Belgium is a country where the national traditions of brewing are carefully preserved and developed. There are over a dozen styles of Belgian beer that have been carefully crafted for centuries. Blonde ale is a relatively young style that appeared at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. It is believed that the Belgians created it as an alternative to the pilsner, which is at the top of the popularity rankings in Europe. Pale Belgian ale is one of the best-selling beers in the country.
History of Belgian Blond Ale
The forerunner of the blonde was the Victory beer, which the Moortgat brewery brewed in honor of the end of the First World War. A feature of the variety was the use of Pilzner malt and a mixture of two types of hops: Saaz and Styrian Goldings. The owner of the company bought yeast in Scotland. Due to the strength of the drink, 8,5%, a decade later it was renamed Duvel (translated from Belg. “devil”).
Due to the growing popularity of lagers, in the 1970s the brewery decided to make Duvel pale. The result is a dark golden dry ale with a high carbonation. Further refinement of Golden Ale resulted in a lighter blond beer with less alcohol. The new style became popular thanks to active promotion, and the light structure and balanced taste made it similar to a pilsner.
Despite some similarities, Blond has little in common with lager in terms of manufacturing technology. The fundamental difference is that blond ale is a top-fermented beer brewed in full accordance with Belgian traditions. Pilsner malt remains the base for this style, which brings sweetish grainy notes to the palate. The main hop species is Saaz, sometimes mixed with Styrian Goldings or Kent Goldings. For fermentation, special strains of yeast are responsible, designed specifically for the blond.
Brewing blonde ale beer is quite difficult, as it requires the sugars to be broken down as much as possible. Strict temperature control is required to produce a dry ale with only the classic ingredients: malt, hops and yeast. If the technology is followed, the finished beer is distinguished by a light or medium body, malt-fruity aroma and not too pronounced sweetness. Hop bitterness is sometimes smoothed out by the addition of sugar.
Famous brands of Belgian beer blond
Belgian Blond Ale is distinguished by a lower strength compared to externally similar varieties. The alcohol content in the blonde is from 6 to 7,5%, the color can vary from light straw to rich gold. There are various interpretations of this style on the market.
Popular brands:
- Leffe Blond, 6,6% – the flagship product of the Leffe brewery with a malt aroma and taste with hints of spices, honey and oranges;
- Affligem Blond, 6,7% – light ale with high carbonation and fruity-honey tones in the bouquet is brewed with the participation of monks from the abbey of the same name. Since 2017, beer has been produced in Russia at Heineken factories;
- Tiburon Blonde, 5,1% is the American version of the Belgian blonde. Straw-colored beer with a light structure, floral-hop aroma and lemon-malt taste;
- Stoneface Blonde Ale is a craft American ale with hints of white crackers and citrus fruits.
How to drink blond ale
Closed bottles of unpasteurized beer should be stored at a temperature not exceeding 20 ° C, so as not to provoke re-fermentation. Before serving, the ale is not chilled too much in order to fully feel the bouquet. The optimum serving temperature is 10-12°C.
The blond is carefully poured into tulip glasses, tilted at 45 degrees, and then the container is sharply straightened to form a dense foam. Sometimes there may be sediment at the bottom of the bottle, which gives bottom fermentation. Connoisseurs pour the leftovers into a separate glass and taste to assess the quality of the yeast.
Belgian blond is usually eaten with sweet and sour meat: pork, chicken and veal cooked in Asian style are suitable. Preferred cheeses are brie or camembert with a creamy, neutral flavor that sets off the bouquet of the beer. The blond goes well with confectionery dishes, for example, with Angel’s food cake biscuit with a delicate texture and dense structure.