What’s in a name ? A la Mort Subite

We need to go back 80 years to explore the origin of this unusual name for a Belgian pub and Gueuze-beer.

History of  “Mort Subite”

Round the year 1910 Mr Théophile Vossen ran an establishment called  “La Cour Royale”. Amongst his many regular clients in his pub were a lot of employees working at Belgium’s National Bank.

Those employees played a dice game (pitjesbak in Dutch) called  421. Before returning to the office, the employees played a quick last game and the one who lost was called the “Mort Subite” or “Sudden Death”.
Very soon this name became well-known and when Théophile Vossen moved to the actual address Warmoesberg 7 in 1928, he decided to call his pub “At La Mort Subite”. Now it was very easy to call his house-beer – a Gueuze – the same name.

His sons and grand-sons René and Jean-Pierre Vossen continued the tradition for more than 36 years.

Today, the 4th generation of the Vossen family, Bernard and Olivier continue to serve delicious Gueuze, Kriek, Framboise, Cassis and Faro Lamic-beers in the same establishment that also retains the original and protected decor from 1928.

Café-Brasserie A La Mort Subite
Warmoesberg 7
B-1000 Brussels

www.alamortsubite.com

Tournée Générale is a Belgian Tv series where Jean Blaute and Ray Cokes, two Belgian beer enthusiasts are taking the viewers on a tour through Belgium a go visiting Belgian breweries in a van.

The 2nd season that airs now in Belgium focuses more on typical Belgian food in combination with Belgian beer.

On their way through the Belgian countryside, they try to discover the hidden beauties, but they don’t forget the classics with their typical flavors such as the hops from Poperinge or the Schaerbeekse krieken (cherries) from Brussels.

More and more Belgian chefs use Belgian beer in the kitchen such as “De Heeren van Liedekerke” in Denderleeuw or “Het Hommelhof” in Watou. Ray and Jean are looking at the newest trends in Belgian beer country. This very like-able and feelgood program on Belgian TV is showing the viewer how vivid and lively the Belgian beer-scene today is. It also shows that we Belgians are a country of people that like to enjoy life as it is, especially in company with good food and good beer.

As it was the case in the first TV season, Ray and Jean will brew their own Tournée Générale beer. Belgiuminabox is looking forward to add this brew to the shop. I was told the beer hasn’t been bottled yet, but I will keep you posted when it is available.

Some clips from the episodes can be seen on You Tube on on the site of the Belgian TV channel Canvas. And since Ray Cokes is from the UK, the program is (mostly) English spoken. Check em out! Search youtube for ‘Tournée Générale’ or click here. Als try the dutch site canvas.be for more official clips.

Cheers from Kurt, a Tounée Générale-fan.

Belgian Beer-Restaurant “De Heeren Van Liedekercke” in Denderleeuw, Flemish-Brabant in Belgium is voted as the 2nd Best Beer-Restaurant in the World by rating-site Ratebeer.com.

Ebenzer Bar&Restaurant from Lovell, Maine is voted Best Beer-Restaurant.

Ratebeerians from all over the world could vote for this title.  Last year Trappist West-Vleteren 12 % was voted as Best Beer in the World by Ratebeer.com. Belgian beer-enthusiasts and especially the Lambic-style fans from the US and Scandinavia come to this beer-bar and restaurant to eat and drink their favourite brews. Most of the food from the menu is made with a Belgian beer.

De Heeren van Liedekercke also have a couple of  Lambic-brews specially made for Joost De Four and his wife : the Cantillon Crianza Helena 2008 (for the birth of their daughter) and from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen J&J (Blauw en Roos) 2003.

Joost, the owner from De Heeren van Liedekercke says he probably has the largest menu of beers in the world. They also have ALL of the Gueuze-Lambics, Fruit-Lambics and a great selection of aged beers.

Congratulations for Joost De Four, Jelle and Tom De Four.

Restaurant De Heeren van Liedekercke, Kasteelstraat 33, Denderleeuw, Belgium

http://www.heerenvanliedekercke.be/

According to the beer lovers from Ratebeer,  Antwerp beer-pub the “Kulminator” is voted as the Best Beer-Pub in the World. In 1974 Leen and Dirk founded the Kulminator. It wasn’t the first time Leen and Dirk won the price as “Best Beer-Pub in the World”, they did so back in 2007 and 2009 !”Kulminator” is the name of a 12 % brew from Kulenbach, Germany.
This Antwerp beer-pub is well known among locals and beer-enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s the reason why many people specially come to visit Antwerp. The pub has a variety of more than 800 different beers, mostly Belgian but also international. What makes this place so special is the range of aged beers -vintage beers – Dirk and his wife have in stock. The age of their vintage beer can go as old as the 1970ies !
Since 2000 Ratebeer.com let their members choose the Best Beer Bar, the Best Beer and the Best Beer-Restaurant.
Congratulations Leen and Dirk !

