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Bars and Cafes

Mombasa Menu

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Café Mombasa

In Borgerhout, a suburb of Antwerp with a large Muslim population, there is a popular bar called Café Mombasa. Founded about 5 years ago, it has quickly become a favourite watering hole for beer lovers in the area. There is a broad selection of well-known and rarer beers, an ideal location to find a Ginger Tipple, or so I hoped.

15 Months

Ginger BeerI first went to Mombasa in February 2017 and presented Ginger Tipple to the owner, Rein who ordered immediately. She planned to put it on their menu once they had finished revamping it. I thought it would only take a few weeks.

Some customers of Ginger Tipple have taken up to 6 months to put our beverage on their menus as they change and print their menus once every 6 months.

This time it took 15 months.

The Writing on the Wall

Ginger Beer

Their selection of beers is also written up on a large blackboard behind the bar, and I admit to a feeling of pride when I see Ginger Tipple up there.

Mombasa only serves Belgian beers. It is also one of the few places which serves Dupont’s excellent saison on draught, which is worthy of a blog on its own.

Cycling Motif

There is a bicycle hanging from the ceiling and a lot of bike parts and posters because Beligan’s leading cyclist, Victor Campenaerts,  is a nephew of the owner.

On Friday 4th May, I want to Café Mombasa to replace the old bottles of Ginger Tipple. I arrived there soon after Victor Campenaerts come in 2nd place at the first stage of the Giro D’Italia which this year started in Jerusalem.

Favourites

When my sons are home during vacations, we love going to Café Mombasa because of its atmosphere and beer.

Now there is even more of a reason.

 

 

Meug – I am serious, Ginger Tipple is better

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Meug

Last week I had the privilege of attending a Meug beer tasting event. I say privilege because there are a limited number of tickets and the organizers bring seven off-center beers for us to enjoy, or not!

I use the term ‘off center’ as a quote from Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware, USA, which specializes in beers which take you out of your comfort zone. They also brew some amazing regular beers, especially their 60, 90 and 120 minute IPAs.

Ginger Beer, Ginger Tipple

Mombasa

The tasting was held at Cafe Mombasa, run by Rein Adons who opened up a trendy beer bar in the center of Antwerp’s Muslim suburb of Borgehout.  It is one of the few places where you can buy Du Pont’s Saison on tap.

The Beers

Each beer was presented at the correct temperature but was served blind, we had no idea what was attacking our senses.

But when you drink beers, some of them quite expensive, and you can taste that a commercial fruit syrup was used instead of the fresh fruit or some of the ingredients were overpowering you start to think. On of my sons was with me and he summed it up “you can brew a bad beer and sell it very well for beer tastings only.”

Encouragement

The truth is that Frederik & Jeroen wanted to show us beers which we would most probably never buy, but there were two there which I would like to drink again, while two others were so sweet that I did not finish the glass.

It also shows that there is a lot of potential for Ginger Tipple!

New Customer of Last Month

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Ginger Beer

22b is this cute coffee shop near Antwerp’s St Vincentius hospital and which we can see from our kitchen balcony. Piet and Ingrid built the business – literally – from scratch and have delicious looking food, interesting drinks and a cool place to chill with a book. The chef is Jewish, but the food is not kosher. They will soon be opening a bed and breakfast next door.

Ginger Beer

They actually ordered first in July, just before they closed for the summer vacation. The reopened 2 weeks ago and are re-ordering now.

Ginger Beer

Obviously, if 22b sells Ginger Tipple it is an excellent establishment.