Oh my god, what a word and it really exists...... I just can't believe it......
Today, one of my students came to me, showed me this dreadfull word and asked me what it means. I told her honestly, I don't know.... The only thing I knew was that it's a phobia but I was thinking more of a joke. She told me that it is in an English test of one of Thailand's top University....
I looked up the meaning for the word and I found this (it really exists!!!!!)
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: The fear of very long words.
hahahaha, oh my god. Hippopotamus, mommmmmmm, I'm scared...........
I just cant believe what kind of fears there are. There is even a whole dictionary of phobias...
- odontophobia, the fear of dentists - paraskavedekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13 th - Rhytiphobia, the fear of wrinkles - pentheraphobia, the fear of mothers-in-law - Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns (hahahaha) - Bananaphobia, the fear of bananas
I just can't believe it, the fear of bananas, give me a break..... <img src="http://lpx-quicksite.com/files/products/10006_ts_banana.jpg"></img>
hahahahahahaha, this is the shortest website I've ever seen. Good luck for all these people who have this oh so terrible disease , you can find all the information you need on that fantastic website, don't miss it,
Hoegaarden (pronounced whogarden) is a white beer which is brewed in the Belgian town of Hoegaarden by the De Kluis Brewery which is now owned by Interbrew, the brewery that also owns Stella Artois. It is imported into Britain by Whitbread.
The brilliant white beer is brewed to a traditional recipe which dates as far back as 1445, although the beer Hoegaarden has only existed since 1966. Hoegaarden gets its great taste partly due to there being special ingredients added during the brewing process, such as - wheat, coriander and curacao orange peels. Also the pale, cloudy appearance of this mysterious looking drink is all thanks to an additional second fermentation in the bottle.
Hoegaarden is quite strong for a beer, standing at 5% vol. The beer even has it's own glass which is common with all Belgian beers. This six-sided chunky tumbler style glass, is very stylish and is almost bigger than the beer itself in popularity. The story behind the glass is that it is shaped so that the glass can be prized out of the drinkers hands with a spanner at the end of the night.
The art of white beer brewing was thanks to the work of monks living in the small Belgian town of Hoegaarden, they discovered the recipe in 1445 (as the bottle suggests). Hoegaarden's monks were so good at their job of making beer and wine that at one point in time there was over 30 small farmhouse breweries in the small town which is less than a hour away from the well known Brussels. However there was great odds against these white beer breweries, with the competition from the lager industry and both World Wars causing theft from them. The last Hoegaarden brewery closed down in 1957.
However nine years later, a milkman by the name of Pierre Celis, who was talking with his friends about how they missed the old white beer. With this Pierre Celis who used to live next door to the brewery decided it was time to bring back the style. With financial help from his father and brewing help from a veteran brewer he started a small farmhouse brewer he called, The Cloister (or more commonly known as De Kluis, in Flemish).
Hoegaarden's Father - Pierre Celis
The success of his revival of this great beer was shown by the amount of production. It was just 350 hectolitres when it was opened in 1966, it then rapidly grew to about 75,000 hectolitres by 1985. This was a great achievement for the brewery, it was so successful that many other breweries attempted to brew their own white beers. They never managed to even rival the greatness of the original Hoegaarden though.
Once again disaster struck down on the white beer industry. Most of the plant was destroyed by a fire in 1985. To rebuild the plant Pierre Celis had to get extra investment, he found this with Interbrew, the company which also owns Stella Artois. These brewery giants eventually took over the Hoegaarden brewery in 1987.
Now Hoegaarden has a second brewhouse and production in 1997 was recorded as 855,000 hectolitres. There is now regular exports of the drink into Britain and it is rising in popularity greatly, with more and more pubs taking up the drink to sell.
The legend Pierre Celis, the creator of this amazing drink is still alive today. After selling to Interbrew he moved to Texas, America where he continued his great skill of brewing by opening a new brewery, the Celis Brewery, where he produced the beer, Celis white in his brewery in Austin, Texas.
Just like many other alcohol companies, Hoegaarden also produces other types of drink, I have only tried a few of these but I do have information on them.
