Copo Cheio: 5 Belgian beers reach the Brazilian market

Fans of Belgian beers have good reason to celebrate. Five labels from different breweries have just arrived in São Paulo. In fact, there are four novelties and a return.

One of the four famous brewing schools in the world (alongside the German, English and American), the Belgian is known for being more experimental and using various spices and yeasts in its formulas. Interestingly, the labels that arrive stand out for following their styles to the letter, with Germanic precision.

So let’s start introducing the beers by the new ones. First, three styles from Vieux Bruxelles, a stamp from Kasteel: they are a blanche, a blond and a Belgian IPA —they just didn’t come to porter and kriek, two others from the portfolio that you can find on “Belgium” soil.

Blanche, or white beer, is one way of describing witbier, wheat style, with coriander seeds and orange peel in the recipe — the most famous of the family is Hoegaarden. If there are no inventions, in the Vieux version, the beer is very refreshing and easy to drink, with 4.8% alcohol.

Those who are used to American Indian pale ales, more citrusy and bitter, will be pleasantly surprised by the Vieux Bruxelles IPA, closer to the English style, with a more floral aroma —courtesy of Belgian hops— and moderate bitterness. The blond has a slightly sweet aroma, with a malty flavor.

The three copies arrive in 500 ml cans, with a suggested price of around R$ 37. The blanche can also be found in draft beer at Empório Alto dos Pinheiros.

The fourth novelty is from the well-known Belgian Waterloo, which now brings Red Cherry, a blend of a lambic beer with lots of natural cherry juice and a touch of lemon. Its 8% alcohol is deceiving on the palate — it seems much less. It is the most expensive of the five, with a suggested price of R$ 54, in a bulging 330 ml bottle.

And who is back is the Bourgogne des Flandres Blond, in a 330 ml long neck bottle. The beer, which was here until 2014, is the result of a mix between a lambic and a Belgian blond ale. The result is a light beer, despite the 5.5% alcohol. Suggested value of R$ 52.

The beers arrive through the importer Meara and can be found in specialized stores, such as Empório Alto dos Pinheiros (r. Vupabussu, 305, Pinheiros, tel. 3031-4328), Empório Frei Caneca (on the third floor of the Frei Caneca mall) and even in the Santa Luzia market (al. Lorena, 1471, Jardim Paulista).