How to pour
an abbey beer in
Rinse the goblet with cold water and leave it wet. The head adheres better to a wet, cool glass, while grease or soap residue makes the foam collapse immediately. So do not dry the glass with a tea towel.
Hold the goblet at an angle of about forty-five degrees and pour gently against the inside wall. Keep pouring without stopping, because every interruption creates coarser foam. Do not let the bottle touch the rim of the glass.
Set the glass upright once it is about two-thirds full and pour the rest into the center of the beer. That is where the head builds up. In a wide goblet, two centimeters of foam above the beer is a good measure.
Many abbey beers undergo a second fermentation in the bottle and leave a layer of yeast on the bottom. Leave the last centimeter in the bottle if you want the beer clear, or swirl the bottle at the end if you want to include the yeast. Serve at 8 to 12 degrees.
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The story
Abbey beer is a name you buy on the label, not a certification covering the brewing location. A regular brewery makes the beer and uses the name of an abbey, sometimes under license from an abbey that still exists, and sometimes from one that no longer does. This is different from Trappist beer, for which the Authentic Trappist Product logo requires that the beer be brewed within the abbey walls, under the supervision of the monks, and that the proceeds go to the community. Belgium does have its own certification for abbey beer, Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier, which requires a connection to an existing or former abbey.
The right glass
Abbey beer almost always calls for a stemmed glass: a wide goblet or tulip-shaped glass that allows the aroma to linger, with a stem or foot so your hand does not warm the beer. Forty centiliters gives a 33 cl bottle room for a full head. The heavier, wider models are in the specialty beer glasses collection.
Onis Munique Beer Glass 40 cl on Stem (set of 6)
Arcoroc Cervoise Beer Glass 50 cl (set of 6)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
With an abbey beer, you need little alongside the glass; this is what we have on the same table: a jigger for measuring a shot of spirits precisely and cocktail picks for the cheese or sausage served alongside. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 71,85.
What do you serve alongside it?
The beer itself takes center stage here; this is what we serve alongside it. A glass of liqueur or amaretto after dinner complements the sweet, malty side of a dubbel. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair well with it and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Abbey beer mainly includes blond, dubbel and tripel, and some breweries also make a quadrupel or a brown ale. Blond is straw-yellow and dry, dubbel dark brown and malty with caramel and dried fruit, and tripel golden-blond and spicy due to the yeast. Alcohol content therefore roughly ranges from 6 to 7 percent for a blond to 8 to 9 percent for a tripel, and higher for a quadrupel. You also find the same style names among Trappist beers; they are not protected. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Serve abbey beer at 8 to 12 degrees. Straight from the refrigerator, it is too cold: you will smell little of the spicy and fruity character and mainly taste carbonation. Leave the goblet still for a moment after pouring, so the head can settle before you start.
Good to know
What abbey beer does and does not tell you
Abbey beer says something about the name and usually the style, but nothing about where the beer is brewed. The beer comes from a regular brewery. Sometimes there is a license from an existing abbey; sometimes it concerns an abbey that has disappeared and only the name lives on.
The Belgian quality label
In Belgium, there is the Recognized Belgian Abbey Beer quality label. To qualify, there must be a demonstrable connection with an existing or former abbey, the abbey must have control over the use of the name, and part of the proceeds must go to the abbey or a charitable cause. So it is stricter than simply putting an abbey name on the label, but it still says nothing about where the beer is brewed.
The difference from Trappist in one sentence
Trappist is about the place and where the money goes: within the abbey walls, under the monks' supervision, with proceeds going to the community and charitable causes. Abbey beer is about the name and the style. So an abbey beer can easily resemble a tripel without ever having been brewed anywhere near an abbey.
Why it almost always has a stem
A chalice or tulip glass on a stem keeps the aroma in the bowl of the glass and supports the head. The foot or stem keeps your hand away from the beer, which helps when drinking a beer at 8 to 12 degrees and not emptying it in a few gulps. It is also the shape most abbey breweries use to present their beer.
The layer of yeast on the bottom
Many abbey beers undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, leaving a thin layer of yeast behind. That's part of it. If you pour slowly and leave the last centimeter in the bottle, the beer stays clear; if you swirl the bottle at the end, it becomes cloudier and fuller in flavor.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is abbey beer?
Beer with an abbey name on the label, brewed by a regular brewery, sometimes under license from an existing or former abbey. The name says something about the origin of the recipe and the style, not where the beer is brewed.
What is the difference between abbey beer and Trappist beer?
Trappist is a designation of origin: the beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, under the supervision of the monks, and the proceeds must go to the community and good causes. Abbey beer has no such requirement; it is about the name and the style. In the glass, they often look alike.
Is there a quality mark for abbey beer?
Yes, in Belgium: Recognized Belgian Abbey Beer. This requires a demonstrable link with an existing or former abbey, the abbey's say over the use of the name, and part of the proceeds going to the abbey or a good cause. It still says nothing about where the beer is brewed.
Which styles are considered abbey beer?
Especially blond, dubbel and tripel, and some breweries also produce a quadrupel or a bruin. Blond is roughly 6 to 7 percent, while a tripel is 8 to 9 percent. Serve them in a chalice on a stem at 8 to 12 degrees.
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