Hoegaarden Grand Cru- This has an 8.7% Vol. It is a similar brew to the original Hoegaarden, but is made purely from barley malt, rather than a mixture of wheats, oats and barley. It is Aromatic, pale and strong, this noble complex beer will evolve in character for 3 to 4 years.
Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit - This has an 8.8% Vol. It is a complex beer made with a mixture of malts and spiced with coriander. It is deep red in colour, rich, sweet, malty and full bodied. Originally it was brewed for a local town festival, it is now apparently a classic export worldwide. This is more commonly known as De Verboden Vrucht by the Belgian's and Le Fruit Defendu by the French, the bottle caused uproar in the USA because the bottle has a picture of Adam and Eve nearly naked on it - it was thought this but it was not a picture of Adam and Eve but it was a picture based on a Reubens painting.
Hoegaarden Julius - This has an 8.8% Vol. This is suprisingly light and dry and this is due to its triple hopping, this also gives it an intense aroma. This was originally to be called Caesar however it was found that there is already a beer in this name.
Hoegaarden Speciale - This has a 5.6% Vol. It is a slightly stronger version of the original Hoegaarden but is only brewed in the months of October to February. This has less wheat and more malt barley to give a fuller taste and darker appearance.
Hougaerdse DAS - This has a 5% Vol. This is brewed from an old German recipe from 1931. It is described as a fruity amber ale and it is spiced with coriander and orange peel. This is the latest beer to emerge from the Hoegaarden Brewery. This has the name Hougaerdse instead of Hoegaarden as this is what the town of Hoegaarden used to be called, you may also find really old memorabilia sporting the name Hougaerdse instead of Hoegaarden on it.
A businessman was getting ready to go on a long business trip. He knew his wife was a flirtatious sort with an extremely healthy sex drive, so he thought he'd buy her a little something to keep her occupied while he was gone.
He went to a store that sold sex toys and started to look around. He thought about a life-sized sex doll, but that was too close to another man for him. He was browsing through the dildoes, looking for something special to please his wife, and started talking to the old man behind the counter. He explained his situation.
"Well, I don't really know of anything that will do the trick. We have vibrating dildos, special attachments, and so on, but I don't know of thing that will keep her occupied for weeks, except..." and he stopped.
"Except what?" the man asked.
"Nothing, nothing."
"C'mon, tell me! I need something!"
"Well, sir, I don't usually mention this, but there is The Voodoo Penis."
"So what's up with this Voodoo Penis?" he asked.
The old man reached under the counter, and pulled out a very old wooden box, carved with strange symbols and erotic images. He opened it, and there lay an ordinary-looking dildo.
The businessman laughed, and said "Big damn deal. It looks like every other dildo in this shop!"
The old man replied, "But you haven't seen what it'll do yet."
He pointed to a door and said "Voodoo Penis, the door."
The Voodoo Penis miraculously rose out of its box, darted over to the door, and started pounding the keyhole. The whole door shook wildly with the vibrations, so much so that a crack began to form down the middle.
Before the door split, the old man said "Voodoo Penis, return to box!"
The Voodoo Penis stopped, levitated back to the box and lay there quiescent once more.
"I'll take it!" said the businessman.
The old man resisted, saying it wasn't for sale, but finally surrendered to $738 in cash and an imitation Rolex.
The guy took it home to his wife, told her it was a special dildo and that to use it, all she had to do was say "Voodoo Penis, my crotch."
He left for his trip satisfied that things would be fine while he was gone.
After he'd been gone a few days, his wife was unbearably horny. She thought of several people who would willingly satisfy her, but then she remembered the Voodoo Penis.
She undressed, opened the box and said, "Voodoo Penis, my crotch!"
The Voodoo Penis shot to her crotch and started pumping. It was absolutely incredible, like nothing she'd ever experienced before. After three mind-shattering orgasms, she became very exhausted and decided she'd had enough.
She tried to pull it out, but it was stuck in her, still thrusting. She tried and tried to get it out, but nothing worked. Her husband had forgotten to tell her how to shut it off.
Worried, she decided to go to the hospital to see if they could help. She put her clothes on, got in the car and started to drive, quivering with every thrust of the dildo. On the way, another incredible intense orgasm made her swerve all over the road.
A police officer saw this and immediately pulled her over. He asked for her license, and then asked how much she'd had to drink.
