Belgium is to beer what Burgandy and Bordeaux are to wine. With an introduction about Belgium and its traditions, Michael Jackson takes us on a tour of its ancient regions, such as Flanders and Brabant, and places the various brewing traditions in their local contexts. He describes the time honoured traditional ingredients: water; the yeasts; the hops; the varieties of barley and the various brewing techniques. He then takes the reader round the famous breweries, frequently monasteries, and the styles - lambic, gueuze, kriek, framboise, brown beers, wheat beers, fruit beers, the famous trappoist and other abbey beers, and golden ales.
