From 2005: "TRAVEL PRELUDES: Poperinge and a date with Westvleteren."

I'm sore because the pandemic postponed Poperinge's Beer and Hop Festival, and so this week I'll be flooding the blog pages with reruns of past visits, such as I can remember them. They never taught memory loss at beer pioneer school.

Three views from 2005. Diana and I rode into Poperinge from the coast; we stayed in Ieper and rode the train back and forth to the hop fest.

Guy, the co-owner (with his wife Bea) of the Palace Hotel, was serenaded on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

Hops on the cycling route into Poperinge.

One slice of color from the parade.

In 2005 Diana realized she liked beer after all. Certain kinds, that is. The revelation came in Brugge, when she absconded with my Trappist ale, a Rochefort 10, during our session at t' Brugs Beertje.

Hence this dispatch from Poperinge, where she closed the deal. It was dated September 22, 2005 and written following our return home for publication at The Potable Curmudgeon.

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In the grand tradition of beer advertising, we've chosen a beautiful woman to display the product being touted.



Trust me - it's really Westvleteren 12, the beer that “disappeared” from circulation when it was selected as the best beer in the world by readers of RateBeer.com.

Not that it was easy to find, even in Belgium ... even where it is brewed.

The Cafe de Vrede, across the lane from the Sint Sixtus Abbey, was closed for its annual autumn break, which seems usually to occur at the very same time that beer lovers gather in nearby Poperinge for the triennial hop festival. We biked past the venue, and as my old friend Barrie would say, paused to kiss the lock on the door before proceeding into town.

Arriving at the marvelous Hotel Palace in Poperinge, we found no Westvleteren at that estimable cafe; actually, it wasn't clear whether Guy had had any from the start, or whether his stock already was depleted by the time we checked on Saturday.

Cafe de la Paix? Fine food and a great beer selection, but no, not there, either.

Then on Sunday, in preparation for the parade, we dined at the Poussecafe, located just up Ieperstraat from the Palace, and the elusive Trappist elixir was right there, printed on the paper menu, in full view.

I asked the server, who proved to be the owner Kurt, "Do you really have this beer in stock?"

He shrugged and replied: "It wouldn't be listed if I didn't."

An incredible lunch followed, and the food was good, too, but I still prefer Rochefort 10, with Westvleteren a close second.

Later, comfortably seated along the parade route, I was introduced to a great new way to enjoy Poperings Hommelbier.



Pitch the lemons and limes, and go back to the basics.

From 2014: Poperinge pairings, tattoos and a meal to remember."

I'm being petulant because the pandemic postponed Poperinge's triennial Beer and Hop Festival, and so this week I'll be flooding the blog pages with reruns of past visits. Here's a throwback to 2014.

Remember the rainbow? By Saturday morning, Poperinge was clear and temperate, and the tasting stations were operating on the Grote Markt. Those wishing to sample would buy a small glass (to keep or bring back for a refund) and tokens, then redeem the tokens for beer and food portions. Only those beers certified as using Belgian-grown hops were on the list. Local chefs conjured interesting dishes, including a Waterzooi soup using stock made with dry-hopped Poperings Hommelbier.

Before the merriment could start in earnest, there was a cash flow issue to be resolved.

In the afternoon, something new for me: A marching band "tattoo."

For those doubting its place as part of a hops festival, consider the definition:

The word "Tattoo," is derived from "Doe den tap toe", or just "tap toe" ("toe" is pronounced "too"), the Dutch for "Last orders". Translated literally, it means: "close the (beer) tap". The term "Tap-toe" was first encountered by the British Army when stationed in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succession.

The beer taps were not closed prior to the tattoo's commencement. Somewhere behind the throng is a beer trailer.

Four marching bands participated, and the tattoo was far more enjoyable than I'd have imagined.

Saturday was slated as the occasion for our blow-out meal, and as usual, Café de la Paix was chosen as the venue. You can read a full description of my religious experience here.

Poperinge Hop Parade: Now THIS is what I'm talking about.

Thanks, Jeff Gillenwater.

The video depicts highlights of the hops parade in Poperinge, Belgium in 2014. The hops festival there takes place every third year, meaning it's due again in 2020. You'll notice no sirens, police cars, municipal suck trucks, monster rigs, militia jeeps or deafening fire trucks; instead, there are actual humans, many of them walking, some on horseback or in wagons.

