Duchesse de Bourgonge

Duchesse de Bourgogne 6.5% ABV Flanders Red Ale, Tart Cherries, Slight Smoke, a True Living Legend

This beer was made to honor Mary of Burgundy, born 1457,  who died in a tragic horse riding accident.

A Flanders Red Ale is a style of beer characterized by a sour cherry flavor that is the result of spending extended time in barrels after the initial fermentations.  Although this sourness is not enjoyed by everyone, some find this beer exceedingly balanced and refreshing.

Grimbergen Dubbel

6.5% ABV Easy Drinking Chestnut Brown, Newcastlesque, Slightly Sweet with a Light Citrus Finish

The Abbey in Grimbergen first began brewing beer around 1128.  They became well known for providing their freshly brewed libations to visitors.

Grimbergen makes one of the few Dubbels we carry.  A Dubbel has gone through two fermentation processes resulting in a malty, but rarely bitter ale with thick rich head.

St. Feuillien Saison

6.5% ABV, World Beer Awards’ Best Saison in the World “2009”.

Saison, the latest in a long line of top-quality St-Feuillien beers, went into production in March 2009 at the request of the US market, where there is a big demand for this kind of “hoppy” beer that is so emblematic of the rich Belgian tradition.

As soon as it was launched in New York on 11 April, Saison was an instant success with consumers across the Atlantic, so much so that the launch of this new St-Feuillien product in Belgium was delayed by several weeks.

At the 2009 World Beer Awards held in London on July 30th, Saison was voted the “World’s Best Saison Ale”.

Rodenbach Grand Cru

6% ABV, Must Try Flanders Red Ale, Lightly Sour, Balsamic Sweet, Oak, French Kissing Carbonation, Quenchy.

Known as the “most refreshing beer in the world”, Rodenbach uses a blend of four malts in their double-decoction mash, along with 20 percent corn.

Rodenbach brews to two different gravities: the beer they use as their “young” blending beer is brewed to 11.5 Plato while their “aging” beer is stronger, at about 13 Plato. Brewers Gold and Kent Goldings are the two hop varieties used by Rodenbach, though the hopping levels are restrained. The beer is fermented with a house yeast strain that is said to be a complex blend of distinct cultures.

After fermentation, the beer is aged in oak for up to two years and in the wood, picks up additional microbes, including lactobacillus, which contribute to the sourness of the beer.

Koningshoeven Quadrupel

10% ABV, This Big Deep Amber Beer, with Rich Warming Flavor Might be the Best We’ve Got.

This Trappist ale hails from the Netherlands (shhhhh. I won’t tell if you don’t). When you taste this ‘Quad’ you’ll understand why we deviated from our model. Sometimes things are too good to pass up.

This beer is big, but balanced in way that every important element shines through without being understated. Rendered speechless!

Kwak

8% ABV, Very Effervescent Amber Ale with a Voluptuous Mouth Feel, Served in the “Coachman Glass”.

In Napoleon’s time, Pauvel Kwak was a brewer and innkeeper. Everyday mail coaches would stop by, but the coachmen were not allowed to leave the carriages to quench their thirst with the passengers.

Innovative as he was, Mr. Kwak developed a special glass that could be hung on the coach to keep the beer safe and the coachmen happy.

Lucifer

8% ABV, This classic Blonde Ale is a survivor, and very, very Duvelish to the point of Develish. But definitely Delish!

Do not fear the healthy supply of head bubbling up more than half of the goblet, embrace it!  This yeasty blonde ale finishes with a pleasant clean bitterness.  Produced by Het Anker, the same makers of Gouden Carolous.

Moinette Brune

8.5% ABV, Burnt Caramel Colored Ale, Made by Dupont with 4 special Malts.  Result: slightly bitter / tactful fruit.

La Chouffe

8% ABV, Easy Drinking, Golden “Farmhouse Ale”

Experience the Power of the Gnome! Known as the ‘nectar’ of The Ardenne Forest, this fantastic saison cannot be denied, by anyone.

In fact, we at the REFUGE cannot recall a time when someone did not love this ale. La Chouffe (The Gnome) was the real winner of the Battle of the Bulge.

