Pauwel Kwak is one of the few historic Belgian ales officially recognized as a regional specialty in East Flanders. Kvak beer has been known since Napoleonic times, but it was registered as a trademark in 1980. The popularity of the brand is no less due to the specially shaped glass than to the drink, which is brewed according to the restored recipe by the Belgian brewery Bosteels.
The history of the emergence of Kwak beer is not documented, but it seems to be a logical and beautiful version of events. According to legend, the creator of ale is Pauwel Kwak, the owner of the inn and tavern “De Hoorn”, where the intoxicating drink was served from his own brewery. To expand the clientele at the expense of cabbies, who were forbidden by law to leave the carriages, the hotel owner came up with a special glass.
The glass vessel combined the shape of the usual conical glass and a flask with a spherical base. Such a glass was placed on a special wooden stand with holders, which was easily attached to the elements of a horse-drawn cart. Now the driver could order beer directly to the workplace and even quench his thirst during the trip. Thanks to the stand and a glass with a narrow “waist”, the driver could free his hands at any second, and the beer did not spill while driving.
Two hundred years later, the glass with a stand and the recipe for Kwak ale were recreated by Bosteels Brouwerij, a small family brewery founded in the Flanders village of Buggenhout in 1791. Currently, Pauwel Kwak is more of a collectible than an everyday intoxicating drink, which is supplied to the largest cities in Belgium and beyond the borders of the country. In addition to Kwak beer, Bostels produces the famous Deus Brut des Flandres and Tripel Karmeliet beers according to traditional recipes and technologies, the secrets of which are kept by the seventh generation of the brewing family.
Awards
World Beer Cup, USA:
- 2002 – silver award;
- 2000 – bronze;
- 1996 – gold medal.
World Beer Championships, Chicago:
- 2002 – gold award.
Beverage Testing Institute, США:
- 2000 – medal for exceptional beer.
The Bosteels Brouwerij brewing company was awarded diplomas at the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia and the 1951 International Brewers’ Competition in Luxembourg.
How to drink ale Pauwel Kwak
Beer “Kwak” is recommended to drink from the original glass of a special shape, and on Belgian territory, the rule to serve Pauwel Kwak exclusively in a traditional glass on a special stand is supported by several court decisions. Under any circumstances, the taste of Kwak ale will be more expressive if you follow a few recommendations:
- Cool the drink to +5-6 °C and pour into a dry glass of original shape.
- Hold the glass at a slight angle and fill until the foam cap is two centimeters from the top edge.
- Wait about 15 seconds for the foam to stabilize at 7 cm from the top of the glass.
- Drink to your health!
Features of beer “Kvak”
Pauwel Kwak is a traditional strong filtered ale with an alcohol content of 8,4%. It has a deep amber-copper color and creamy head. Beer is brewed from barley malt, hops, yeast and caramel sugar, which gives the drink an unobtrusive fruity aroma with hints of roasted malt, spices, prunes. The taste is rich, caramel-honey with hints of cloves, fruits and slight hop bitterness. Ale is combined with cold and hot dishes, meats, cheeses, fish, desserts.
You can buy Kvak beer in bottles of 0,33 l and 075 l, as well as in gift sets with one or two glasses and a stand.