USA vs Belgium: The Beer-Off
On the eve of the World Cup quarterfinal match between Belgium and the USA (tune in Wednesday morning at 4am), we decided to pit three of Belgium's best brews against three from the New World in a friendly.
Selections from the American side come from American team captain Brick, proprietor of the Trouble Bar and beer connoisseur; selections from the Belgian side come from Belgian team skipper Antoine Bolly, Marketing Manager for premium Belgian beer importers Vandergeeten & Egdistriselecta.
Game on!
USA: Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA (6% ABV), Milton, Delaware
Available in Beijing at: Nbeer; Eje Beers; Trouble Bar
Brick: Dubbed as one of America's most popular IPA, Dogfish Head is brewed for 60 minutes and contains 60 different varieties of hops. Citrusy, grassy and happily hopped, it pairs well with pesto and soy-based dishes.
Belgium: Keizerrijk Van Bree (4.9% ABV), Ecaussinnes D'Enghien, Belgium
Available in Beijing at: The Yard, Grinders, Parnas
Bolly: Keizerrijk Van Bree (or KVB for short) is a premium white beer known for its light, smooth taste and intense aroma. It has a good balance of sweetness and sourness with a slightly fruity lemon taste and hint of coriander, leaving a good refreshing flavor with each sip. Goes very well with salads, fish, shellfish, and poultry. It’s a nice Belgian white beer with deep note of lemon – perfect for sipping on the terrace under the sun.
THE VERDICT: With its hint of coriander, KVB chips one in despite Dogfish controlling possession for most of a thrilling opening half.
SCORE: Belgium 1, USA 0
USA: Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout (8% ABV), Fort Bragg, CA
Available in Beijing at Nbeer, Pass by Bar, Trouble Bar
Brick: It's all in the name: Imperial is anything above 7% ABV; the Russian in its name hints towards its flavors of cream and rich coffee bitterness delivered with an intensity you can feel instantly. "A sincere friend is not born instantly" – Joni Mitchell
Belgium: Kasteel Rouge (8% ABV), Ingelmunster, Belgium
Available in Beijing at BBG, BeerMania, Trouble Bar, The Tree
Bolly: Kasteel Rouge (or Castle Red) is a fruit beer that pairs dark beer with sour cherries. This beer has gastronomic qualities and can be drunk as an aperitif, with a barbecue, to accompany a dessert. I like it because I am inclined towards sweet tastes. I love the fact that it is actually a dark beer that has been blended with sour cherries and it packs a punch that other fruit beers lack. On top of that Kasteel Rouge is cheering for our Red Devil so it gives one more reason to drink it.
THE VERDICT: Like its namesake, Old Rasputin struggled on even when it should have been dead. That's a good thing. Kasteel Rouge is good, but this time, in the second half, not good enough.
SCORE: Belgium 1, USA 1
Belgium: PALM Speciale Belge Ale (5.4% ABV) Steenhuffel, Belgium
Available in Beijing at Plan B, Hercules
Bolly: Special PALM's unique amber malts determine the brew's basic essence: mild caramel flavors with a honeybed mellowness and hint of fruit. It’s great for those who feel fed up with lager or wheat beer but don’t want to go for a beer too high in alcohol or too extreme in taste. After work or during events, that’s the beer I'll go for.
USA: Brooklyn Summer Ale (5% ABV), Brooklyn, New York
Available at Frost, Eje Beers, Trouble Bar
Brick: Brewed with premium English barley malt and both German and American hops, Brooklyn Summer Ale is refreshing and flavorful, lightly crisp with hints of bitterness and citrus, and a floral aroma. A wonderful summer brew.
THE VERDICT: Brooklyn Summer Ale at the whistle! A wonderful summer brew indeed, making it the right choice to sip as we head into July and towards the World Cup final less than two weeks.
FINAL SCORE: Belgium 1, USA 2
Don't forget to catch tonight's match at 4am at any of these fine establishments.
