Brew News

Merchant du Vin beer e-newsletter

For the July/August 2004 issue, Organic Style Magazine held a tasting of currently available organic beers. One of the recommended beers: Samuel Smith Organic Lager, "Smooth and mild, with a round deep flavor, it's certified vegan but excellent at a cookout."

Sante, the Magazine for Restaurant Professionals, has awarded Samuel Smith Old Brewery Pale Ale the 'Sante Gold Star Award.' See the July/August 2004 issue for details.

A number of MdV's benchmark European beers were featured at the prestigious Fancy Foods Show in New York City, June 27-29. Fine restaurants are offering more fine beer daily.

Travel and Leisure Magazine's Golf issue listed favorite English beers in the July 2004 edition. The article "Get to the Pint," listed 'the perfect summer brews,' including the refined and subtle Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale.

Festivals in New York, Washington, and Hood River, Oregon; a great beer dinner in Richmond, VA; a new very limited draft Belgian ale from Merchant du Vin . . . It's a great time for fine beer! Complete national events are online at: http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/news.html

BEER CHAT FROM THE BEER COURT JESTER: ORVAL TRAPPIST ALE

Belgian beer imports to the US are up 54.9% Jan. - April, 2004, versus the same period in 2003 (according to the Beer Institute). American beer lovers continue to seek out the unique, diverse offerings from Belgium, and the fine Trappist beers of Belgium lead many lists of favorites. While all the Trappist breweries make noteworthy beers, Orval also has a wonderful legend and history:

Sometime around 1070, Countess Mathilda of Tuscany at that time, suzeraine (ruler) of the local area stopped beside a clear bubbling spring. Dipping her hand into the water, she accidentally dropped her wedding ring, which sank out of sight. The ring was a remembrance of her deceased husband, Godfrey the Hunchback, and in despair over the loss she fell to her knees and prayed fervently for its return some versions of the tale say that she promised to dedicate the ground for a monastery if she got her ring back. Soon a trout swam to the surface, returning the ring to her! Filled with wonder at the miracle, she cried, "Blessed be the valley that has returned my ring to me! From now on and forever I want it to be called Aurea Vallis' (Orval, or 'golden valley')." The emblem of Orval the trout with the "golden ring in its mouth" has kept this wonderful story alive, and the same spring still supplies the water for the monastery and the brewery.

The abbey of Orval, founded in 1070, makes bread, cheese, honeyed sweets, and one of the most remarkable and respected beers in the world. Orval Trappist Ale is a full-flavored, effervescent ale of rich amber-gold color, 6.2% alcohol by volume. It has more bitterness than many Belgian ales, due to high levels of kettle hops, and Orval is dry-hopped during conditioning for floral, spicy aroma. The subtle, elusive, but extreme flavor notes in Orval difficult to describe, and not for the faint-of-heart derive from a complex fermentation schedule: a pure Belgian yeast strain is added first; then later wild yeasts of multiple strains are added to secondary fermentation; then later at bottling time a fresh dose of yeast is added for bottle-conditioning.

(Many tasters use adjectives like 'hopsack,' 'horse-blankety,' 'earthy,' or 'barnyardy,' to describe Orval. They mean these as compliments!) Orval, always found in the custom skittle-shaped bottle, is available throughout Belgium and the US. If you like beer, or if you don't like beer, or if you are reading this, you should try it.

If you have had Orval already, don't you feel like having another? Authentic glassware is available, too - http://store.merchantduvin.com/e/mdv

Merchant du Vin, America's Premier Specialty Beer Importer Since 1978 www.merchantduvin.com Reviewed July 20, 2004

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