Gasping and twitching, she explained, "I haven't had anything to drink, officer. You see, I've got this Voodoo Penis thing stuck in my crotch and it won't stop screwing me!"
The officer looked at her for a second, shook his head and in an arrogant voice replied, "Yeah, right... Voodoo Penis, my ass!"
A seaman meets a pirate in a bar, and the talk turns to their adventures. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg leg, a hook, and an eye patch. "How did you end up with the peg leg?" he asks.
The pirate replies, "I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. As my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off."
"Wow!" says the seaman. "What about your hook?"
"Well," answers the pirate, "we were boarding a ship when one of the enemy hacked off my hand."
"Incredible!" says the seaman. "How’d you get the eye patch?"
"A seagull shit in my eye," the pirate replies.
"You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" the seaman asks.
"Well," says the pirate, "it was my first day with the hook."
Its the same place Its the same day But time has changed You are not yours And am not I.
Its the same smile Its the same heart But feelings have changed Words are yours And memories are mine.
Its the same dream Its the same love But you have changed May happiness be yours And tears be mine.
The sky do fail to show me , The destiny of my love. The wind do fail to share, The happiness of my life. The rain do fail to weep, On the day of my sorrow. Then who ever can hold - My heart That need the most precious - Love and care To be alive once again.
Loneliness in my life I wonder how it came. Togetherness I always miss I remember how I feel. Brightness in my life I could not hold any longer . Tears always overflow my smile I just don’t know why it came. Happiness in my life I know its gone with you. Memories I always hold Just to feel you are with me.
Marien Ngouabi formally becomes the President of the Republic of Congo.
Sunday 12:
Hard rock band Led Zeppelin release their eponymous first album.
Tuesday 14:
An explosion aboard the USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 25 people.
Thursday 16:
Czech student Jan Palach commits suicide by self-immolation in Prague, in protest against the Soviets' crushing of the Prague Spring the year before. The Metroliner train begins service between New York and Washington with one round trip per day.
Friday 17:
A beautiful baby was born in the Phillipines named Aileen Cube...
Tuesday 21:
An experimental underground nuclear reactor at Lucens Vad, Switzerland, released radiation into a cavern, which was then sealed.
February 1969
Monday 03:
In Cairo, Yasser Arafat is appointed Palestinian Liberation Organization leader at the Palestinian National Congress.
Tuesday 04:
Yasser Arafat takes over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Saturday 08:
The last weekly issue of the Saturday Evening Post hits magazine stands.
Saturday 22:
Barbara Jo Rubin wins a United States thoroughbred horse race making history as the first woman to do so.
Tuesday 25:
George Jones marries Tammy Wynette
March 1969
Thursday 13:
Apollo program: Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
Monday 17:
Golda Meir of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, becomes Prime Minister of Israel.
Thursday 20:
1969 – In Gibraltar, John Lennon and Yoko Ono get married.
Tuesday 25:
During their honeymoon, John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold their first Bed-In for Peace in the AmsterdamHilton Hotel (until March 31).
Thursday 27:
Mariner 7 is launched.
April 1969
Tuesday 01:
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier enters service with the RAF.
Saturday 05:
Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations are held in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and other cities around the United States.
Wednesday 09:
The "Chicago Eight" plead not guilty on federal charges of conspiracy to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Thursday 17:
Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dub?ek is deposed.
Monday 28:
Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France.
May 1969
Saturday 10:
The first "Zip to Zap" rural outdoor rock concert at Zap, North Dakota, is ended prematurely as North Dakota National Guard is ordered to disperse the unruly crowd.
Tuesday 13:
Race riots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, later known as the 13 May Incident.
Sunday 18:
Apollo program: Apollo 10 launches.
Tuesday 20:
The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.
Friday 23:
Rock band The Who release Tommy, the first rock opera.
June 1969
Monday 02:
In Ottawa, Canada the National Arts Center opens its doors to the public for the first time.
Tuesday 03:
Off the coast of South Vietnam, the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne cuts the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in half.
Sunday 08:
After the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) cancels the program, the last Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour airs.
Sunday 15:
Hee Haw debuts on CBS television, quickly becoming an institution.