Cafe Kulminator, Vleminckveld 32, Antwerpen  Ph : xx3232324538

2011 starts with sparkling news from Brewery Malheur of Buggenhout.

Malheur’s Dark Brut, the highly sought after Champagne beer from brewer Manu De Landtsheer  is back on the Belgian beer-market.

For almost a year the Dark Brut, a dark-brown beer matured in American oak barrels, was not to be found anywhere. Non of the beer merchants in Belgium had a single bottle left of this sparkling brew !

Beer fans all over Belgium were told the new brew would be back in January.

Belgiuminabox was there today to stock up on this great brew and the first bottles of the Dark Brut were just labelled !
So what a wonderful way  to start the new year with the introduction of this year’s Dark Brut.

I was told stocks of the Dark Brut are selling fast.

I’m trying to hold some to put into my cellar.  I like to see the effect of Champagne beer aging…

Happy New Year  !!

Kurt.

Duvel-Moortgat’s has a new brew called Duvel Tripel Hop

Duvel is renowned the world over for its re-fermentation in the bottle and the bitter aftertaste it draws from the hops.

Inspired by an old ad for a “Hopbier” by Duvel-Moortgat, the master brewers took to experimenting with the extra hopping of the Duvel.
The extra hopped beer was brewed for the 1st time in 2007 and it was sold out in only 2 days!

The beer met with such enthusiastic reactions and initiatives that the brewery had no choice other than to brew this special, intensively hopped beer one more time.
No fewer than 3 high-quality hop varieties were selected to make the Duvel Tripel Hop, including the traditional Czechen Saaz-Saaz, Styrian Golding originating from the Savinja River Valley in Slovenia and American Amarillo, that is known for its distinctive bitterness and spicy character.

Duvel Tripel Hop is the result of the technique known as “dry hopping”. This involves adding Styrian Golding hop-heads to the beer at a later stage (than normal).
The outcome is a unique brew with a rich pallet, extra hop flavors and increased hop-bitterness that result in a bone-dry aftertaste.

The beer is very drinkable for its 9.5% alc/vol and isn’t boring for a second.

On Thursday, September 30th 2010 the “new” Duvel Tripel Hop was presented to the press and a select group of beer-connaisseurs, calling themselves “de lambikstoempers”. According to the beer-tasters this year’s version is even better hopped than the 2007 version.

Check out Duvel Tripel Hop “Special Edition Ale 2010″ in the Belgiuminabox shop

Cheers and Season’s Greetings,
Kurt

Exclusively available at specialty-beershop Belgiuminabox:

3 Fonteinen Doesjel Vintage Bottling February 2006

Limited stock, collector items !

All lambic brewers are now bottling their fruit-lambics for this year.
We are going to see a lot of the fruit-lambic-ales coming out in the coming weeks.
I am looking forward for the Schaerbeekse Kriek of Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen came out with a Schaerbeekse already.
De Cam has a Kriek in the pipeline and maybe a framboise…

Cantillon is continuing with it’s Fou’ Foune, a mix of lambic and “Bergerons”  apricots.

The apricots used to brew the Fou’ Foune come from the Rhône valley in France.

Check the beer-shop at Belgiuminabox.com in the coming weeks to see the newest bottlings !

Cheers, Kurt.

Cantillon Mamouche Bottle

Cantillon Mamouche -the the previous Zwanze 09- is here !

Jean from Cantillon-brewery has just bottled his “new” elderflowers-(vlierbloesem)-lambic.

Elderflowers, handpicked by the Cantillon-team and soaked in in 2-yr-old  Lambic.

The Mamouche is now available online at beer-shop Belgiuminabox. Limited stock!

Order 3 bottles and get a free Cantillon Glass!

Check out Mamouche (Zwanze 09) in the Belgiuminabox shop

Due to the limited availabilty only 3 bottles per order can be bought.

This product includes 3 bottles and a Cantillon glass

Great news from Belgian beer world !
Today it was announced that Brewery Duvel-Moortgat from Breendonk is buying the family owned Antwerps Brewery De Koninck.
In the last few months mainly foreign brewers came forward to buy the troubled Belgian brewery (Heineken from Holland).
The beer,  mainly Bolleke De Koninck – Antwerps city beer – is  having a hard time selling in the home market.
De Konink’s main source of income is their vast patrimony of brewery owned pubs in the Antwerp area.

Now that Duvel-Moortgat comes into play,  I’m sure (necessary) synergies will become possible.

Over the last few years the Duvel-Moortgat group have become kind of a national saveier within the Belgian beer landscape.

I think most of the Belgian beer world is applauding this development…

Duvel-Moortgat, keep moving forward.

Kurt