Every other month, the Beverage Testing Institute holds the World Beer Championships and I’m fortunate enough to be involved. This time around we sampled Continental European Ale Styles, and Maibocks, as they are in season.

Let’s start with the Abbey Dubbel category. Goose Island’s Pere Jacques (93 points) and Anderson Valley’s Brother David Double (90 points) reminded us that brewers here in the United States are doing a phenomenal job replicating traditional Belgian ale styles. Try these beers with some grilled lamb chops or fire up some steak kabobs. The rich malt profile of these brews will complement the flavors of the fire and the richness of the meat. A reduction sauce made from either brew would also make a great addition to this meal plan.

The Abbey Triples were excellent as well. Brother David’s Triple from Anderson Valley (91 points) and Issaquah Brewhouse Menage A Frog Tripel (90 points) stood out amongst the entries and would pair nicely with some fried calamari. Just give a little zip of lemon juice over the fried tentacles and let the subtle sweetness of the beer gently wash away the tasty fried bits. Not into seafood? Prosciutto and some herbed cheese will also work as a great appetizer for your guests.

In the Belgian Blonde Ale category, two old friends stopped by and a new guest made an appearance. Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde (96 points) was truly decadent and a brew that would certainly be welcome at the apocalypse. Abbaye de Leffe Blonde (91 points) was also outstanding. The newcomer, Jopen, supplied their Hoppenbier (89 points)—unique for the style. Hints of wild yeast and wonderfully complex layers of flavor proved this to be a great food beer. Try the first two brews with some cheese for a snack: I like goat cheddar. Or for something more sustaining, a fried clam Po-Boy with some citrus aioli is truly a great way to spend your lunch money. The Jopen Hoppenbier would be a great aperitif to get your beer savvy guests talking; then bring out the ceviche appetizer before the main event.

The Belgian Specialty Ale category showed some exciting brews you should definitely try. Unibroue’s Anniversary 17 (93 points) would be perfect for the end of a patio grilling session paired with dried fruit, nuts and a slab of creamy French cheese such as Petit-Suisse. Drizzle this plate with some honey and prepare for decadence. Goose Island introduced us to a new one they’re producing called Juliet (89 points). A wonderfully tart and refreshing beer with hints of the barrel would also be another way to intrigue your guests and break the ice as an aperitif. This beer was recently served at a beer dinner I attended and was paired with rabbit loin. Nothing short of sublime!

Kölsch style beers are great for the summer months. I think of them as the quintessential lawn mower beer. Clean, refreshing and moderate in alcohol, they make for great summertime ale refreshment. Our judges tasted Goose Island’s Summertime Kölsch (90 points) and the Brew Brothers Corano Extra Kölsch (85 points). Try these two beers with a salad. I prefer a Cobb salad with plenty of hard boiled eggs, but a simple green salad with, say, a citrus or shallot vinaigrette would also work just fine.

Lastly the Maibocks. Not as roasted or dark as their big brothers, the maibock style is a great beer to enjoy late spring/early summer. The alcohol is still there and the biscuit sweet maltiness is a wonderful component to combine with a meal. I like to pair them with grill-roasted pork and some mashed sweet potatoes laced with roasted garlic. Privatbrauerei Plank Laabar Bavarian Heller Dopplebock (91 points) or Bastone Brewery Maibock (86 points) would both work nicely with this suggested pairing. Just watch your consumption. In my circle of friends, maibocks are often referred to as “mind-blocks,” since the alcohol in these beers can easily sneak up on you, considering how easily drinkable they are.

One last secret I’ve got to share. When mapping out the beer events you plan on attending for the year, be sure to include the All About Beer World Beer Fest held in Raleigh, NC every April [and Durham in the fall]. Truly a great opportunity to enjoy some excellent beers amongst some excellent company! Thanks again to the AAB crew. Those are my beans and sure enough they’ve been spilt. I’ll keep my mouth shut for now, or at least until the next issue. Cheers!

Today, two loose beer styles are considered “farmhouse ales”: bière de garde (beer to store or keep) of France and saison (season) of Belgium. They are historic siblings that have separated themselves in profile, but not in philosophy. Saisons are quite well-known, but the focus of this column, bière de garde, is gaining interest from consumers and brewers alike. Reformulated quite recently by a few savvy French brewers, bière de garde is truly a product of artisanal whim. Paradoxically rich, but sinewy; clean, but musty; muscular, but refreshing: bière de garde is a complex brew that clings to its rural past.

