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Happy holidays from EarBlitz! New episodes will be coming in the new year.
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Zythology: Mastering Belgian Beer
The quest to experience legendary Belgian beer sometimes leads to unexpected revelations - like the existence of a profession called zythology. Zythologists are essentially master beer sommeliers, and their existence - which is relatively new - is incredibly meaningful for a variety of reasons.
Join host Nate Cairney as he digs into the subject of zythology and why it is matters in the context of Belgian beer. Along the way, you’ll meet Belgian zythologist Sofie Vanrafelghem, who will help illuminate what, exactly, zythology is, why Belgian beer deserves a place at the same culinary table as French wine, and why it is so important to dispel myths about women and beer.
Helpful Links:
Sofie’s World - Belgian Beer Expert Sofie Vanrafelghem
U.S. Craft Beer Institute - About Cicerones
UNESCO and Belgian Beer Culture
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St. Bernardus: History and Mystery in Watou
Show NotesWith a range of excellent beers that consistently show up on “best of" lists around the world, St. Bernardus is a strong Belgian brewery. Yet its history is inextricably linked to that of Trappist powerhouse Westvleteren, which has led many to wonder how - and how closely - the beers are related.
Join host Nate Cairney as he travels to the heart of Flemish Belgium to unravel some of the brilliant mysteries surrounding St. Bernardus. You’ll learn about the perfect beer for a cold, rainy day, the identity of the jolly man on St. Bernardus labels, the truth about the connection between Westvleteren and St. Bernardus, and why a place called Watou might just be better than DisneyWorld.
Helpful LinksSt. Bernardus Official Website
Bier! Magazine
Sofie’s World - Belgian Beer Expert Sofie Vanrafelghem
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Rochefort: the Power of Place and Silence
Show Notes:
Inside the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, located in the beautiful Ardennes Forest near Rochefort, Belgium, Trappist monks brew the Rochefort 6, 8, and 10 beers. But other than a small sign and a few dusty bottles behind one of the abbey windows, visitors might never know that this is the place that produces some of the most legendary beers in the world.This "silent approach" makes the quest to unravel the magic of Rochefort even more compelling. Join host Nate Cairney as he travels to a beautiful part of Belgium to seek a deeper understanding of the mysteries behind Rochefort - including why what you don’t see is sometimes the most important thing of all.
Helpful Links:
Saint-Rémy Abbey Brewery Sofie Vanrafelghem - Sofie’s World The Guardian - More on Rochefort and Water -
In honor of the Belgian Beer Quest Podcast series launch, we are inviting you to the Belgian Beer Quest Launch Party and Tasting at De Belgian Bistro in Weilerbach, Germany on November 7th, 2019. Host Nate Cairney will be on hand to talk to fans and pass on his knowledge of Belgian beer. We will also have a beer tasting with some little known Belgian beers and a few surprises along the way. Space is limited, so register today at https://earblitz.com/launchparty/.
We hope to see you there!
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Lindemans: the Magic of Lambic Beers
Show notes
Lindemans is one of Belgium’s oldest and most respected beer brands. Its lambic beers are world-famous, and the business has been run by a member of the Lindemans family for six generations - for almost 200 years.
Join host Nate Cairney as he delves into the Lindemans story, which is fascinating and fraught with adventure, persistence, happy accidents and innovation. You'll also learn more about an incredible - almost magical - process known as spontaneous fermentation, in which the success of a modern brewing operation relies on harnessing something…invisible.
Helpful Links:
Lindemans Beer
Spontaneously Fermented Belgian Beers
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Chimay: Big Beer, Bigger Heart
Show notes
In many ways, the story of Chimay is most unexpected. Chimay is a global brand. Its four beers are synonymous with excellence and available around the world. But at heart, the Chimay story is about how goodness is born, how it grows, and how it perseveres even through the darkest times.
Join host Nate Cairney as he delves into the amazing story of Chimay. Along the way, you’ll encounter refugee monks, the disappearance of a nearly century-old yeast, the importance of growth to giving back, and a pair of unlikely heroes who were given a quest that would change the way the world thought about Belgian beer.
Helpful Links:
Chimay Beer
International Trappist Association
All About Beer - Farewell to Fr. Theodore
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Inside the Golden Valley: Orval
Show notes
With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a compassionate Trappist heart, Orval may well be the most respected brewery in Belgium. Orval, with its one beer, is also reminiscent of a Zen - or Trappist - riddle. How can one thing, the one Orval beer, contain such multitudes?
Join Nate Cairney as he travels to the beautiful valley of Orval in a quest to see where one of the world’s best beers is made. Learn more about Orval’s fascinating history, forward-thinking monks, how a bottle can be beautiful, and the role that one gallant trout played in launching a legend.
Helpful Links:
Orval Abbey
International Trappist Association
Thomas Merton - Wikipedia
Breandán Kearney - Belgian Smaak website
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Return to Westvleteren
Show NotesOn a warm early summer day in Flanders, something extraordinary occurred. The cloistered monks at Westvleteren, who produce three legendary beers and who are famously reclusive, called a press conference. Something big was brewing.
Host Nate Cairney was fortunate enough to be invited to the press conference. Join him for a rare treat as Belgian Beer Quest enters the gates of the famous Westvleteren abbey. Along the way, you’ll learn more about Westvleteren’s big announcement and hear about a day when a simple Trappist monk was treated like a rock star.
