Belgians love beer. Moreover, they love and know how to make good beer, so drink only their own. In this small country that is 500, if 600 different brands of beer - all you can not even count them accurately. Some of them are 400-500 years old. Virtually all the world's beer production technology can be reduced to two basic schemes, depending on the role of yeast in fermentation. The so-called "fermentation" takes place at room temperature, added with the yeast rises to the surface of the future of beer. Thus doing, let's say, "English" beers - ale, porter and others. Belgian Trappist monks have long been doing its own version under the name of ale Trappiste. There are only five "legitimate" makes this beer, which meets all the requirements - Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren, all the rest - impostors. It turns out very dense and strong (more than 6% alcohol by volume, sometimes even up to 9%) and slightly bitter. Light yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle is rich in vitamin B. It is recommended to drink beer at a temperature of 12-15o, that is a little cold compared to room temperature. Open the bottle and pour a drink should be very careful not to shake the fortified sediment, which then finishes knowledgeable people, for dessert. Abbaye, that is, "Abbey" beer - a broader category than trappiste. Typically, this beer has some sort of monastic background, but is now without the participation of the monks. A typical example - a famous brand and we have Leffe. Sometimes a beer dobrazhivaet and matures in the bottle directly. It goes well with meats and cheeses. Technology "bottom fermenting" is most common in our days, in which case the process occurs at low temperature (6-8 ° C), and the yeast settles to the bottom of the tank. So do many bright "camp" (from the word lager - "store") beers, "Pilsen" type (pils or pilsener). This beer in Belgium, about a hundred different brands, they make up about three-quarters of total production, the most famous of them - Stella Artois and Jupiler. But the most interesting Belgian beer - this is his special, special types. So, in typical production area of ​​wheat and barley in Brussels beer "lambic" (lambic, sometimes spelled lambik) uses a technology called natural fermentation. With this technology work, natural yeast, always existing in the atmosphere. Historically, the most ancient method of brewing, but with time people hit upon the use of cultured yeast. Incidentally, in the immortal paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Elder Flemish population of the XVI century was drinking beer "lambic". Natural fermentation takes time, "young" beer "lambic" is obtained only after 3-6 months, more mature requires exposure of 2-3 years. Because of this, the Belgian brewer needs huge storage rooms and cellars for aging and storage of their products. Barrels are usually purchased from producers in Portugal this porto. Matured "lambic" is different apparent sherry tones, striking for beer. In general, "lambic" reputation rural, patriarchal drink with the aroma of young mead or cider, experts call this fresh yeast flavor "cheese." Despite the overall advances in technology in modern breweries, production of "lambic offshore companies" in the summer months is suspended due to the inability to strictly control the temperature regime of natural fermentation.