It's spring time in Brussels

Now that the weather is getting a little nicer, people are taking advantage of every little bit of sun. The brasseries and cafes have set out their table and chairs and Belgians are enjoying consecutive days filled with partly sunny or overcast skies. Belgians always talk about the crappy weather. With the spring around the corner, people are beginning to mill around sidewalks, bus stops and random pretty squares eating their baguettes and chocolates. WIth warmer weather comes increased thirst. I noticed lately that people drink cans of beer here like they would a sip Coke Cola riding the New York City subway. No one bothers to hide their little Jupiler cans or Stella Artois beer bottles. I am not sure if this is legal but in New York if you drink from a paper bag chances are you are a lush or homeless person. Just the other day, two men were standing in the middle of a random street, talking and chugging a beer. I just continued to walk down the street with my pram without a worry. Afterall, maybe that's the Belgian way.

The picture above is a mini Jupiler can. Isn't it cute? It is perfect size for the lunch box!! The mini can holds enough beer to quench your thirst but not enough to make you look like some functioning alcoholic!

In honor of the warm weather, I am going to review one of my favorite beers- Lindeman's Apple. This beer is unique as it is a lambic. Lambics, according to the beer bible ALL BELGIAN BEERS (a simple name but an extensive encyclopedia of hundreds of Belgian brews) defines a Lambic as "one of the oldest beers (early middle ages) with ageing hops. Micro-organisms that are present in the air between November and March start the spontaneous fermentation of the wort. The beer matures for months or years in oak wood barrels where the secondary fermentation with the Brettanomyces Lambicus and Bruxellenis begins, giving the Lambic its dry-sour character. Foamless beer." To my sophisticated palatte, this beer tastes like a dry crisp cider. With only 3.5% alcohol, it can give you a buzz if drunk on an empty stomach. The Lindeman's Apple, is one beer that I buy all the time and I look forward to drinking it on my little balcony overlooking the parliment on a warm afternoon.