February is the shortest month of the year, so it’s an ideal time for Belgians to put a cork in alcohol use. Yes, it’s Tournée Minérale® and thousands of Belgians are giving up booze for the month. While other countries may celebrate with Dry January, many Belgians have chosen a shorter period to abandon their love for Belgian beers, gin and other alcoholic drinks. Why abandon your favorite French wine for 31 days instead of 28? But alcohol-free doesn’t mean taste free!
For me, Tournée Minérale is a month to discover healthier choices, but people have different motivations. Some people want to be a better role model for their children. Others want to abandon their designated driver status for the month. Others may be counting calories or just starting their permanent alcohol-free journey.
Better Belgian Beers
Alcohol-free beers used to be a bit scary, but the Belgians, the world leaders in great beers, have refined the art. Today, you can find fabulous beers with that welcome 0.0% mark. They may be devoid of alcohol, but they still taste good!
In fact, I discovered my new favorite at Wellington Cinema, a movie theater in trendy Waterloo. By the way, I still find it surprising that I can take a glass of wine, cava or beer into the movie theater with me here!
My latest discovery is Trottinette, a tasty, hoppy, alcohol-free IPA from Drink-Drink! The company was founded by three guys who are passionate about beer and bicycles. It has a fruity, floral note and a rich, golden hue. Delicious!
Next up on my Tournée Minérale menu was the 0.0% Kasteel Rouge from Vanhonsebrouck. This fruity, ruby red beer has hints of elderflower. It is so similar to the 8.0% original that I barely noticed the difference. It has a rich head and a sweet taste and aroma. And I can have more than one with dinner and still drive!
Leffe is one of Belgium’s best known beer brands. In fact, they have been brewing beer since 1240. During a period of European epidemics that rendered drinking water unsafe centuries ago, the Norbertine monks had an ideal solution: brew beer. The boiling temperatures involved in the brewing process killed microbes, and the tradition of a great Belgian beer was born. Leffe has two, world-class, alcohol-free beers in their collection: Leffe Blond 0.0% and Leffe Brune 0.0%.
Described as floral and spicy with notes of vanilla and cloves, Leffe Blond has a sweet bitterness. I, however, prefer the newest addition to the Leffe family: Leffe Brune. Like its 6.5% cousin, this hearty brown beer is soft, sweet and creamy with a bit of bitterness and a caramelized taste.
Cornet Oaked beer is a powerful blond with an oaky note. The alcohol-free beer starts with the strong Cornet blond beer. Then. the alcohol is extracted, and then the beer is re-oaked with oak wood chips resulting in a beer that is full of taste. This week, I enjoyed one after an afternoon hike. My fellow hikers thought I fell off the wagon and choose a regular beer when it arrived in its large, branded glass. Boy, were they surprised it was alcohol free!
Yes, in Belgium your beer is served in a glass specific to the beer you are drinking — most of the time.
Other Belgian Beers to Discover
The Belgian Beer Company, which produces La Chouffe, a popular beer with an iconic red-hatted gnome on its bottle and glasses, has jumped on the alcohol-free bandwagon. Brasserie D’Achouffe now offers a light and refreshing blond beer. The brewer uses a special type of yeast that doesn’t turn the sugars into alcohol. The cloudy, amber-colored Chouffe Alcoholvrij has no alcohol, but lots of taste!
Pico Bello IPA from Brussels Beer Project has been receiving good reviews from beer aficionados.
Sporzot from Bruges’ De Halve Maan Brewery claims to be the first Belgian brewery to introduce an alcohol-free specialty beer: Sportzot. This alcohol-free beer is close to the original Brugse Zot Blond. Reminiscent of a British bitter, it has a nice balance of malt and hops. Add it to your list.
Thrive beer may be the strangest beer I tried during Tournée Minérale. It is actually marketed as a healthy, protein beer! Huh? It was developed in cooperation with the Leuven Institute For Beer Research (LIBR), a collaboration between the University of Leuven and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology. Thrive is called a sports recovery drink! It is the brainchild of a group of friends who love exercising and Belgian beer. They just didn’t like the alcohol. The beer is brewed with just four ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast. Protein is added for apres-exercise recovery. Interesting concept, eh?