France’s rural landscape was once extensively dotted with tiny breweries that served to refresh and restore its workers. These were simple farmhouse brewers, who brewed for themselves and a few others. Their farmhouse ales, brewed and consumed as dictated by the season, were things of sustenance. They were made during the cool months, usually late fall and winter, when conditions were perfect for a slow, steady fermentation. This ensured that the brew would have a soft, clean character, and also that the nefarious microscopic organisms notorious for spoiling beer would be inactive or absent.

Brewing beer at that time of year also meant that the hops and malt used were freshly harvested. The combination of fresh medium and deliberate, cool fermentation resulted in a clean and stable product that would mature wonderfully. That is the literal essence of bière de garde, for it was meant to keep until brewing was impossible due to unfriendly temperatures and rogue microbes.

Modern Revival

Though historical bière de garde brewers laid the foundation for what would be a passionate, if not extensive, brewing legacy in France, modern interpretations differ often from their forbears. Records show that more than one variety was often brewed. One version, of lower strength, was designed primarily to consume during the hot summer months. Another more formidable brew, was made to garde even longer, to be savored the following harvest season.

This romantic notion of farmhouse brewing would succumb to modernity. Refrigeration was largely the culprit. Seasonal brewing became unnecessary, cities and breweries grew, industry replaced farming and beer drinkers came to favor the new light lager beers. France followed suit by brewing lower-alcohol, lighter beers for the masses. But thanks to the foresight and stubbornness of a few French brewers, the craft brewing scene in France was about change. It was a both a step toward the future and an eye to the past that resurrected a stale craft in France.

The family-run Brasserie Duyck in Jenlain, France has been in business since 1922. They were known for their somewhat pedestrian Duyck Bière rather than the quirky, anachronistic Jenlain Bière de Garde. It was steadfastly promoted in the 1950s and finally caught on as a hipster brew in the 1970s, its elegant presentation in corked bottles and full flavor a welcome respite from the contemporary bland beer offerings.

This coincided with a seemingly ubiquitous movement towards rustic, local and flavorful specialties. That it happened elsewhere at about the same time may be a mere coincidence, but the more romantic view would be that people were fed up with their limited choices. Jenlain, as the popular prototype, would be the impetus needed for other brewers in France to formulate recipes that paid tribute to tradition, followed the “local is better” mantra and ultimately allowed them to stay vital. Today, there are many artisanal brewers producing bières de garde in its homeland and, with a “keeping” quality to them, they are excellent as exports.

Individualistic Interpretations

When searching for a “typical” bière de garde, look to Jenlain, with its burnished amber hue, spicy, toasted malt and crisp finish. But, bière de gardes are bound more by philosophy rather than a narrow set of perceptible parameters. Some are blond, others, brown. Either ale or lager yeast may be used. Adjunct or sugar is added to some, others are all-malt. Hops can be from France, Germany, the Czech Republic, or even Belgium. What they all share, regardless of color, is a soft maltiness, crisp finish, subdued hop profile, spicy background and a hint of mustiness. Essentially, bière de garde may be a style full of idiosyncratic sub-styles to the point of being absolutely individualistic. Maddening for stylistic evaluation, but artistic to the end.

Of course, the soul of any beer is the malt. In bières de garde, the use of continental malt is the norm, usually a Pilsner type. Much of it is grown in the Champagne and Nord regions and possesses a slightly rougher character than the round, soft varieties of Germany and Bohemia. This may in fact contribute to some of the signature spiciness of bière de garde. Darker interpretations would include the Vienna or Munich malt, to add some body, maltiness and depth. Wheat, caramel and aromatic malts may also find their way into the grist.

Bière de garde brewers have no reservations about using adjuncts. Flaked maize or grits are used by some to add a little more fermentability, while others may “chaptalize” the kettle wort with a dose of sugar. A long boil could be employed to aid in caramelization for additional flavor and color. The grist is mashed to get high fermentability or attenuation. The combination of high-quality malt and full attenuation gives a full-flavored, malty brew, with a snappy finish. Most finish in the 6 to 8% range.

Hop rates are rather subdued, showcasing the nuances of the malt. Locally, there are hop farms in the Alsace region near Strasbourg, across the border from the famous Hallertau hop region of Germany. The French variety is named Strisselspalt. The French may eschew the local hops and opt for other European noble hops grown. Hop aroma is virtually non-existent.

Yeast selection is still another personalized ingredient. Some use lager yeast and ferment well above the temperature range that is optimal. Most use ale yeast and ferment at the lower end of its temperature range, a condition that would eliminate any strong fruity character because of the slow, extended fermentation.

