BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: "My 10 wishes for beer in 2020," by Stephen Beaumont.

Stephen Beaumont is a Canadian beer, spirits and food writer. I like his style, and he has uncommonly sensible things to say about beer, as with this list appearing at his Twitter account on New Year's Eve. The list scores nine of ten with me in terms of symmetry (I abstain from #5, as I've had few Latin American beers of the sort he cites).

His web site

My 10 wishes for beer in 2020, a thread:

1) That breweries large and small begin focusing more on quality control so that we eliminate beers with massive chunks floating in them, swollen cans, beers that taste like butterscotch or balsamic vinegar, and so on. 1/11

2) That people stop screaming about market saturation and the falling sky. Yes, growth in what we call ‘craft beer’ is way down, but it is still growth in an overall declining market. That is a good thing. 2/11

3) That beer consumers start prizing flavour and character over rarity. And remember that while drinking local is a very good thing, it should not be pursued at the expense of experiencing all the greatness the beer world has to offer. 3/11

4) That beer festivals continue their nascent trend towards becoming smaller and more carefully organized, with fewer breweries and fewer brands per brewery and more emphasis on quality and excitement. 4/11

5) That more people, especially those in Mexico and South America, discover the amazing things brewing in Latin America, which for my money is probably the most exciting beer market in the world today. 5/11

6) That more breweries operating tap rooms realize that in so doing they are in the hospitality game, and start creating spaces in keeping with that understanding. Also, treating their customers with respect and appreciation. 6/11

7) That beer drinkers, young and old, discover or rediscover how wonderful many old school beers were and still are. And that sometimes forgotten styles like porter, brown ale, bock and others stage a comeback. 7/11

8) That fining and filtration stop being viewed as sins. Yes, hazy works, cloudy works, but there is also nothing wrong with a brilliantly clear beer. 8/11

9) That ‘Beer Twitter’ and other social media stops being so much “I’m right and you’re wrong’ and grows more ‘That’s an interesting view, here’s my take on it.’ 9/11

10) And finally, that everyone who is interested, regardless of age or gender or colour or language, feels comfortable entering a bar or restaurant or taproom or festival and ordering a beer without being in any way diminished for it. 10/11

Happy new year, everyone, and all the best for 2020. May your beer choices always meet your expectations and your glassware be forever ‘beer clean’! 11/11

SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS: Carrier squab just doesn't have the same ring.

Shane's at home making money, and I'm in Belgium spending it ... on youthful pigeons?

The book is called Cooking with Belgian Beers, with recipes by Stefaan Couttenye, owner of 't Hommelhof restaurant in Watou, Belgium. When it comes to local Westhoek foodstuffs, it's best to keep an open mind -- not to mention mouth.

What Is Squab? (D'Artagnan)

Squab are young pigeons that have never flown. For thousands of years, they have been a favorite meal for every stratum of society throughout the world. They were unequivocally the first domesticated poultry, even preempting chicken.

This may surprise twenty-first century Americans. More often we think of pigeons as annoying denizens of city monuments and buildings. In fact, these are rock doves, a relative of pigeons, and far less edible. Yet squab is considered a most exquisite ingredient in cuisines as distinct as Cantonese, Moroccan and French. The simple reason for squab’s universal appeal is the delicate, succulent flesh, truly unlike that of any other bird. Squab is a dark-meat bird, like duck and goose, yet the meat is not nearly as fibrous, rendering it far more tender. Its flavor, when properly cooked, is a lush, rich essence, reminiscent of sautéed foie gras, albeit with more texture.

Thanks to MW for reminding me that life's all about how you sell it. Let's hope someone at Gospel Bird takes note.

As you read these winged words, our time in Poperinge (with Watou nearby) is through, but if squab made it onto the personal menu card, I'll tell you about it later.