Whenever I’m asked what my favorite beer is, I don’t really have a good answer.  Sure, I’m a Hophead (and s Stouthead, and a Sourhead) but I really enjoy all styles of beer.  So selecting just one favorite from the vast ocean of choices out there is a rather daunting, if not impossible task.  My ‘favorite’ beer is the freshly poured one in front of me, which I’m enjoying at this very moment.  Beyond that, I really don’t think declaring a favorite matters much.

That doesn’t mean I don’t prefer certain styles over others.  In general, I’m much more of an Ale drinker than a Lager drinker.  That can probably be said for most craft beer fans too, since the vast majority of craft beers out there are Ales (though there are some very fine craft Lagers out there too).  I’m starting to wonder if that attitude isn’t becoming more prevalent across the nation as well, as evidence by Budweiser’s falling sales and craft beer, for the first time ever, reaching double digits in market share.

Beveridge Place Pub Owner Gary Sink

Beyond IPAs, Stouts (especially bourbon barrel aged Stouts) and Sours (which includes some of the styles listed below), one of my favorite style categories is Belgian (and French) Ales.  The ‘Belgian’ style encompasses a wide range of sub-styles including: Witbier, Saison, Biere de Garde, Flanders Red, Flanders Brown, Lambic (both straight and fruit varieties), Gueuze, Belgian Blonde, Dubbel, Tripel (and now even Quadrupel), Golden Strong and Golden Dark.  When done right, Belgians can be some of the most delicious beers in the World.  I’m still looking forward to the day when my wife and I can make a trip to Belgium ourselves to have them at the source.

Beveridge Place Pub’s Knowledgeable & Friendly Server: Robert Farris

If you’re a fan of Belgian beers too, then you’ll want to spend some time at Beveridge Place Pub this April.  Starting on April 1st and running the entire Month, Beveridge Place is hosting a special Belgian Beer Month.  This is an event they used to run back at the ‘old place’ (before Beveridge Place moved to their current location), and they’ve decided to bring it back.  For the entire month of April, they’ll have 12 taps dedicated to delicious Belgian beer.  Styles will run the gamut from Wits and Quads to Lambics and Sours.  Selections will include beers from Belgium as well as local breweries that are doing Belgian beers right.

Belgian Beer Month is replacing another month-long event called IPApril, which Beveridge Place has hosted for several years.  Why the change?

According to Beveridge Place Pub Owner Gary Sink:

We decided that hopheads get their fix year round, and especially during HOPtoberfest, so we’re reviving a theme we used to run in May (pre-Seattle Beer Week).

If you’re new to Belgian beers, that’s no problem.  The staff at Beveridge Place are very friendly and knowledgeable.  So don’t be afraid to ask if you have any questions about what they have on tap.  Be sure to come back more than once too, since the 12 taps they’ll have dedicated to Belgian beers will continually rotate throughout the month as the kegs blow and new beers come on tap.  Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite style or two in the process.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.