{"id":241,"date":"2016-08-05T21:47:13","date_gmt":"2016-08-05T21:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.skybirdtravel.com\/?p=241"},"modified":"2016-08-05T21:47:13","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T21:47:13","slug":"around-the-world-gentse-gruut-brewery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.skybirdtravel.com\/?p=241","title":{"rendered":"Around the World: Gentse Gruut\u00a0Brewery"},"content":{"rendered":"

GHENT, BELGIUM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Belgium is famous\u00a0worldwide for its beer brewing. In fact, the Trappist beer of the Abbey of Westvleteren has repeatedly been rated the world’s best beer<\/a>. And yes – the beer is still brewed by monks. With so much good beer around, it’s hard to choose which breweries to visit.<\/p>\n

Whether your clients are very much into craft brew or simply looking for a good ale while in Belgium, Gruut is the place\u00a0to go. It was only established in 2009 and while reviews are very good, it\u2019s not as well-known or crowded as older breweries.<\/p>\n

HISTORY OF GRUUT<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gentse Gruut was established in 2009 by Annick De Splenter. She has a history of brewers on both sides of her family. Some of these ancestors even worked for well-known brands. When she was older, Annick decided to become an independent brewer. This was not easy. She wanted to try a medieval style of brewing that does not make use of hops. After extensive research and a biochemistry course, she finally had what she was looking for: five varieties of gruut.<\/p>\n

MEDIEVAL BEER<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with Belgian history, the country has always had two dominant cultures: French and Flemish. French language and culture tends to dominate the southern part of the country while Dutch is found in the northern part. In medieval times, the river Leie divided the city of Ghent into these two cultures. In a sense, Ghent was a microcosm of the country as a whole. The right bank of the river used traditional ingredients like hops while the left side, which was controlled by the French, used a mixture of herbs and spices called \u201cgruut.\u201d<\/p>\n

A HEALTHY BEER<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Consuming too much hops can have negative side effects, including an\u00a0estrogenic effect similar to\u00a0consuming too much soy. Unfortunately, the main source of hops is in beer, especially IPAs, which makes avoiding hops a difficult undertaking. Gruut however does not use hops.<\/p>\n

TYPES OF GRUUT<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are five types of gruut brewed here and each one has unique characteristics:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. White \u2013 aromatic, fruity, and hint of creaminess<\/li>\n
  2. Blonde \u2013 barley aroma with a cloudiness<\/li>\n
  3. Amber \u2013 A deep copper color with a smooth finish<\/li>\n
  4. Brown \u2013 A rich, nutty flavor<\/li>\n
  5. Inferno \u2013 Golden ale<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"20141031105559594-glas-en-flesje-wit.jpg-square\"
    Gruut White Beer Photo Credit: http:\/\/www.gruut.be\/en\/Bieren\/Index\/194\/gentse-gruut-white<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    MAKE YOUR OWN BEER<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    For a small fee, visitors who wish to go beyond the tasting experience can actually create a bottle of their own brew. Expert brewers will instruct visitors on how to practice \u201cbeeralchemy\u201d as they call it – mixing ingredients and finding which ones work best together. Once satisfied, visitors may take home a bottle to share with friends and family. The brewery will actually create and bottle a visitor\u2019s recipe in larger quantities. However, keep in mind that bottling orders come in very large quantities and are expensive.<\/p>\n