The Return of the Belgian Beer Fest
The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts
September 26 & 27
$40-$50 (tickets for session two sold out)

Will Meyers is head brewer at Cambridge Brewing Company, and he'll be speaking at the Belgian Beer Fest's Night of the Funk this Friday. Chatting up Meyers at an epic brewer's dinner a few weeks back, Bostonist learned that CBC has been making Belgians since before it was cool. We emailed him (after sobering up a bit) to continue the conversation about Belgians, and Brettanomyces anomalous, and monks.

How long has Cambridge Brewing Company been brewing Belgian-style beers?

We first brewed our famous Tripel Threat in 1990. Michael Jackson has credited CBC with being the first brewery in the country to make a Belgian-style beer. The credit goes to Darryl Goss, CBC's first Head Brewer. Since then we've continued our string of Belgian-style ales with Abbey Normal (a dubbel), Saison du CBC, HalfWit, Benevolence, Resolution, and many more. In fact we keep something Belgian-style or Belgian-influenced on full time on one of our rotating taps.

You're scheduled to speak at the Night of the Funk. Have you ever encountered a beer too funky for your taste?

When I first experienced lambic beer I was warned that it would be the weirdest thing I'd probably ever put in my mouth to that point. I actually loved it and found the beer (Cantillon's Rose du Gambrinus) absolutely wonderful!

Too funky? Never. Not good in the first place? Well, yes, it happens. There are some pretty mis-directed train-wreck beers out there. I'd rather not name names, though.

The CBC beers for Friday night's session (Samson, Delilah, and Funky Bitch) sound awesome. What are the "traditional brewing herbs" you're using? What's Brettanomyces anomalous like?

Glad you find them alluring. Traditional brewing herbs are things like sweet gale, yarrow, wild rosemary, heather flowers, licorice root, stinging nettle, wormwood, woodruff, the list goes on. These herbs have been used in brewing for thousands of years, long before the advent of hops and their eventual replacement of these other plants.

Brett. anomalous is a wonderful "wild" yeast, which can contribute tropical fruit character (pineapple, peach, passionfruit) in aroma and flavor, plus produce some acidity which can balance residual sweetness in a beer. It's a much more delicate contributor than Brett. bruxellensis or B. lambicus, which offer more earthy/barnyard-y character.

Is there a particular style or specific beer that you'd recommend for someone who's new to Belgian beers? (What was the first one you had?)

One of the earliest Belgian beers I tried was the Monk's Pale Ale from Corsendonk. Delicious, light, but very complex.

I have three to recommend, though—Duvel, which is a pale golden color (not scary), very crisp and dry, but incredibly complex. Sure to be a pleasant surprise to someone who's never tasted beer beyond macro and yellow. Allagash White, which is loaded with fresh flavors and aromas of orange/citrus peel and coriander spiciness, and is also nice and dry in the finish. Saison Dupont, the classic, with a subdued hoppiness and lovely earthy/herbal finish. If there were someone who liked wine but not beer, I'd turn them on to DeuS, which is a strong blonde ale (similar to Duvel) but bottled "Méthode Champenoise" and has a crisp, bright character really brought out by the exceptional carbonation. Champagne for beer lovers, and vice versa.

What's up with monks and beer?

Monks throughout Europe were responsible for maintaining written knowledge through the Dark Ages, as well as for practically saving civilization through beer. During these times of poor sanitation and plagues, it was the monks who discovered that beer was safe to drink when water sources were not, and when they'd fast they would still drink beer. As monasteries were completely self-sufficient, they grew crops, raised livestock, and brewed beer as staples for their own survival.

Into the twentieth century the Benedictine monks in Belgium and the Netherlands were still brewing, and are credited with creating the beer styles we now call Dubbel and Tripel (as well as Single, and now Quadrupel). These names refer to strength of the beer, with Single being the everyday table tipple, and the others reserved for fasting times or celebrations. These Trappist brewers have their own appellation, and no one brewing beers of this style can call their beer "Trappist beer" unless they are of the monastic order. Secular brewers must instead call their beers "Abbey" or "Abbey-style."

Of the breweries, brewers, and brews at the Belgian Beer Fest, which are you most looking forward to?

I'm a HUGE fan of New Belgium, Russian River, and Lost Abbey, so I'll check their beers out first. I'm very interested in beers from breweries making their first appearances at the Fest, like the Bruery.

Also Duvel (premiering on draft for the first time ever), Allagash Interlude, Brooklyn's Flemish Gold, Nøgne-Ø Saison, Norrebro Bryghus' Olde Odense, and Stone's Belgian IPA. It wouldn't be a Belgian Fest for me without a taste of Orval, Oerbier from De Dolle, and some of Ommegang's Hennepin.

Pictured: Settling up at Cambridge Brewing Co.