Beer

Beer
   Beer has been brewed in Brussels and the surrounding communes since the beginning of the 13th century, ever since the requisite grains—barley and wheat—and hops have been grown here. In 1295, John II, duke of Brabant, authorized the city aldermen to levy a duty on the production and sale of beer, and beer constituted an important early revenue source. By the end of the 14th century, local products included waegbaert, hoppe, roetbier, cuyte, and zwaertbier. Quality was strictly regulated. The number of breweries grew steadily over the centuries, with the 17th century an especially active period. Ixelles was noted for its brew making at this time. Breweries in Brussels, of which there were 73 in 1617, clustered near the Senne River. In 1675, residents refused to pay a supplemental tax on beer— the gigot—to help defray expenses and meet war costs. Many brewers remained in existence until well into the 20th century, when competition and consolidation caused most small operators to close or be sold.
   The family of lambic beers is unique to the valley of the Senne. Fermented spontaneously by action of naturally occurring airborne yeasts—tiny fungi called Brettanomyces found only in Brussels and nearby areas to the west—lambic beers are strong brews that are aged for a year or more. Varieties of lambic include kriek, made with cherries (formerly grown in Schaerbeek), framboise, made with raspberries, and gueuze. Gueuze is a sharp beer made by blending several lambics from different years. It is produced at the Cantillon brewery in Anderlecht, the sole surviving independent lambic brewery in the Brussels area. The Musée bruxellois de la Gueuze is housed at the brewery at rue Gheude 56. The Schaerbeek Museum of Beer opened in 1993. Cafés and taverns in Brussels today serve over 500 different brands of beer.
   See also À la Mort Subite.

Historical Dictionary of Brussels. .

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  • béer — [ bee ] v. intr. <conjug. : 1> • baer 1121; lat. pop. °batare « bâiller » 1 ♦ Rare Être grand ouvert. Qui bée. ⇒ béant. « À ses pieds béait la valise bigarrée d étiquettes multicolores » (Martin du Gard). 2 ♦ Littér. Avoir la bouche ouverte …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Beer — steht für: Beer (Familienname), der Familienname Beer Beer (Architektenfamilie), eine Familie von Barockbaumeistern aus dem Bregenzer Wald Beer (Devon), einen Ort in England Beer (Somerset), eine Ortschaft in der Gemeinde Aller in Somerset in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • beer — W3S2 [bıə US bır] n [: Old English; Origin: beor] 1.) [U] an alcoholic drink made from ↑malt and ↑hops ▪ a pint of beer ▪ We sell traditional draught beer (=beer served from a large container, not a bottle) . 2.) a glass, bottle, or can of beer …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • beer´i|ly — beer|y «BIHR ee», adjective, beer|i|er, beer|i|est. 1. of beer: »a beery odor. 2. caused by or influenced by beer: »beery good humor …   Useful english dictionary

  • beer|y — «BIHR ee», adjective, beer|i|er, beer|i|est. 1. of beer: »a beery odor. 2. caused by or influenced by beer: »beery good humor …   Useful english dictionary

  • Beer — Beer, n. [OE. beor, ber, AS. be[ o]r; akin to Fries. biar, Icel. bj?rr, OHG. bior, D. & G. bier, and possibly E. brew. [root]93, See {Brew}.] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some other …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • beer — O.E. beor strong drink, beer, mead, a word of much disputed and ambiguous origin, cognate with O.Fris. biar, M.Du., Du. bier, O.H.G. bior, Ger. Bier. Probably a 6c. West Germanic monastic borrowing of V.L. biber a drink, beverage (from L.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • beer — [ bır ] noun *** uncount a yellow or brown alcoholic drink made from MALT (=grain that has been left in water and then dried) and HOPS (=a type of plant). You make or brew beer: I don t drink beer, only wine. a barrel of beer a. count a glass or… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • beer — BEER. v. n. Tenir la bouche ouverte en regardant long temps quelque chose. Il n est en usage qu en cette phrase prov. & figurée. Beer aux corneilles, pour dire, S amuser à regarder en l air niaisement. Beer, signifie aussi figur. Desirer quelque… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • beer — ► NOUN ▪ an alcoholic drink made from yeast fermented malt flavoured with hops. ● beer and skittles Cf. ↑beer and skittles ORIGIN from Latin biber a drink , from bibere to drink …   English terms dictionary

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