April 2, 2000 -- The first day of my Belgian beer and food odyssey could rightly be described as the Day of the Lambics, even though we don't actually have a visit to a brewery, lambic or otherwise, scheduled until tomorrow.

     The sum total of all the beers tasted and enjoyed in Brussels today were spontaneously fermented, or in other words, of the uniquely Belgian family of lambic beers. (This is one of the joys of being in Belgium, it is actually possible to spend a day at different bars and restaurants and drink nothing but lambics.) Each was most enjoyable, though in different ways.

     After a morning nap to recover from jet lag, I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon reacquainting myself with Brussels, a task which included making sure that all the old haunts were still about. Of particular interest was Falstaff, the fabulous art deco/art nouveau bar and restaurant near the stock market, which closed about a year or so ago. I am pleased to report that it has reopened, but unfortunately it is not the Falstaff of old. Not only was obnoxious pop music playing loudly as I crossed the threshold into the bar area, but I was dismayed to note that the beer list now features such "classics" as Corona. I did not stay for a beer.

     I did enjoy a stop at the Poechenellekelder, the funky, puppet-filled bar near the Manneken Pis. The Cantillon gueuze tasted so fresh, crisp and vibrant that I ordered one and quickly followed it with another. Definitely a classic, however aggressive in taste.

     Dinner at a restaurant new to me, Au Stekerlapatte (4 rue des Pretres, 512.86.81), featured black pudding with lightly stewed apple (a variation on the Lyonnaise dish of boudin au pommes?), rabbit roasted in abbey ale and two bottles of Boon Geuze. Certainly not as tart or demanding as the Cantillon, the Boon Geuze has a separate charm all its own -- dry, fruity, elegantly reserved.

     Finally, the evening ended with a Timmermans-brewed lambic at A la Becasse. Sweetened and soft, it is hardly the first lambic I would choose. But enjoyed after dinner on a full stomach as it was, there was a comfort inherent in its mildness. A pleasant way to bring to a close the first day of my return to Brussels and Belgium.

     April 3, 2000 -- Continuing the lambic theme begun yesterday, today featured a unfortunately rushed visit to Frank Boon, the artisanal lambic blender turned brewer, in Lembeek. Unfortunately rushed due to time constraints (his and ours!), it was nonetheless a fascinating experience to speak with this artisan who so obviously loves and believes in what he does.

     The day's real treat, however, was the discovery of Estaminet le Zageman, a "Palais de la Gueuze," as its says on the business card, or gueuze palace. But perhaps "discovery" is not the right word, since Le Zageman was not my find but that of Stephen D'Arcy, who recently added it to the listings in his seminal publication, The Selective Guide to Brussels Bars, which I can say without reservation is the finest work available to beer aficionados wishing to explore the best places in which to drink in Brussels and throughout "Het Bierland." (Order it from Stephen directly for 4 British pounds, 100 Belgian francs, or US$8.00 post paid from the Campaign for Real Ale (Brussels), Boite no. 5, 67 Rue des Atrebates, B-1040, Brussels, Belgium.)

     A very unassuming cafe, Le Zageman has what must be the best selection of lambics in Brussels. Among other, less noteworthy beers, the list includes Cantillon Faro "en tonneau," or on draught, Cantillon Kriek, Rose de Gambrinus, Vigneronne and Iris, Hanssens Kriek, Girardin Gueuze (sweetened and straight), Boon Kriek and Pertotale Faro (of which they were out of stock) and Oud Beersel Gueuze. Le Zageman also features, as an added bonus, walls filled with vintage advertising from various lambic breweries and other lambic- related memorabilia. Worth a stop if only for the chance to see a sign promoting "Corona Lambic." Really!

     April 4 & 5 -- It's been a pious couple of days as I have visited two monasteries in succession, which together can be grouped under the banner of the "unknown abbey breweries of Belgium."

     The April 4th abbey was Val-Dieu, a Cistercian abbey which, like all the abbeys I have thus far visited, is situated in an idyllic corner of the country. The brewery is located on the monastic grounds in Aubel but is a secular operation, producing three regular beers, a Blonde of 6% alcohol, a Brune of 8% and a Triple of 9%, plus a seasonal Biere de Noel of 7%.

     As obscure as the brewery may be, brewer Benoit Humblet says that he has been operating there for three years, producing 1,500 hectolitres last year and hoping to double that in 2000. To that end, he has signed with a Florida-based importer and plans to have his beer available in the United States in the coming months.

     The Val-Dieu stand-out is without question the Triple, a beer somewhat reminiscent of the great Westmalle Tripel. It is very perfumey in its aroma and full and fruity in the body with light notes of spice (nutmeg, black pepper) throughout. The warming finish is the part most evocative of Westmalle.

     On the subject of Westmalle, the consulting brewer at the Trappist Abbey of Achel, which I visited earlier today, is Brother Thomas, the retired monk who in his brewing heyday formulated Westmalle's Tripel. Perhaps it is his seventy-seven years catching up to him, but Bother Thomas has turned his back on both spiced and strong beers and brews only a 4% blonde ale (La Quatre), a 5% brown (La Cinq) and a 6% blonde (La Six) for Achel, all Reinheitsgebot-pure and well-below the impressive 9% strength of his most famous creation.

     Unfortunately, to my taste at least, Brother Thomas has not been as successful within his new mandate. The Quatre struck me as the most interesting of the three very well-crafted brews, with a body that belies its mildness, a wonderfully fragrant and floral nose and a crisp, slightly nutty body that conjures to mind images of a more rounded interpretation of a kolsch. The other two beers are similarly crisp and remarkably clean, but as it says in my notes, "not overly complex or exciting."

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