What better week is there to pay homage to one of the finest ales the world has ever known? Each year, Cycling Week in Belgium has me turning toward the top shelf of my regular beer peddler for a bottle of Chimay Red Label to be savoured on either the day of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen or Paris-Roubaix or both. It is part of my annual Ronde/Roubaix ritual; a morning ride which includes rough roads and small steep climbs hopefully in gloriously shitty weather followed by some shop time tuning up the stable after a long winter, punctuated by strong Belgian Ale crafted in the monastic traditions of Trappist monks. Life is good.
The Cistercian Trappist monks have been brewing beer and making cheese in Chimay since 1862. Here’s what they say about life, beer, and God:
Here, in this heaven of peace and silence where since 1850 Trappist monks have dedicated their life to God, products are made which, in themselves, gladden the heart of man.
If this statement doesn’t beckon me to the cloth, nothing will. Speaking for myself, there are plenty of reasons not to become a monk: Celibacy, atheism, sin, colorless wardrobe, dudefest, to name a few. However, the promise of the finest beers and cheeses the world has ever known and relocating to Belgium just might get me thinking about making a few “sacrifices”. Although I have only partaken in the Trappist beer, I imagine the cheese is to die for as well. I believe it was Ed Abbey who said “we all have a friend in cheeses”. Amen.
So whether it be Rouge, Bleue, or Blanche (they make a Doree label as well which I’ve never had) uncork some Peres Trappist this week, drown some frites in mayo, and watch what I believe to be the finest competition bicycle racing has to offer. It only comes once a year but the nice thing is that it’s a whole week long. Thank you sir, may I have another.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
OK, I just moved and this place is right down the road. I think I know where future post-ride drinking sessions are going to be held...
Check out the beer menu. Looks like I'll be getting an education in Belgian beers after all.
@Marko
I couldn't find Maredsous in town last night but I did pick up a bottle of Chimay Cinq Cents as well as a bottle of Kasteel Donker. I'll do some carbo loading this weekend and tell you what I think.
That glass is clearly in violation of the Chimay RULES.
If any of you guys are ever in San Francisco, there's a Belgian pub called La Trappe in North Beach up the hill from Ghiradelli's dedicated to Trappist beers and Belgian fare. Google or Yelp it. It's the real deal.
@eightzero
if you ever go to Yurp, particularly France, Spain or Belgium you get a menu to choose from. Merckx, what a choice! I can drink my weight in the dark ales like Pelforth and Grimbergen brune. What Frahnk doesn't say about Dutchland is that they slice the head of their beers with a little knife and aswell as frites and mayo, serve horsemeat hotdogs.
Y'all - sitting here, relaxing with a Chimay Bleu (and it will only be one, by Merckx its strong) it got me thinking: should you make it only as far as London this may help if you hunger after a choice of Belgium beer
@Jonny @frank
Oddly enough I've never got round to drinking a huge amount of Belgian beer, I think I've been put off by the fruit beers in the past. On Friday though, I was wandering round the supermarket when it struck me that I had n beer in the house other than some Becks that someone had brought along to a party (they obviously didn't want to be invited back!) and this site must be rubbing off on me as I went Belgiam with some Leiffe Blonde and Hoegarden Witbier. Loved the Leiffe but the cloudy, fuity, spicey thing going in the Hoegaarden wasn't my cup of tea.
Anyway, getting back to the point, fast forward to this lunch time and I found myself in a Belgian bar in London for lunch and drinks with a former colleague and who's moving back to the sticks. Wasn't Belgo but a place called the Lowlander. Good food and a huge choice of beer including some of @Franks revered Trappists - the Rochefort 10 weighing in at a massive 11.3%! Given that I've few meetings and have to drive home I wimped out and stuck to a pint of Kasteel Blonde and a half of something dark and strong but whose name escapes me.
If any Velominati were to find themselves without anything to do for an evening in London, I could be persuaded to go back and give it a second chance!
@Chris
I was beer shopping last night for alms and offerings to bring to Frank at the Seattle Cogal. I was considering a Chimay but to be honest I wasn't impressed when I tried it in the past. Now Kasteel Donker is another story.
When I get to Seattle the first thing I'm going to do is search out some Maredsous 8 since I haven't been able to find any in Idaho or Utah.
@Cyclops
Tricky one this, I can see that it's a subject that needs considerable, in-depth research which I'm sure that I'd really enjoy. The downside to it is that I'm struggling to convert this summers glorious form into solid winter training, either by manning up and taking a dose of Rule 9 or submitting to the monotony of the rollers. Additional excuses and ale based lard is not what I need at the moment.
That said, I will carry out a limited amount of testing, the aforementioned Lowlander also serves the carry out market and delivers. The Rochefort 10 has to be sampled!
Drinking a "Belgian style" Ommegang Hennepin Saison ale at the moment. Excellent stuff.
My favorite place for Belgian ales in London is the Dovetail. Things might have changed though because it's been a few years since my last London trip.
The Dovetail Pub