Friday 20:
Jacques Chaban-Delmas becomes Prime Minister of France
July 1969
Tuesday 01:
Rock group The Band release their influential debut Music From Big Pink.
Thursday 03:
Rolling Stonesguitarist Brian Jones drowns in his swimming pool. The band plays a concert at Hyde Park, London two days later in his honor.
Monday 07:
The Official Languages Act is adopted making the French language is equal to English language throughout the Federal government.
Wedneday 16:
A baby named Patrick Leonardus Wilhelm Ranft was born in a small village called Brake, West-Germany
Apollo program: Apollo 11 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Wednesday 30:
Vietnam War: US President Richard M. Nixon makes an unscheduled visit to South Vietnam and meets with President Nguyen Van Thieu and with US military commanders.
August 1969
Monday 04:
Vietnam War: At the apartment of French intermediary Jean Sainteny in Paris, US representative Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese representative Xuan Thuy begin secret peace negotiations. The negotiations will eventually fail.
Tuesday 05:
Mariner program: Mariner 7 makes its closest fly-by of Mars (3,524 kilometers).
Sunday 10:
A day after murdering Sharon Tate and four others, members of Charles Manson's cult kill Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
Sunday 17:
Category 5 Hurricane Camille hits the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing $1.5 billion in damage.
Wednesday 27:
The first installment of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It's Tough Being a Man) movies is released in Japan. Director and screenplay writer Yoji Yamada went on to make 48 installments of the series, which is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running movie series.
September 1969
Monday 01:
A coup in Libya brings Col. Moammar Qaddafi to power, ousting King Idris I.
Friday 05:
My Lai Massacre: U.S. Army Lt. William Calley is charged with six specifications of premeditated murder for the death of 109 Vietnamese civilians in My Lai.
Monday 15:
Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steve Carlton sets a record by striking out 19 New York Mets in a single game.
Tuesday 23:
The Chicago 8 trial opens in Chicago, Illinois
Friday 26:
The Beatles album Abbey Road is released in the UK.
October 1969
Sunday 05:
The first broadcast of Monty Python's Flying Circus
Thursday 09:
Students from the University of the Philippines formed the first Upsilonian Congress and established the Upsiloan Alpha Beta Grand Fraternity in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
Tuesday 14:
A race riot occurs in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Thursday 16:
The "miracle" New York Mets win the World Series.
Wednesday 29:
The first computer-to-computer link is established on ARPANET.
November 1969
Saturday 01:
After seven years off the top of the charts, Elvis Presley hits No. 1 on the Billboard Music charts with his song "Suspicious Minds."
Monday 10:
National Educational Television (the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States debuts the children's television program Sesame Street.
Thursday 13:
Vietnam War: Anti-war protesters in Washington, DC stage a symbolic "March Against Death."
Friday 21:
US President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Sato agree in Washington, DC on the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. Under terms of the agreement, the US is to retain its rights to bases on the island, but these are to be nuclear-free.
Monday 24:
Apollo program: The Apollo 12 spacecraft splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean, ending the second manned mission to the Moon.
December 1969
Monday 01:
Vietnam War: The first draft lottery in the United States is held since World War II.
Thursday 04:
1969 - Legendary surfer Greg "Da Bull" Noll rode a 65-foot wave on the North Shore of Oahu, still the highest ever recorded.
Saturday 06:
The Rolling Stoness concert at Altamont leads to the stabbing death of a concert-goer by Hell's Angels providing security.
Monday 08:
An Olympic Airways DC-6B crashes near Athens during a storm killing 93 people.
Friday 12:
Strage di Piazza Fontana in Italy.
