Written by Jesh Orquina
Photography by Paolo Pareno
Graphics by Clarence Abiera
Unlimited Buffet at OId Swiss Inn featuring Les Deux Belges’ Beers
Last April 20th, Les Deux Belges partnered with Old Swiss Inn for a night of unlimited beers plus assorted canapés and cheese! Old Swiss Inn is known for its Swiss food, especially the sausages, but being a beer-lover, it really was the beer that stood out most for me.
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Beers from Les Deux Belges and Old Swiss Inn
I actually haven’t tasted Belgian beer before, so I was really excited that they were serving not just one type of beer, but six! We got to talk to one of the owners of Les Deux Belges, Romain Hotterbeex, and he explained how they chose the six beers for the event. Les Deux Belges actually sells 20(!) beers, but they just chose one beer to represent each type of Belgian beer they sell: White, Dark, Pale, Amber, Blonde, and Fruit.
Blanche de Bruxelles
The first beer I tried was Blanche de Bruxelles. Blanche de Bruxelles is a white beer and, having 4.5% alcohol, is one of the lighter beers in the selection. According to Hotterbeex, Blanche de Bruxelles is “very typical Belgian style.” Most of the beers we know are made of barley, but this one is made of wheat so it’s definitely lighter in terms of calories and appearance!
Hopus
After finishing my bottle of Blanche de Bruxelles, I went on to try Hopus. Hopus, although not the strongest beer in terms of alcohol content, is the strongest in terms of taste. It’s a blonde beer and is also known as a triple because the amount of barley in Hopus is triple of the amount they put in a regular beer. With its bitter taste and 8.3% alcohol content, this is not for the weak!
Hopus was so bitter, I just had to drink something sweet after. So I grabbed a bottle of Newton, their fruit beer. Newton only has 3.5% alcohol in it, so if you’re not a beer person or if you’re simply not in the mood for something strong, this is the beer for you. Fruit beers are nothing new, but what makes this one different from the others is that it’s actually mixed with real fruit juice! Unlike other fruit beers that are just mixed with artificial flavoring, with Newton, you get the real thing. They only served the apple beer but Les Deux Belges also sells other fruit beers in cherry, peach, and raspberry.
L-R: Barbar Bok, Cuvée des Trolls, Bush, Hopus, Newton, Blanche de Bruxelles
The beer I was most curious about was their amber beer, Bush. Bush, with a staggering alcohol content of 12%, is the strongest of all the beers. I tried a glass of Bush and although it had A LOT of alcohol in it, you won’t really feel it because it’s not bitter at all! The only sign that it has high alcohol content is the feeling you get in your throat while drinking it. I personally loved Newton the most, but this is definitely a strong second.
Cuvée des Trolls
The next beer I tried was Cuvée des Trolls, the Belgian pale ale. Hotterbeex explained that it’s non-filtered so “if you see bits and pieces floating around, it’s totally normal because of the yeast.” Hotterbeex also explained that the yeast is there to give a little more flavoring to the beer. For me, Cuvée des Trolls tastes the way you would expect a typical beer to taste like. There’s nothing really special about it but with its full taste and 7% alcohol, it’s sure to satisfy your beer cravings.
The last one I tried was Barbãr Bok, the dark beer. The beer has an alcohol content of 8.5% but it’s based on malt, soft wheat, and honey so it still tastes sweet despite its strength. What I loved about Barbãr Bok is actually the story behind its use of honey. The Belgians used to drink alcohol similar to beer that is based on honey, but nowadays it’s too expensive to make. Barbãr Bok has a picture of a barbarian on its label to remind the Belgians of their ancestors.
Beer and Cheese
Unlimited Belgian Beers was truly a memorable night. With six free-flowing beers to choose from and a buffet of Swiss cuisine, what more can you possibly ask for? The next time you drop by Old Swiss Inn, make sure to try out their sausages. Don’t forget to check their website as well to get updates on events such as this one!
Old Swiss Inn’s Famous Sausages
Les Deux Belges imports high-quality, premium Belgian beers in Manila. Over the years, Les Deux Belges has partnered with hotels and restaurants including Old Swiss Inn. Les Deux Belges is also partners with Drinkka.com, a beverage delivery service to all areas within Metro Manila. Make sure to check out their website since they have promos such as a buy 3 get 1 on Les Deux Belges’ Blanche de Bruxelles.
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www.lesdeuxbelges.com
www.oldswissinn.com
www.drinkka.com
