This post is a part of the 2015 New Beer Every Day Beer Diary Challenge, #ottbeerdiary. Over the course of 2015, I will be trying a new beer every day. Please read the background in the link above, and enjoy reading about the most recently tasted beers below. If you’d like to join the challenge as well, let me know in the comments below, and be sure to check out Grown-up Travel Guide and his #grownupbeerdiary, where Andy Higgs came up with the diary format in use below. You can catch up on all of our posts as part of the challenge under the tag ottbeerdiary.
From December 1 through December 24, I’m going to try to use a Christmas Beer for each day of Advent as part of my #ottadvent15 2015 Advent Calendar. Follow along with the tag ottadvent15.
Day 345: December 11, 2015
Diary entry:
I decided to skip paying extra for the hotel breakfast today, and instead bought some breads from the Turkish supermarket across the street. So good! And the bread was a good base to cover for last night’s gluhwein, and the gluhwein to come tonight.
I was surprised by the amount of traffic leaving the city today, but we made it out of town, in a cold, windy drizzle, and made the hour drive down to Bremen, where we found our hotel, Hotel Westfalia, literally across the street from the Becks Brewery! A pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately, unlike most of the other large breweries, there is not much of a visitor’s center at Becks, with the shop only open as part of a pre-booked tour, or by calling a number and asking them to open up for you. Rather surprising for a brewery of that size!
We decided to make an early start at the Christmas Markets in town instead, which I must say, was one of the best markets I have ever visited! Between the pirate-themed market along the Wesser River and the main markets surrounding the town squares, there was a ton to choose from, whether you were looking to shop, eat, or drink. The one downside, an 8:30 PM closing time. But given how crowded the markets became after 5PM and how busy all of the bars and restaurants were between 8:30 and 10:30, that was probably a good thing!
The one thing lacking in the market was any local Christmas beers (I did try some normal local beers), so I had to dip back into the stash I brought with me in case of emergency.
The Beer:
Name: Tongerlo Christmas
Style: Winter Ale
Producer: Brouwerij Haacht Brasserie
Alcohol content: 7.0%
Bottle size: 0.33 l
Purchased from: Bierhandel Willems & Zoon in Grobbendonk, Belgium
Tongerlo Christmas by Brouwerij Haacht Brasserie. A 7% Christmas Ale. Decent bitterness. Not too alcoholic. Some fruit and spice.
Commercial Description (Untappd):
The age-old tradition of the White Canons of Tongerlo lives on in this officially recognised Belgian abbey ale. Tongerlo Christmas is a special brew that is only available during wintertime.
Re-fermentation in the bottle gives the beer a more intense taste and aroma as well as a longer shelf life.
Amber coloured with a spicy aroma of hops. The slightly sweet, complex fruit taste ends in a light, pleasant aftertaste.
