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Meug – I am serious, Ginger Tipple is better

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!

Ginger Tipple Exceeds Expectations at the Modeste Beer Festival

Palette Palace

When the organisers or the Modeste Beer Festival offered Ginger Tipple a stand, not in the main beer hall but outside in the Palette Palace together with the t-shirts and beer-cap jewellery, I was not to sure. But it worked out really well. I had never realised that walls and ceiling of this structure are composed entirely of wooden shipping palettes.

Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Ginger Tipple, Modeste Beer Festival

First, it was a bit quieter than in the main beer hall, which made it easier to explain to people all about ginger Tipple. The beer aficionados all fully understood that one cannot and should not survive for 8 full days without any beer.

Jews & Brews

Even though Ginger Tipple was not ‘inside’ the organisers were proud to have a Jewish brewer exhibiting, perhaps because the Muslims cannot. They even announced it to the other brewers before the festival opened. A lot of people came to our stand and were not put off by seeing 2 orthodox Jews standing there with Kipot

It’s a Ginger Thing

Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Ginger Tipple, Modeste Beer Festival

Almost every ginger haired person looked at our roll-up poster and wanted to be photographed next to it. Christophe and Matthias Bergmans of www.studiorauw.be did a great job designing the poster and managed to portray Ginger Tipple as the refreshing ginger thing – which it is.

Talk of the Event

Lode Habraken from Ginger Tipple’s main Belgian distributor Van Ecclepoel, travelled in from Herentals, told me that a lot of people were saying that Ginger Tipple was THE new beer which had to be tasted. A lot of brewers also came to see this illegitimate beverage at a beer festival. But if they can serve Coke and Sprite, we can certainly serve Ginger Tipple.

It’s Hard Work

We served about 400 glasses of Ginger Tipple in 8 hours and I couldn’t have managed without the enthusiastic help of my wife Shifra and tallest son Yedidya.

Brewers at these events are expected to go and visit the other brewers and we swap drinks for free. I must have tasted over 20 beers – real hard work. Some were excellent, some were good and a couple we had to pour out they were so bad. When I went to the sink at the rear counter and asked them to pour one down the sink, they immediately knew which beer it was; and that brewer is so proud of his drink!

Hopfull and Hopeful Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Ginger Tipple, Modeste Beer Festival

I took the opportunity to present to some experts the new version of Ginger Tipple, which uses the same ingredients, but the cascade hop is grown in Germany and not the USA. They were unanimous that German cascade was a bit lower on the citrus flavours and introduced some delicious earthy undertones to produce an even better Tipple.

Looking forward to next year’s Modeste Beer Festival.

 

 

 

Modeste Beer Festival -Atoned & Stoned

Ginger Beer, Gluten-free beer

To Beer or Not to Beer

The Antwerp Beer College which organises Antwerp’s main beer event, the Modeste Beer Festival, had a problem with Ginger Tipple. Legally in Belgium it is not a beer as it is brewed without any grains or malts. On the other hand, it tastes similar to a beer, is a great gluten-free alternative and they want beer-lovers to giver it a try at the festival.

The festival is named of Modeste De Koninck, one of the main founders of the De Koninck brewery, Antwerp’s main brewhouse. The event is held in one of the premises of De Koninck 50 meters from the main brewery over the first weekend of October. 25 brewers offer their beverages in the main hall and outside there are some other stands for beer related products such as jewelry, foods and sauces.

What could they do to accommodate Ginger Tipple?

Creative Thinking

After a couple of pints, they decided to invite Ginger Tipple to exhibit, but not in the main hall. Everybody is happy, the Antwerp Beer College has not compromised on its pure definition of beer and Ginger Tipple is happy to attend.

Day of AtonementGinger Beer, Gluten-free beer

The next problem was that the first day of the festival is the Day of Atonement, the holiest Jewish day of the year! No problem they said. My stand will be for Dame Jeane‘s range of mustards and sauces on Saturday, and I will be allowed to exhibit on Sunday – only after proof of my atonement. As good or not so good Catholics, they quite like the idea of confession one day a year. By the way, Patrick Theunissen produces a wonderful range of champagne styled beers.

Support Ginger Tipple

Take a break on Sunday and visit the Modeste Beer Festival and support Ginger Tipple!

Looking forward to seeing you there.