Ask the Mad Beer Man

Last week I had a reader ask me what the beer was that they talked about on Zane's (of Three Sheets) trip to the Delirium Cafe in Belgium. They weren't allowed to say the name of the beer or who brewed it, and by the looks of it they never even drank it. During the episode a few clues were dropped, and fortunately they displayed three bottles - without any labels. One had a green cap, one had a blue cap and the third had a yellow cap. Just like the ones in the picture below...

Thanks to the glory of HD DVR, my dazzling investigative skills (honed from 10 years of being a private investigator no doubt), and the Internet... the beer Zane wasn't even allowed to drink came from the Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium. Founded in 1838, it resides inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren.

The brewery currently brews three beers:

• Westvleteren Blonde (green cap) - at 5.8% ABV.
• Westvleteren 8 (blue cap) - (formerly Extra) at 8% ABV.
• Westvleteren 12 (yellow cap) (formerly Abt), a 10.2% ABV.

As Francois (the bartender at the Delirium Cafe) said, you can only get one case and you have to actually go to the abbey to get the beer. And he's right. Since September 2006 you can only get one case per car license plate. And that one crate must be reserved via their "beerphone" (+32 (0)70 21 00 45) beforehand. The monks absolutely will not sell any beer if you just drive up hoping to get some.

So there ya go! The wife and I (along with what may be several more folks from the Extraordinary League of Drinkers) are planning on going to Oktoberfest in 2010, and part of that sojourn will include a trip to Belgium... and the Delirium Cafe.