A cold-conditioning period, originally in bottle, now in tanks, follows the fermentation and is shorter than would be employed for a regular lagerbier. Usually several weeks is sufficient to smooth out the brew. Bière de garde is then bottled and corked.

It can be cellared for some time, and develops some earthy character because of the cork, hops and maturation period. Part of this unusual profile may be the utilization of unfamiliar combinations of ingredients or by using them outside of their standard comfort level. Either way, there is no denying that the bière de garde brewers of France have a way with their medium, and as such contribute uniquely to beerdom with their art.

Bières de garde may be one of the most underappreciated genres of beer. Though overshadowed by their Belgian counterparts, they are as complex and finely-crafted. If you can’t make it to France and have to settle for imports, they should be easy to find. Though rare, there are some North American versions about. Let down your garde.

In Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition, Phil Markowski, a professional brewer since 1989, discusses in detail the history, character and brewing techniques of the styles of beer known today as saison and bière de garde—farmhouse ales from the area in and around Flanders.

The old Kingdom of Flanders is now divided into regions of the Netherlands, northern France and Belgium. In Belgium, the region is further divided into the Dutch-speaking area still called Flanders and parts of the French-speaking area of Wallonia. It’s in two areas of historic Flanders that saison and bière de garde farmhouse ales are now brewed. Saisons come from the Hainaut province of Wallonia and bière de garde beers are brewed in the northern French departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais.

Markowski notes that the modern versions of these two styles of beer “are the result of years of interpretation, refinement and reinvention of the simple, rustic ales brewed on farms.” He refers to saison as the “more charismatic of the two, outgoing and quick to get your attention.” Bière de garde he calls “the quiet cousin, it takes time to get to know and appreciate its charms.”

Like other beer style books in the Brewers Publications series, Markowski’s book is divided into chapters that provide an historic overview of farmhouse ales, information on commercial breweries along with tasting notes on the beers they brew, and guidelines and technical information for brewing these beers at home.

Markowski’s objective is “to better define two styles of ale that are misunderstood.” He explains that there are many interpretations of farmhouse ales and that they don’t “neatly fit into predefined style categories.” He reminds his readers that farmhouse ales are brewed by artisans, not large commercial brewers. “Those who revere these farmhouse ales find great appeal in their sometimes wild, unpredictable nature,” Markowski writes. He calls saison and bière de garde “two styles that at times dazzle, delight and defy straightforward categorization.”

The farmhouse ale recipes that Markowski offers homebrewers come from nearly two decades of brewing these beers, first as a homebrewer and later as a professional brewer. He’s done extensive personal research on farmhouse ales, traveled to the regions and breweries where they are produced and spoken with brewers of saison and bière de garde. He’s also added his own philosophy and advice, and his “been there, done that” experiences.

Markowski urges brewers of farmhouse ales to “brew outside the box.” Farmhouse ales are a “third way” of brewing, using extremely high fermentation temperatures, especially for saisons, and employing spices, sugars and multi-strains of yeast—all brewing techniques that lead a brewer away from the modern standards of English and German brewing.

“Brewing authentic farmhouse ales requires an open mind and a bit of daring to push aside ingrained brewing habits. Trust me, the results will be worth the worry,” Markowski tells his readers.

The fact is that real beer is a far more versatile beverage than wine, bringing a wider range of flavors and aromas to the table.

Don’t get me wrong—I love wine and I drink it frequently. Wine, however, simply doesn’t go with everything. These days, America’s favorite condiment is salsa and we’re eating much more spicy, interesting food than we did 20 years ago. The craft brewing revolution is part of a larger revolution in our food culture. Traditional beer is now available almost everywhere, and it is the best complement to the new American cuisine.

Pay a little bit of attention to matching up the flavors and aromas of your beer and your food, and you can turn an ordinary dinner into a memorable flavor experience. But how do we figure out what beer will match what dish?

Impact

We start with what I call impact, which is the strength of the beer’s impression on your palate. Belgian witbier, which is light and spritzy, would be an example of a “low-impact” beer, while imperial stout, which is roasty and powerful, would be a “high-impact beer.” To have a successful match, you’ll want to match the impact of the beer to the impact of the food. We’re looking to create a dance, not a football tackle.

A big beer will overwhelm delicate fish, while a lighter beer may seem to disappear when you’re enjoying a rack of barbecued ribs. Wheat beer, kölsch or helles may match that delicate fish perfectly, while an American brown ale will stand up to the ribs. Go for light bitterness for more delicate dishes, and save bitter beers for richer dishes—hops slice cleanly through oils and fats, refreshing the palate.