**** If you know any more events, please let me know that I can add them, thanks!!!!!
Staring Girl haben sich Lieder ausgedacht und dabei ihren ganz eigenen Ausdruck gefunden. GitarreBassSchlagzeugKlavier, mit deutschen Texten gesungen. Folk-Pop vielleicht. Spröde und zart, sperrig und doch eingängig. Tieftraurig bis unglaublich hoffnungsvoll. Immer mit der Liebe zum Detail. All das machen sie mit ganzem Herzen und mit liebevoller Mühe.
www.alternativmusik.de: "Es ist verwunderlich, dass sich hier noch kein Label gefunden hat. Das nötige Können und die Wirkung in ihrer Musik hätten Staring Girl auf jeden Fall, um auch einer größeren Öffentlichkeit bekannt gemacht werden zu können. Bis dahin können Freunde dieser Musik auf den Bandseiten probe hören und sich mitwundern." Die ganze Rezension unter www.alternativmusik.de/rezensionen/staring-girl-staring-girl
Auftrittskritik (15.12.2007, Schaubude Kiel) "Die fünf Herren von Staring Girl – Steffen Nibbe (Gesang, Gitarre), Nils Ranft (Gitarre), Ingo Rotkowsky (Klavier), Timm Steenbock (Bass), Thorsten Broda (Schlagzeug) – überzeugen sodann von A bis Z mit vollreifem, krautigem Folkpop, der in seinen besten Momenten nach Dylan, in seinen noch besseren nach etwas ganz Eigenständigem, Wunderschönem klingt: Viertel vor Nichts – toller Song. Gute Leute. Her mit den beiden CDs!" Der ganze Artikel unter http://www.kn-online.de/artikel/2273776.
CDs und downloads: Wer die neue oder alte CD samt schicker Papphülle in den Händen halten will, der schickt uns eine Nachricht (staringgirl@web.de) und bestellt sie sich für je 5 € + 2 € Porto und Verpackung pro Sendung. Für die Leute aus Kiel: Die CDs sind auch im "Prinz Willy" und im "Café Viva" erhältlich. Weitere Informationen zu den beiden Alben gibts in unserem mp3-shop:
Go to this site and answer the questions, the more answers are correct, the more rice people in poor country can get!!!!! For each word you get right, they'll donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to stop hunger in the world...
Duvel has a fruity dry aroma, owed to the finest hops, that reminds experts like Michael Jackson of Poire William concerning its bouquet and pallet. Its dry but still alcohol-sweet flavour makes the beer an excellent thirst-quencher, with a pronounced hop aroma. Thanks to the balance between a fine aroma and subtle bitterness, this beer occupies a unique position in the rich Belgian Beer tradition. Duvel is the perfect companion for appetisers, digestives and every other occasion.
reviews
1055/ applied 1042
overall WR
4.27/ 5
review avg
4.28 / 5 ; stD: 0.45
high / low
5 / 1.6
style score
91 (4.28)
alcohol
8.50% ABV
availability
brewed year-round
BeerAdvocate Overall Score Outstanding
FAQs
Why is it best to serve Duvel in a Duvel glass?
A unique beer deserves a unique glass. At the end of the sixties, the Duvel glass was the first tulip shaped glass that allowed a 33-cl. bottle to be poured in one. No similar beer glasses existed up until then. The glass allows a more complete experience of the beer: the bulbous shape releases Duvel’s heavenly flavours and aromas. Since the glass narrows towards the top, it helps to preserve carbon dioxide and therefore the head. It also allows a better division between beer and froth in the same glass, where a classical glass would leave only froth.
The inner circle inside the bottom of the Duvel glass also causes the beer to sparkle subtly upwards to its luxurious head. For the last couple of years this engraving has been given the shape of a ‘D’, the first letter of the Duvel logo!
Why does the pub owner leaves the lees in the bottle?
The lees are very healthy and even stimulate digestion. However, at the same time they do make the beer more bitter and cloudy. That is why it’s best to leave 1 cm of lees in the bottle.
What's the secret of the Duvel bottle ?
Some Duvel bottles try to conceal a secret from the attentive observer: They hide an angel and a devil in their coat of arms. See if you can spot them next time.
What's the best temperature for serving Duvel ?
This temperature depends in the first instance on your personal preference. A general directive is to serve blond beers at a lower temperature than dark beers. A higher temperature is more appropriate for appreciating the caramel flavour of dark beers.
If Duvel makes you fat
Not when consumed rationally, as Duvel contains 0% fat and a limited number of calories (198 calories per bottle). But here too it is true that you can have only so much of a good thing: excessive consumption can cause weight increase.
