Taste: Beatific Beer

In the world of food/drink pairings, beer and burgers are a given. Ditto beer and pizza, and beer and nachos. But how about beer and a perfectly grilled sirloin steak? Or beer and the Thanksgiving turkey? Or even beer and chocolate cake?

Believe it or not, these matches can and do work, perfectly and deliciously. But first you have to take your selection of brew beyond the gas-station six pack. All the way, in fact, to a half-dozen European monasteries.

For most travelers, monasteries don’t figure prominently into European itineraries. But if you’re interested in elevating your beer drinking several steps beyond the iconic “dog and a beer,” you might want to consider dropping Paris’ Notre-Dame and the Cologne Cathedral from your itinerary in favor of a handful of very special abbeys of the Trappist order. The good news is that they’re all in one country. The better news is that the country is the tiny, immensely traversable Belgium.

While beer is brewed at other European monasteries, such as Bavaria’s glorious hilltop Benedictine abbey, Andechs, only six breweries in the entire world are permitted to employ the designation of “Trappist,” which, to many aficionados, is synonymous with ales of the highest standards and complexity. They are, in the Flemish North, St. Benedictus Abdij de Achelse Kluis, Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle and St. Sixtus Abdij, and in the French-speaking South, Abbaye Notre Dame de St-Rémy, Abbaye Notre Dame d’Orval and Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont. Among enlightened beer drinkers, these monasteries are more informally known by the names of their beers: respectively, Achel, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Rochefort, Orval and, the most famous Trappist of them all, Chimay.

Like all its Trappist brethren, Chimay was built on some of the most breathtakingly beautiful acreage in Belgium, nudging up against France’s northeastern border, near Champagne. But it’s not for the scenery that you make the two-hour drive from Brussels; it’s for the beer. And after you admire the monastic grounds and take the tour of the bottling facility—the brewery proper is off-limits to visitors—the place to sample Chimay’s four ales is at the restaurant of the Auberge de Poteaupré, a modern, seven-room hotel just down the road from the abbey, and surely the only lodgings in the world where the in-room minibars are fully stocked with Chimay beer.

But wait, you’re wondering, did he say four ales? Don’t the monks at Chimay make only three? Well, yes, and no. The big three of Chimay are the malty/spicy, seven-percent-alcohol Red; the drier, more bitter, eight-percent White; and the robust, nine-percent Blue, all named for the color of the crown that tops their 330 ml bottle. (In the 750 ml size, these same beers are Première, Cinq Cents and Grande Réserve.) The fourth is the 4.8-percent Gold, the ale brewed for the brothers’ own consumption and—for the general public—available only at the Auberge. Used to wash down a sampler plate of the four Chimay cheeses, also ecclesiastic products, it’s an extraordinary treat.

And herein lies the main reason for planning your beer pilgrimage in the first place, since arranging actual brewery tours at any of the abbeys is, at best, a challenge and, at worst, impossible. But with the notable exception of Rochefort, every Trappist boasts its own showpiece café, usually located just across or down the road from the monastery, and most pour ales which are otherwise extremely rare, sometimes even exclusive to the café.

In this latter class are such “monk beers” as the aforementioned Chimay Gold and the otherwise impossible to find “green label” Orval, a four-percent alcohol version of the abbey’s legendary sweet-tart-bitter ale, sold exclusively at the Café de l’Ange Gardien, located a short distance from the abbey in the gorgeous Wallonian “Valley of Gold.” While in the neighborhood, travelers are advised to visit the monastery store for the abbey’s cheese and bread, which—with a couple bottles of ale—make for a thoroughly fulfilling lunch.

Under the heading of “Merely Rare,” file such treats as Westmalle Dubbel on draft, a deliciously malty, moderately spicy gem that’s an extraordinarily versatile food beer; Rochefort 6, the weakest of the Rochefort line at 7.5-percent alcohol; and the five-percent Blonde and Brune ales crafted at Achel to slake the thirsts of the many recreational cyclists who schedule a lunch stop at the hospitable monastery café, located within the abbey grounds.

And then there are the beers of Westvleteren, the holy grails of beer aficionados the world over. Undoubtedly the most cloistered and thus least accessible of the Trappists, although trailed closely by Rochefort, Westvleteren is still a destination for the In De Vrede café, a large, somewhat inelegant restaurant that has as its main selling point a menu featuring all three of the coveted Westvleteren ales, including the immensely complex, vinous Westvleteren 12 (recently named the world’s best beer in a survey by RateBeer.com—an achievement that spiked demand and forced the monks to temporarily close shop) and a simple yet jaw-droppingly delicious ice cream dessert called Coupe In De Vrede, made with that selfsame strong ale.

Enjoying as decadent a flavor experience as a beer sundae paired with one of the world’s greatest ales in the shadows of an abstemious abbey may not actually be sinful in the Biblical sense, but it sure feels like indulgence taken to an extreme. And it’s reason enough to include the Belgian Trappist Tour on your next European itinerary.

‘Don’t miss’ trappists

Although not all Trappist ales are available stateside, a surprising number are, including the following quartet of beers you definitely want to try.

Achel Extra: The ale that vaulted Achel to instant-classic status, with notes of licorice, dark chocolate and background spice highlighting an intensely malty character that dries considerably in the finish.

Westmalle Tripel: Truly one of the world’s most complex blonde ales, this 9.5-percent-alcohol powerhouse offers nuances of everything from orangey fruit and light caramel to spicy, herbal notes and warming strength.

Orval: While some will argue that this is not the beer it once was, there can be no denying the uniqueness of an ale that successfully combines flavors that are tart, bitter and sweet. A “love it or hate it” kind of beer.

Rochefort 8: Beer with chocolate? If you doubt the pairing, crack a bottle of this seriously malty, chocolaty and moderately fruity treat with your next slice of flourless chocolate cake and experience an epiphany.

Trappist Tippling: Finding monk-brewed ale near you by Reid Davis

Finding a local watering hole serving a decent selection of Trappist Ales isn’t easy, but here are a few nationally recognized beer bars to get you started.

Located in Paste’s Decatur, Ga., backyard (close enough to serve as a frequent offsite meeting room), the Brick Store Pub has blossomed since state law changed to allow higher-gravity beer, adding an upstairs Belgian bar and the selection to match. When in Philly, don’t miss Monk’s Café, conveniently found in the center city close to transit. Beerbistro, the Toronto bar owned by Paste correspondent Stephen Beaumont, features five of the six Trappists (though Beaumont says he was once “this close” to landing Westvleteren.) Midwesterners are well served by Chicago’s Hopleaf, and on the West Coast, San Francisco’s Toronado and L.A.’s Lucky Baldwin’s have continent-spanning reputations.