Impact is a fairly simple matter—if you think a beer and a dish are pretty well matched in that department, you’re probably right. Now comes the fun part—finding the flavor hook.

The Flavor Hook

The flavor hook is the part of the beer’s flavor and aroma that matches, harmonizes or accentuates the flavors in your food. When the flavors meet on your tongue, they “recognize” each other and this creates a harmony.

Sometimes, rather than harmony, you’re setting up a pleasant contrast. Beer can have flavors of caramel, coffee, chocolate, bread, bananas, limes, herbs, smoke or raspberries—there’s a lot here to work with.

Let’s take caramel, for example. Caramelized flavors are among our favorites—anything that’s roasted, grilled, sautéed or fried develops some sweetness and flavors of caramel. There’s something almost primal in those flavors—everyone loves the crunchy bits on roasted meats and no one would happily choose a boiled chicken over a roasted one. If you’ve roasted your chicken well, it should have a golden brown skin, and that’s where a lot of the flavor is concentrated.

In this case, caramel is the flavor hook—we want to find a beer with similar caramel flavors. Amber ales, amber lagers, bockbiers, brown ales, and light porters all have caramelized flavors that will match the chicken beautifully.

Did you cover the chicken with herbs before you roasted it? Then you can make the match even more complex by choosing a beer with flavors of caramel and herbs—French bière de garde springs to mind. A beer like Jenlain or La Choulette Ambrée will do very nicely.

By the way, do you know what question is most frequently asked of wine experts? What to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. The answer, of course, is beer—bière de garde, in particular. The beer has enough bitterness to cut through fat, caramel flavors to match the gravy and the skin of the turkey, and herbal flavors to match the stuffing. The turkey, of course, will probably be dry, but don’t blame Mom—it’s not her fault. Just bring the right beer, get your fair share of the stuffing, and everything will be fine.

Of course, we’re not just talking about chicken and turkey. Roast pork, steaks, barbecued ribs, and even grilled vegetables can work well with caramelized beers. If you’re creative, you can come up with some surprisingly good matches.

A few years ago, I hosted a beer dinner for the Association of Westchester Country Club Chefs. It was a fairly intimidating crowd; I’d never tried to impress a whole room of chefs before. One of the dishes was a sautéed diver scallop in brown butter, and the chefs expected that I would match a very light beer with such a delicate dish. The beer I chose, though, was Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter, a beer with plenty of caramel flavor on a smooth, silky, slightly sweet palate. Good scallops are somewhat sweet and they develop a dark brown surface when they’re sautéed. The caramel flavors of the beer matched perfectly, and the buttery flavors that Samuel Smith is known for dovetailed smoothly with the brown butter. The chefs were amazed. Several of them said that it was the best food and beverage match they’d ever experienced.

Brewing in France reached its zenith in the 19th century. Earlier, the French Revolution of 1789 saw the end of many entrenched privileges, including the power of the coopers (cask makers). This vacuum gave rise to the birth of a new trade of “brewing masters,” who thrived until 1900 in over 1,000 local breweries.

These breweries were the inns that made beer for their own needs, or very small artisan and farmhouse breweries. Two regions dominated the market—Nord-Pas de Calais and l’Alsace—followed by the Lorraine, the Ardennes, Picardie and Brittany, all regions in the northern half of France.

Then, as happened in so many countries, the “industrial progress” of the 20th century and two world wars nearly wiped out the artisan approach. By mid-century, a few large brewing companies dominated the scene, producing beers that had little connection to French tradition.

In the last 50 years, the concentration of brewing interests has intensified. Many small breweries sustained damage during the last war. They were not able to make the investments to modernize, or adapt to new habits of consumption or, above all, adjust to large distribution networks far from their home base.

The large foreign brewing groups have appeared on the French market, too. Heineken of Holland and the Belgian Stella Artois (Interbrew today) arrived, as well as the French Kronenbourg (Danone), and all began to buy up these failing breweries, sometimes only in order to close them. The concentration of beer interests heralded the globalization that continues even today. The last French breweries to be bought include Fischer, acquired by Heineken in 1996, and Kronenbourg, acquired by Scottish and Newcastle in 2000.

The new wave of microbreweries and brewpubs (cafés brasseries in French) since 1995 may appear to be a spontaneous modern innovation. Instead, these new breweries herald the renaissance of a once-established tradition. Within a few short years, 136 new brewing establishments have sprung up in the country’s four corners. Like their elders of a century ago, they are flourishing because the innkeeper is brewing his own beer adapted to local taste habits. But, in contrast to the older breweries, yesterday’s empirical approach is being replaced by new technology and modern methods.

