Cantillon brewery

[joeyz6]

While in Brussels last month I visited the Cantillon brewery, the last remaining brewery on the planet (so they say) that still uses the process called spontaneous fermentation to make beer. Apparently this means they use wild yeast. In any case, it's the most unique-tasting beer I've ever had, that's for sure. I've always loved Belgian beer, so this is just another example. And you can find in the States -- I've already found it in two stores here. It's a bit expensive (about 10-12 dollars for a 750-ml bottle) but worth the price in my opinion. They make a regular gueuze, plus a "vigneronne" (flavored with grapes) and a kriek (flavored with cherries). There might be other flavors I'm not familiar with.

On a related note, I tasted barleywine for the first time the other day. Also a very unique taste. It was from a small, organic microbrewery in Milwaukee called Lakefront.