Belgian Golden Strong Ale — Duvel and Its Descendants

Duvel was created in 1923 at the Moortgat family brewery in Breendonk, Belgium, inspired by a Scottish ale. The Scottish-inspired recipe was transformed by the Belgian yeast culture into something entirely Belgian in character. The name 'Duvel' (devil) was coined by glassblower Albert De Laet in 1923 after tasting the beer.

Belgian Golden Strong Ale is one of the world's most deceiving beer styles — a beer of brilliant golden colour, fine champagne-like bubbles, and such deceptive drinkability that the style's most famous expression, Duvel (Dutch/Flemish for 'Devil'), was reportedly given its name when a glassblower tasted it and exclaimed it was 'a devil of a beer.' At 8.5% ABV, Duvel looks and feels like a refreshing golden ale but packs a significant alcoholic punch behind its dry, fruity, and spicy character. The style is defined by: high carbonation creating a dense, creamy foam head; a dry, clean palate with minimal residual sweetness; fruity esters (pear, banana, citrus) and spicy phenols from the specific Belgian yeast strain; and a deceptively drinkable profile that masks the high alcohol. Duvel, Delirium Tremens (Huyghe Brewery), and Deus (Bosteels, bottle-refermented in the Champagne method) represent the quality hierarchy.

FOOD PAIRING: Belgian Golden Strong's fruity, dry character makes it remarkably food versatile from the Provenance 1000 recipes: Fruits de Mer (shellfish platter — the carbonation and dryness are ideal), Moules-Frites, Grilled Sea Bass, Lobster with Herb Butter, White Asparagus (Duvel's fruitiness mirrors the asparagus), Soft Goat's Cheese, Belgian Waffles with Fresh Fruit.