Pat's comment
Duvel pours nicely, providing a nice, rich white head atop a light golden body. The flavor was clean and crisp, and its dense carbonation reminded me of champagne. Though its taste was decidedly pale ale, it was somewhat sweeter than most pale ales I've encountered. It finished very nicely, with a very slight hoppy aftertaste that I enjoyed. I was very impressed with it overall. It wasn't a beer of which I would have several in a row, but it was a brew I can easily enjoy by itself or with another immediately afterward. Well worth trying and should not disappoint. Great for enjoying after dinner on a warm day. One of the best Belgium beer there is, taste it...
Southwest of Brussels, in the quiet Belgian town of Vlezenbeek, the Lindemans family has been farming and homebrewing as long as anyone can remember. Commercial brewing started in 1811 in their barn-like brewery.
Lambic, or spontaneously fermented beers, are among the world’s rarest. Produced more like a methode champenoise champagne, than a typical beer, these products mature in oak for nearly two years prior to release.
Merchant du Vin introduced Lindemans lambics to the United States in 1979, making them the first lambics marketed in U. S. history. To this day, they remain both the best selling and most widely honored brand in the category; including being named "One of the Top Ten Breweries in the World" for four consecutive years.
Spontaneous Fermentation
Lambic Simplified
The romantic, mysterious, wild-fermented wheat beers of Belgium’s Flanders are among the world’s rarest beers. The unique natural combination of the Senne River valley; small hills with numerous cherry trees; small farms growing hops, barley and wheat; and wooden kegs with fermentation liquids, has given the region an air-disseminated microflora that has seeded farm breweries for more than 500 years.
The mashing process is very much the same as with other styles, except for the unique addition of 30 percent unmalted wheat to the malted barley. Whereas most brewers use the freshest hops during the boil, lambic brewers use aged hops to contribute preservative properties without the bitterness of the herb (this protection is important to the final product, since it is such a long process from start to finish). Singularly, in the world of brewing, no yeast is added to this beer. After the boil, lambic wort is transferred into a coolship (a large, shallow, copper vessel) that exposes the hot wort to the cool fresh air and wild yeast! The fermenting rooms are dark and filled with cobwebs and brewers dare not clean their brewing cellars for fear of losing the natural yeasts.
The beer is top-fermented by the wild yeast strains Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus, whereas most ales use the cultivated yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast enters through louvers in the barn’s walls that are raised during the brewing season.
After fermentation, the beer is transferred into "hogsheads" (casks) for two summers of maturation. A second, slower fermentation takes place in the oak. After aging, the base lambic is treated in different ways to make different beers.
Without question, lambic is the world’s most unusual and some say best beer. Lambic is unique in that the brewing process often takes several years. Lambics are a complex family of beers, which include dry aperitif beers, full-bodied dinner beers and fruity dessert beers.
Gueuze Simplified
For gueuze, the base lambic is blended to make a distinct, wine-like drink that is traditionally served with the meal (a blend of 1/3 young lambic and 2/3 old lambic). Gueuze is known to mature beautifully, and stories abound of discovering age-old gueuze lambics that had matured to perfection.
Lindemans, which originally made only traditional unfiltered gueuze, switched to the filtered version because it is quicker to make. Realizing that there were almost no traditional gueuzes being produced, Merchant du Vin convinced Rene Lindemans, Head Brewer, to discontinue the filtered version and concentrate only on the finest traditional bottle-conditioned product. Cuvee Rene was born! It is a golden turbid wine-like beer that balances a malty fruit and a complex yeasty acidity with exceptional finesse. Cuvee Rene is a blend of lambics of various ages and is destined to be the standard by which gueuze is judged.
Fruit Lambics Simplified
Nowadays lambic fruit beers are extremely popular. The first fruit beers were made with sour cherries growing in villages around Brussels. The most famous in Schaarbeek, which gave its name to the best variety. In the 1930s different farm breweries restarted brewing kriek by adding crushed cherries to young lambic in the casks
Artisanal lambic breweries, such as Lindemans Farm Brewery, make their fruit beers by blending the lambic and fresh fruit before bottling producing Kriek (cherry), Framboise (raspberry), and Pêche (peach). When the brewery makes Kriek, whole fresh cherries are added to the casks, triggering a third fermentation and promoting a spritzy carbonation that gives the finished beer a champagne-like character.
