Duck Goes Kwak

Day #654 Kwak / Brouwerij Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium

Previously from this brewery: Deus, a Tripel Karmeliet and another Tripel Karmeliet

Today's beer du jour is a glass of Kwak from Brouwerij Bosteels, well known for the carriage glass you see in the picture below.  I had this one at a cafe in Ieper, waiting for the Last Post ceremony.  The Last Post honors the British and Allied soldiers who gave their life in the Belgian countryside during the First World War.  The ceremony is held every night at the Menin Gate Memorial, 8pm sharp, every single day of the year.  Hard to see all of the action in the large stone arch that spans the street, but it was clear the amount of respect the people had for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, from the soldier playing the bugle to the children laying wreaths of red poppies at the base of the stone panels etched with the names of the deceased. Didn't have a great picture of the ceremony, but did wander over to take in a nearby cemetery for the war dead.  Very serene spot overlooking a river, very peaceful.

Amen.

On to the beer.  It pours with a dark amber color and lingering white head.  When you take a sip, you pick up notes of caramel and toffee, apple and pear, with hints of bread and spice.  A very enjoyable beer, and one that I frequently saw on the menu in the various restaurants and cafes.  No, you don't need to detach the glass from the wooden base each time you want a sip.  You just pick up the entire thing and go.

FANCY

So the story behind the glass (and the beer) is that Pauwel Kwak was a brewer back in the early 1800s. He owned a tavern and realized that coachmen who drove passengers and mail into town weren't allowed to leave their horses and carriage.  Therefore, Kwak had a special glass blown that could be hung on the side of a carriage, so the drivers could enjoy a beer before heading off to their next stop.  Hence the name "carriage glass" and hence probably the first DUI, somewhere way back when.

Thing to Think About Today:
While the title of this post, "Duck Goes Kwak" suggests you might be getting the smash hit The Fox in this space, it was already used.  So instead I'll refer to the Last Post ceremony honoring the war dead, and drop in some Last Battle, a Scottish band who gave the world this awesome live cover of Regulate.  Yep, that Regulate.  Now, in an effort to contain the awesomeness, YouTube won't let me embed the video.  But I say we don't even need that, when you can just follow this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuDeRWJOI48

Please do.  I love this song, and love this cover.