Moinette Blonde

8.5% ABV, Lush Golden Ale with a Frothy Head That Slowly Dissipates Revealing Delicate Floral Hops.

Ever since its creation in 1955, this beer is considered as “the showpiece” of the brewery Dupont on the Belgian market. For centuries, the region where the brewery is situated, was pretty swampy, (swamp = marais (français moderne) = moëne (français ancient), so the name Moinette was linked to this “moëne region”.

Buffalo Stout

9% ABV, Extremely Balanced Belgian Stout, for Stubborn Guinness Converts.

In 1907 “Buffalo Bill’s” Circus from the US played on the town square of Saint-Lievens-Esse.

The brewery workers arranged for a young apprentice to watch over the brew kettles. He did, but he forgot to stir and Buffalo was born. The New Buffalo was created to commemorate 100th Anniversary of that event.

Leffe Blonde

6.6% ABV, Pours Golden Amber, “Ozone, After Rain”

Bananas, Spice, Extremely Nostalgic, Can’t Drink Just One.

This is a personal favorite of the owner, Matt Levin. Leffe Blonde was the first Belgian Beer he had ever tasted, and it was all uphill from there.

Leffe can be found in almost every brasserie in Paris, which is where Matt first sampled it’s splendor. No doubt, there are many out there that have had the same experience. Consequently, every sip of Leffe Blonde reminds of the existential dreaming that might of taken place on the sidewalks of Paris.

Tripel Karmeliet

8% ABV, Floral, Elegant, Orange Peel, Restrained Spice, Most Popular.

Enough cannot be said about this near-perfect Triple Ale. Since 1679, the monks of Karmeliet have been using the same three grains in their recipe: wheat, oats, and barley. This specific combination in conjunction with rose-like floral spice, makes this ale the most requested, day after day. Two points for tradition!

St. Bernardus ABT 12

10.5% ABV, Beastly, Roasty Brown, Lush, “A Must Try”, the Showpiece of the Brewery.

This is by far the most popular brown ale we sell at the REFUGE. It is so well-made that the massive alcohol content is barely detectable.

Water, pumped from 150 meters beneath the ground, is the basis for all St. Bernardus beers. It is considered the purest available. ABT 12 sits atop the hierarchy of the St. Bernardus catalog.

De Koninck Ale

5% ABV, the Pride of Antwerp, Clear Amber with Mild Hops.

There is nothing that comes close to describing the city of Antwerp like “a Bolleke of De Koninck Ale”.

Bolleke is the bowl-shaped glass in which this ultra-quenching ale is served. It has been one of our most popular beers since we’ve opened, mainly for it’s low alcohol content, lively taste, and velvet soft aroma.

Delirium Tremens

9% ABV, Belgian Strong Ale, Hazy Gold, Subtle, Sweetness, Ex-Champion.

Delirium Tremens unique taste and character are derived from the use of three different types of yeasts.

It is the ultimate gateway ale for the introduction to Belgian Beer. It’s famous ‘Pink Elephant’ logo emphasizes D.T.’s intent to conquer the world.

Allagash Curieux

11% ABV, Tripel Ale; Aged in Jim Beam Barrels for 8 Weeks; Soft Coconut and Vanilla with Bourbon.

There is nothing curious about this one. Allagash’s famed Tripel is literally transformed in the whiskey barrels. Zealots purport a belly-warming effect that only whiskey can promote. Fantastic pairing with our burgers!

Allagash White

5.0% ABV, Medium Bodied Wheat Beer with Delicate Spice.

Portland, Maine’s Response to Belgium! If we put an American Belgian on the list, you know it’s good.

Rob Tod, Brewmaster and owner of Allagash, is probably the most prolific producer in the States. Refreshing as a ‘White Beer’ should be, Allagash uses their own blend of spices which sets it apart from others in it’s class.

Hoegaarden

4.9% ABV, Classic Light Witbier, Made With Coriander and Orange Peel.

The Lightest, Most Citrusy of the Wheat Beers Named for the village in which it was brewed, Hoegaarden’s origins date back to 1445 and is considered the classic original in the ‘White Beer’ style.

Always refreshing, consumption is recommended on the hottest of days.