Helpful Links:
Westvleteren Brewery
Rate Beer - Westvleteren Profile
Breandán Kearney - Belgian Smaak website
Bier! Magazine
Ear Blitz Website - Episode Page
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A Classic Belgian Brasserie: St. Feuillien
Show notesA Classic Belgian Brasserie: St. Feuillien St. Feuillien just may be the quintessential Belgian brewery. Named after an Irish monk who met a grisly end in a centuries-ago Belgian forest, St. Feuillien today offers a hand-crafted approach to brewing abbey-style ales, five generations of family ownership, a strong national reputation, a growing international reach, and a deep connection to the land around them.
In this episode, host Nate Cairney steps in to the St. Feuillien brewery for an inside look at how Belgian beer is made. Join him in his quest to learn more about the magic of beer science, the oddness of gigantic bottles, and one brewery’s effort to remain true to traditions in an increasingly modern world. Belgian Beer Quest is brought to you by Ear Blitz.
Helpful Links:
St. Feuillen Brewery
Breandán Kearney – Belgian Smaak website
Belgian Abbey Beers – Wikipedia
Ear Blitz Website - Episode Page
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Westvleteren 12 is consistently ranked one of the best beers – and often THE best – in the world by beer geeks, journalists, and aficionados.
Show notesProduction of Westvleteren 12 is incredibly limited: distribution is practically nonexistent. The only legal way to purchase it involves making a trip to a remote abbey in the rural north of Belgium. And, until recently, the only way to buy more than a few bottles at a time involved a phone call and the beer-buying equivalent of winning the lottery.
Join host Nate Cairney as he tries his hand at acquiring two cases of Westvleteren 12. Along the way, you’ll learn more about Belgium’s history, monks who resist supply and demand, the unexpected impact of the Internet, and the implications of being a beer pilgrim. Belgian Beer Quest is brought to you by Ear Blitz.
Helpful Links:
Westvleteren Brewery
Rate Beer - Westvleteren Profile
Breandán Kearney - Belgian Smaak website
Ear Blitz Website - Episode Page
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New Podcast Takes Listeners to Belgium to Illuminate Legendary Beers -
Ask many experts, and they’ll tell you that Belgium is to beer what France is to wine or what Scotland is to single malt whiskey - in other words, the best. However, many of the defining breweries in the small and often unassuming country remain shrouded in mystery.
Belgian Beer Quest is a new podcast that highlights the fascinating stories that define some of the top beers in the world. Hosted by Nate Cairney, each episode focuses on a single brewery or a theme related to Belgian beer, and uses a blend of storytelling, travel narrative, and expert interviews. During the first season, audiences will get an inside look at legendary labels like Westvleteren, Orval, Chimay, Lindemans, and others.
Belgian Beer Quest isn’t just for beer geeks, either. Though it respects the fundamentals of brewing, the series uses a multifaceted approach to reveal how history, war, religion, personality, economics and geography have helped shape contemporary Belgian beers. Listeners will also be introduced to aspects of beer culture that are uniquely Belgian, including austere Trappist abbeys, and breweries that defined now-global styles like tripel or saison.
Transcript Nate Carney: (00:06)
Since the beginning, humans have been defined by our quests. We search for meaning, for love, for excellence, for truth, for beauty, for the divine, and sometimes we find all of these things and more in unexpected places like say, in Belgium, and with beer. I'm Nate Carney, host of Belgian Beer Quest, a podcast about the people, places, histories and mysteries behind the legendary Belgian beers. I want to invite you to join me as we travel throughout Belgium, a small, beautiful and often unassuming country that has an unparalleled beer culture. I mean, Belgium is to beer what France is to wine or what Scotland is to single malt whiskey. It's the best. Along the way, we'll visit remote monasteries, charming villages, and rarely seen brewing operations, like the famed Westvleteren Abbey, were cloistered monks brew, extremely limited amounts of a beer that is often cited as one of the top, if not the top, beers in the world. Breanden Karney: (01:07) I'm inside the walls of the Abbey. There's a group of photographers surrounding Brother [Manu 00:00:01:11]. In the distance. I can see a tin roof covering thousands of bottles of Westvleteren. This is an incredible opportunity. Nate Carney: (01:19) You'll learn about Orval, the Trappist monastery, which produces a single amazing beer, is possibly the most respected brewery in Belgium and just might owe its existence to the most gallant medieval fish the world has ever known. Breanden Karney: (01:34) Legend has it that Matilda, an 11th century widowed Tuscan Royal, lost her wedding ring one day in a spring, in what is now Belgium. Distraught at her loss, she prayed for the ring's return. A gallant trout swam upward, ring in its mouth, causing the princess to exclaim that, "Truly, this place was a golden Valley," or as it would be said in French, "[French 00:01:58] Orval." Nate Carney: (01:59) You'll hear why a purchase of Chimay strikes a blow for good in the world. How Lindeman's Beers are something almost magical, why [St-Feuillien 00:02:07] may be the archetypal Belgian brewery and so much more. Together we'll journey into sometimes strange, often incredible, and always excellent, worlds of shiny steel, massive bottles, austere chapels and mad beer scientists. It's time to learn more about what makes Belgian beer so special. It's time for a quest, a Belgian beer quest. We can't wait to have you join us.