Kriek
Peter Breugel pictured happy peasants dancing and drinking Kriek in the 17th century. Lindemans has brewed Kriek since 1811
Bouquet of freshly harvested cherries; sparkling, smooth, fruity and refreshing, finishing dry. Style—Cherry Lambic. Color—Rose.
As an aperitif in place of dry sherry, with carbonnade a la beouf, mussels in white wine or Gueuze, flavorful cheeses; traditionally served in tall, thick tumbler with cubes of sugar to sweeten to taste.
The Feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, is an annual event which has been uniquely Dutch and Flemish for centuries. St. Nicholas' Feast Day, December 6th, is observed in most Roman Catholic countries primarily as a feast for small children. But it is only in the Low Countries - especially in the Netherlands - that the eve of his feast day (December 5th) is celebrated nationwide by young and old, christian and non-christian, and without any religious overtones. Although Sinterklaas is always portrayed in the vestments of the bishop he once was, his status as a canonized saint has had little to do with the way the Dutch think of him. Rather, he is a kind of benevolent old man, whose feast day is observed by exchanging gifts and making good-natured fun of each other. It so happens that the legend of St. Nicholas is based on historical fact. He did actually exist. He lived from 271 A.D. to December 6th, 342 or 343. His 4th century tomb in the town of Myra, near the city of Anatolia in present-day Turkey, has even been dug up by archaeologists.
This is his story: Born of a wealthy family, Nicholas was brought up as a devout Christian. When his parents died of an epidemic, he distributed his wealth among the poor and became a priest. Later he became Archbishop of Myra, and it is from here that the fame of his good deeds began to spread across the Mediterranean. Desperate sailors who called upon the Good Bishop to calm stormy seas were heard; prison walls crumbled when victims of persecution prayed to him. He saved young children from the butcher's knife and dropped dowries into the shoes of penniless maidens. Over time, St. Nicholas became the patron saint of sailors and merchants, and especially of children. After his death, the cult of St. Nicholas spread rapidly via southern Italy throughout the rest of the Mediterranean and eventually to coastal towns along the Atlantic and the North Sea. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Holland built no fewer than 23 churches dedicated to St. Nicholas, many of which are still standing. Amsterdam adopted St. Nicholas as its patron saint, and Rome decreed that December 6th, the anniversary of his death, should be his official Feast Day. St. Nicholas' strong influence in the Low Countries - an area heavily engaged in trade and navigation - was primarily due to his role as patron of sailors and merchants. However, his fame as protector of children soon took precedence. In the 14th century, choir boys of St. Nicholas churches were given some money and the day off on December 6th. Somewhat later, the pupils of convent schools would be rewarded or punished by a monk dressed up as the Good Bishop, with his long white beard, his red mantle and mitre (bishop's hat) and his golden crosier (bishop's staff) - just as he is still presented today.
All Dutch children know that Sinterklaas (the name is a corruption of Sint Nikolaas) lives in Spain. Exactly why he does remains a mystery, but that is what all the old songs and nursery rhymes say. Whatever the case may be, in Spain he spends most of the year recording the behaviour of all children in a big red book, while his helper Black Peter stocks up on presents for next December 5th. In the first weeks of November, Sinterklaas gets on his white horse, Peter ("Piet") swings a huge sack full of gifts over his shoulder, and the three of them board a steamship headed for the Netherlands. Around mid-November they arrive in a harbour town - a different one every year - where they are formally greeted by the Mayor and a delegation of citizens. Their parade through town is watched live on television by the whole country and marks the beginning of the "Sinterklaas season".
The old bishop and his helpmate are suddenly everywhere at once. At night they ride across Holland's' rooftops and Sinterklaas listens through the chimneys to check on the children's behaviour. Piet jumps down the chimney flues and makes sure that the carrot or hay the children have left for the horse in their shoes by the fireplace is exchanged for a small gift or some candy. During the day, Sinterklaas and Piet are even busier, visiting schools, hospitals, department stores, restaurants, offices and many private homes. Piet rings doorbells, scatters sweets through the slightly opened doors and leaves basketfuls of presents by the front door. How do they manage to be all over the Netherlands at once?
This is thanks to the so-called "hulp-Sinterklazen", or Sinterklaas helpers, who dress up like the bishop and Black Peter and help them perform their duties. Children who become wise to these simultaneous "Sint-sightings" are told that since Sinterklaas cannot indeed be in two places at once, he gets a little help from his uncanonized friends.
The Dutch are busy too - shopping for, and more importantly, making presents. Tradition demands that all packages be camouflaged in some imaginative way, and that every gift be accompanied by a fitting poem. This is the essence of Sinterklaas: lots of fun on a day when people are not only allowed, but expected, to make fun of each other in a friendly way. Children, parents, teachers, employers and employees, friends and co-workers tease each other and make fun of each others' habits and mannerisms. Another part of the fun is how presents are hidden or disguised. Recipients often have to go on a treasure hunt all over the house, aided by hints, to look for them. They must be prepared to dig their gifts out of the potato bin, to find them in a jello pudding, in a glove filled with wet sand, in some crazy dummy or doll. Working hard for your presents and working even harder to think up other peoples' presents and get them ready is what the fun is all about.
The original poem accompanying each present is another old custom and a particularly challenging one. Here the author has a field day with his subject (the recipient of the gift). Foibles, love interests, embarrassing incidents, funny habits and well-kept secrets are all fair game. The recipient, who is the butt of the joke, has to open his/her package in public and read the poem aloud amid general hilarity. The real giver is supposed to remain anonymous because all presents technically come from Sinterklaas, and recipients say out loud "Thank you, Sinterklaas!", even if they no longer believe in him.
Towards December 5th, St. Nicholas poems pop up everywhere in the Netherlands: in the press, in school, at work and in both Houses of Parliament. On the day of the 5th, most places of business close a bit earlier than normal. The Dutch head home to a table laden with the same traditional sweets and baked goods eaten for St. Nicholas as shown in the 17th-century paintings of the Old Masters. Large chocolate letters - the first initial of each person present - serve as place settings. They share the table along with large gingerbread men and women known as "lovers". A basket filled with mysterious packages stands close by and scissors are at hand. Early in the evening sweets are eaten while those gathered take turns unwrapping their gifts and reading their poems out loud so that everyone can enjoy the impact of the surprise. The emphasis is on originality and personal effort rather than the commercial value of the gift, which is one reason why Sinterklaas is such a delightful event for young and old alike.
Hoegaarden (pronounced whogarden) is a white beer which is brewed in the Belgian town of Hoegaarden by the De Kluis Brewery which is now owned by Interbrew, the brewery that also owns Stella Artois. It is imported into Britain by Whitbread. 
Hoegaarden Grand Cru - This has an 8.7% Vol. It is a similar brew to the original Hoegaarden, but is made purely from barley malt, rather than a mixture of wheats, oats and barley. It is Aromatic, pale and strong, this noble complex beer will evolve in character for 3 to 4 years. 
Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit - This has an 8.8% Vol. It is a complex beer made with a mixture of malts and spiced with coriander. It is deep red in colour, rich, sweet, malty and full bodied. Originally it was brewed for a local town festival, it is now apparently a classic export worldwide. This is more commonly known as De Verboden Vrucht by the Belgian's and Le Fruit Defendu by the French, the bottle caused uproar in the USA because the bottle has a picture of Adam and Eve nearly naked on it - it was thought this but it was not a picture of Adam and Eve but it was a picture based on a Reubens painting. 
Hoegaarden Julius - This has an 8.8% Vol. This is suprisingly light and dry and this is due to its triple hopping, this also gives it an intense aroma. This was originally to be called Caesar however it was found that there is already a beer in this name. 
Hoegaarden Speciale - This has a 5.6% Vol. It is a slightly stronger version of the original Hoegaarden but is only brewed in the months of October to February. This has less wheat and more malt barley to give a fuller taste and darker appearance. 
Hougaerdse DAS - This has a 5% Vol. This is brewed from an old German recipe from 1931. It is described as a fruity amber ale and it is spiced with coriander and orange peel. This is the latest beer to emerge from the Hoegaarden Brewery. This has the name Hougaerdse instead of Hoegaarden as this is what the town of Hoegaarden used to be called, you may also find really old memorabilia sporting the name Hougaerdse instead of Hoegaarden on it. 
