Home About Beer No cock in cockt-ale

No cock in cockt-ale

0


I have tasted a cockt-ale and after drinking three mixed by Damien Baert I am a convert. No, that that cock ale, an atrocious concoction made in 17th-18th-century England with ale, a boiled cock, fruit and spices. Boy, the beer must have been that bad.

No, this is a modern day cocktail with no poultry involved. In the version Baert made at Brouwerij Lindemans in Vlezenbeek, Belgium I tried the Smokey Faro, a superb mix of 20 ml fresh lime juice, 20 ml simple sugar syrup, 20 ml of mezcal, shaken together and into which was then poured about 125 ml of Lindemans Faro.

Baert is owner of l’Antidote Café and La Cuve à Bière in Namur. Mmm…mmm…good. Then I tried the Pecheresse Julep, which mixed the lime and simple syrup with 20 ml of Scotch whisky or bourbon and 125 ml of Lindemans Pecheresse. I can say it is the only time I have enjoyed a Pecheresse, which is slightly too cloying for my taste buds.

Biking and beer

These drinks were a refreshing end to a 20 km bike ride from Brussels to the brewer in Vlezenbeek, during the annual bicycling event held by Lindemans on the annual car free Sunday, 22 September.

I had a great bike ride with my son and a friend  from Place Royale in Brussels to the brewery, though the Zenne valley and Pajottenland to Vlezenbeek, in the Flemish Brabant southwest of Brussels.

The bike tour and events at Place Royale and at the brewery were organised. The route was clearly marked. A booklet pointed out the Art Nouveau buildings along the way.

Someone from the brewery even checked that I had found a way back home on public transport: I had made an initial query on Messenger before the event on how to get back to Brussels from the brewery. Much appreciated.

Where the wild things are

The Zenne area in Brussels and Pajottenland are where all the wild yeasts are for Belgian spontaneous brewing: Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus.

Lindemans grew out of a small brewing operation on the family’s farm in 1822. The brewery is now run by brothers Dirk and Geert and in 2017 reported producing 104,000 hectolitres of lambics and gueuzes , 63% of which is exported.

The original cock ale

“Take 10 gallons of ale and a large cock, the older the better; parboil the cock, flay him, and stamp him in a stone mortar until his bones are broken (you must gut him when you flay him). Then, put the cock into two quarts of sack, and put to it five pounds of raisins of the sun – stoned; some blades of mace, and a few cloves. Put all these into a canvas bag, and a little before you find the ale has been working, put the bag and ale together in vessel.” from Charlie Papazian’s “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing,” and originally from “The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt. Opened,” 1677. From Kaiser Penguin

Photos: Lindemans Lambic Tour 2019

Links

6 cockt’ales from Lindemans

Brouwerij Lindemans

Brettanomyces Project

 

 

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments