St. Bernardus Tripel + Lighter Chicken Divan

• "He  who  drinks  beer  sleeps  well. 
  He  who  sleeps  well  cannot  sin. 
  He  who  does  not  sin  goes  to  heaven. 
  Amen." -- Unknown  German  Monk

Amen!

Today I am focusing on the Belgian brewery, St. Bernardus. 

Located in Watou, Belgium, St. Bernardus has been brewing beer since the mid-1940's. Before beer, cheese was their main source of profit.
Beer and cheese makers...men after my own heart!

The coolest part of their history is that up until 1992, the head brewer from St. Sixtus Westvleteren was a partner in the brewery and used the Westy yeast strain as the house strain. The same recipes are used to this day! I've never acquired a beer from the Brouwerij de Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren because they are very sought after and hard to get, so I am glad to have an idea of what they taste like thanks to St. Bernardus!

There are currently 11 breweries who are considered Trappist breweries.
​St. Bernardus is technically NOT a Trappist product. Why? There are several stipulations to follow in order to be a Trappist beer, but one reason they are not is because the beer is not brewed within the walls of a monastery. But that's ok!

​​Do you see the light shining down on this nectar from Heaven? 


It pours a bronze-gold and forms a pillowy frothy head of foam that takes several minutes to settle down. 


The first taste is an explosion of mouth filling flavors: spice cake, slight banana, clove, fresh bread. The carbonation is prickly on the palate while the flavors carry over the tongue and ending in a zip of refreshing bitterness. 


Thou shalt not have just one sip!

This recipe was adapted from Paula Deen (can you believe it?). It's rich with flavors of chicken, mushrooms, broccoli and sharp cheddar with a rich sauce made from cream of mushroom and greek yogurt. Bread crumbs on top add a crispy texture to contrast the creaminess. I highly recommend it! It's even better the next day for lunch or dinner!

The rich fruity and spicy flavors of the beer complement the rich flavors of the food while the dry element of the beer helps cut thru all that richness. Thanks to the high carbonation, that acts as scrubbing bubbles to the palate, cleansing the creaminess from it preparing your mouth for another tasty bite! The bubbles also help lift the fat from the palate making the food feel less heavy. 

A Tripel is a very versatile food beer. Great with chicken, pork or salmon dishes, anything rich and creamy, pastas with white sauce. There are several different ways you could go with this beer.

In wine terms, you could think of it as a sparkling wine or Champagne. I would love to start a party by handing out flutes of this beer!

I just may do that soon.....

:D

​LanaDelBeer