Taken as a whole, Poperinge’s hop festival is a recurring delight. This small provincial town possesses a self-image second to none, and the three-day event reflects a much appreciated commitment to local values.

Hop-related events and related revelry take place throughout the festival weekend, but the highlight is the Sunday parade through the tidy streets. The parade actually tells a story, with an accompanying libretto of sorts printed in several languages, periodic chapter markers, and a refreshing absence of commercial considerations.

The story concerns the history of brewing, the history of the hop, and its importance to the Poperinge economy. Onlookers meet the enemies of the hop -- for instance, brightly festooned children as beetles -- and the plant’s friends, other whistling children dressed as birds.

It is delightful. Here are a few links from past parades. Since 1999, I've missed only one of them (2011), and plan are underway for next year.

The 2017 Poperinge Hop Parade, Part One: One must pour the proper foundation for maximum parade enjoyment.

The 2017 Poperinge Hop Parade, Part Two: The procession itself, and where to dine afterward.

2014 Euro Reunion Tour, Day 12.5: The story of hops in parade format.

PRESS RELEASE: "Let’s go to the hops."

Hops are a boy's best friend.

The 2017 Poperinge Hop Parade, Part Two: The procession itself, and where to dine afterward.

Poperinge's triennial hop parade seeks to tell the story of the magic cone used in the production of beer, as placed in the historical context of the Westhoek ("west corner") region of Flanders, embracing this vicinity in Belgium as well as a slice of nearby France.

I've long since ceased trying to follow the parade's narrative. Clearly, scores of local children are portraying friends and enemies of the hop; certain insects are bad, but the birds that eat them are good, and so on.

The growing and harvesting cycles are depicted. Adults pretend to be monks and migrant workers. There are floats, brass bands, horses, dogs and even sheep. It is a brightly colored and enthusiastic assemblage, perhaps because it takes place only every third year, providing ample burnout recovery time.

The parade winds through the streets for close to two hours, and these days our chosen vantage point lies near the end of the route. It's the Poussecafé at Ieperstraat 45, a decades-old offshoot of the original Vandecasteele family business, a scrumptious bakery founded right before World War I.

As in 2014, we arrived early for lunch this year, then moved outdoors for front-row seats. When the weather is fair and the Keikoppen (cobblestone heads) of all ages line the streets, the parade is massively entertaining, and frankly has improved over the time I've been watching it. It's great fun, and best accompanied with locally brewed ales: St. Bernardus, Van Eecke and De Plukker, to name only three.

Earlier in the day, we chanced upon Popernicus, the festival's official mascot.

Popernicus appeared again at the head of the gala. Absent any effort to explain, following are photos of the 2017 parade, arranged chronologically.

At parade's end, our most logical destination was the Grote Markt for a final dispensing of sample tokens at "Taste of Westhoek." This achieved, it was time for the evening meal, an event that has taken on quasi-religious overtones as experienced at the Café de la Paix.

It isn't possible to eat badly in Poperinge, and an establishment the caliber of Flou's (described previously) ups the ante.

I've yet to dine at Pegasus on Guido Gezellestraat, although it might be a bit too much gourmet-oriented for me.

Finally, again in 2017, 't Hommelhof in Watou proved elusive. Even in Europe there are times when it would be handy to have a car, if impossible to find someone sober enough to drive it.

But all things considered, Café de la Paix on the Grote Markt remains the place I prefer for characteristic regional cuisine and an extensive beer selection. Top of the line steaks; escargot to die for; friendly service; and a convivial atmosphere not at all overstuffed.

There's a bit more about the 2014 meal at Café de la Paix in this previously published column.

ON THE AVENUES with THE BEER BEAT: Beef Steak and Porter always made good belly mortar, but did America’s “top” steakhouses get the memo?

In 2017, the beer selection was shuffled about. Luc appeared for a brief chat, introducing us to the proud proprietor, the mother of the winning hop queen candidate. Almost palpably, Poperinge was deescalating.

Diana and I would be staying another two days, but our friends were set to depart on Monday morning. The story will continue.

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Previously:

2014 Euro Reunion Tour, Day 12.5: The story of hops in parade format.

The 2017 Poperinge Hop Parade, Part One: One must pour the proper foundation for maximum parade enjoyment.


Hops are a boy's best friend.


Highlights of the 2005 journey to Belgium and the Netherlands.