the Czech Republic and Peroni in Italy. According to SAB, South Africans drink almost 60l of beer per person every year. We’re Africa’s top consumer of beer, and one of the globe’s biggest beer markets. Seven huge SAB factories churn out more than 25 million hectolitres of beer (1 hectolitre = 100 litres) annually. And we’re not just about quantity, with Castle Lager winning gold medals and even being named the World’s Best Bottled Lager at the 2000 International Brewing Industry Awards.
South Africa’s most popular: Hansa Pilsner, Amstel Lager, Black Label, Castle.
Vince’s choice: Castle, somewhat dry, somewhat bitter, never sweet.


Microbreweries in South Africa
Brewing is a passion for some, and a few passionate brewers have set up microbreweries across our country to share their creations with interested visitors. Some of my favourites include:

Birkenhead, Stanford
Beers: Lager, bitter, honey blonde, stout, red re-loaded and pilsner.
Description: The first wine and brewing estate in the southern hemisphere. Offers a restaurant, pub, brewery tour and views of the Klein Rivier Mountains.
Contact: 073 141 7800

Clarens Brewery, Clarens
Beers: blonde, English ale, stout and red.
Description: Set in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains. Brewer Stephan Meyer is dedicated to quality and craftsmanship. They brew a 5000l batch a month, of which half is bottled and half served on tap in the brewery.
Contact: 082 901 4700; info@clarensbrewery.co.za; www.clarensbrewery.co.za

Gilroy, Johannesburg
Beers: lager, pale ale, ruby ale, premium dark ale.
Description: Situated at the Ngwenya Glass Village, which forms part of the Crocodile Ramble in the Cradle of Humankind, Gilroy offers beer tasting, live entertainment, splendid lunches and a kiddies playground.
Contact: 011 796 3020, 073 357 2897, www.gilroybeers.co.za