David and Goliath

The new microbreweries did not appear on the scene out of thin air. As upholders of French brewing traditions, they were preceded by a few of the industrial “Goliaths” who nonetheless represent the heritage of the past. Often family owned, but above all independent and proud, these large breweries were characterized by their quality and successful brands.

Their names glorify the tradition of brewing: Meteor at Hochfelden and Schutzenberger et Schiltigheim in Alsace, Brasseurs de Gayant, Jeanne d’Arc, Terken (G.B.M.), Duyck, Castelain, Ricour, De Clercq, Dhaussy, Annoeullin in the region of the Nord Pas de Calais. From these national breweries come many beers in a traditional mold.

Many of these breweries produce a bière de garde, a uniquely French ale style. Top fermented, the bière de garde is fruity, most frequently amber in color, generally well structured in alcohol and conditioned between 40 and 60 days in a cave, in the manner of a lager. It is close to the abbey beers of Belgium, but a little sweeter and less malted. It is typical of the regions of Nord Pas de Calais, the Picardie and the Somme, that is to say, in the north quarter of France. The best known include Trois Monts, Jenlain, Sebourg, Choulette, Ch’ti, and l’Angelus.

Trois Mont from Ricour is a northern French blonde bière de garde of great quality, rounded and delicate—ideal with cheeses such as le Maroiles or Munster. For me, it is one of the best beers in France and, indeed, the world.

Belzebuth from la Brasserie Jeanne d’Arc is a very strong beer, similar to Bière du Desert from the Brasseurs de Gayant.

The Alsace region, which lies in the Rhine River basin, clearly imparts its German influence to beers such as Schutzenberger or Meteor, the latter of which offers Pils, Blanche, Ackerland Lager, Ackerland Brown, Mortimer, and Wendelinus Abbey. From Schutzenberger comes Cooper, Tütz (a light blonde beer with an aroma of grapefruit), Beer sur lie (“on yeast,” or bottle conditioned), Jubilator (a blonde beer), and Patriator (a brown beer).

Even the international breweries have played a role supporting distinctive beers. Their main focus may be on the virtues of the goddess Europe and the vices of globalization, but each beer born from the vats of their breweries contributes to French know-how. And through their affiliates, they support innovation. The Dutch group, Heineken, through the ever-creative Fischer, produces the beers Adelscott, Desperados, Tradition, Kingston, Bitter and Dorelei. Karlsbrau Saverne (Alsace), an affiliate of Karlsberg, brings us la Lincorne, and we have 1664 from Kronenbourg—all names that sing and dance on the international scene.

Against this backdrop, and on a marginal basis, the microbrewery constitutes a sort of “David,” linked both to tradition and to new technologies. For their growing numbers of supporters, the micros represent the next taste frontier in a country where gastronomy holds such a predominant place in the art de vivre. These microbreweries bring back nobility and vigor to a product brewed with passion.

School of Taste

Brewing is an art, but the master brewer’s trade is also one that is learned in theory and then applied in practice. Study and apprenticeship with a master brewer are essential for would-be brewers to achieve their dream. A microbrewery needs a specialized person who is able to apply methods rigorously.

In France, the Institute des Boissons, de la Brasserie et de la Malterie de Nancy Brabois, better known as I.F.B.M., located in Vandoeuvre (Lorraine), has been a key actor in this sector. This center specialized in research and development, information and training, and continuing education programs for brewers, maltsters, and hop growers. For years, it trained the majority of artisan brewers in the country.

This is not the case today, as its major shareholders, Kronenbourg and Heineken, judged that the institute contributed to unfair competition coming from the microbreweries. In fact, it is true that the strengths of microbreweries—the originality and complex tastes of their beers—stand in stark contrast to the common practices of industrial breweries in search of quick return on investment.

Although fed up with the taunts of David, Goliath did, however, allow I.F.B.M. in these last few years to train the “beer maniacs” who knew what they wanted but didn’t know how to go about doing it. For this purpose, I.F.B.M. courageously created an affiliate, Qualitech, certified ISO 9002 (the highest international standards). For the last 10 years, Qualitech has continued to train the very best of the microbrewers in all areas—understanding of raw materials, brewing chemistry, sensory analysis and marketing.

Better still, I.F.B.M. helps the young trainees to elaborate on their beers. This creative melting pot can claim credit for successful craft brews, among them the Alsatian Speltor, the Corsican Pietra, the brandy aroma of XO, or Oldarki and the Basque names of Patcharan and Ackerbeltz.