The Belgians take their beer very seriously indeed, and this rather sublime craft beer taproom, within earshot of the Menin Gate in the city of Ypres in West Flanders, is fuelled by both tank beer and beer from regular barrels. In fact, no fewer than eight gleaming copper-coloured 500-litre chilled tanks are installed on site for your delectation – four of which are clearly visible suspended above the bar and a further four concealed within an underground chiller. Depending on the season, four to six different tank beers are available as well as an impressive 40 additional draft beers, making a total of 46 taps – ranging from Kasteel Rouge and Wipers Times Blond to Golden Carolus and Sas Pils, life really is too short! But what is tank beer, you may well ask? It’s a type of draught beer that’s stored and dispensed using a system of pressurised tanks and airtight bags. The beer is stored in bags until it’s poured into a glass, which means it doesn’t come into contact with air and subsequently doesn’t oxidise. This results in a fresh taste that’s akin to drinking beer straight from the brewery. There’s a method to all the madness though: tank beer not only makes you feel fresher the next day, it also means you sleep better and delivers a more premium taste due to the absence of added carbon dioxide. Only the CO₂ the brewer intended to be present in the beer, nothing extra. You really have to partake in the pleasure to be able to appreciate the difference.
Cutting-edge it may be, but the bar has a real homely feel about it, especially if you scale the stairs to the top floor. What awaits is a dream-like snug, replete with Last Post-themed wall-mounted bugles and plush velvet sofas where you can kick back for the night in total comfort and forget all your troubles. A word of warning though – some of these Belgian tipples pack quite a punch (it’s not unusual to find 10, 11 and 12 per cent brews and higher, so unless you want total wipeout, have your wits about you. How come the ABVs are so high? As incredibly complex and wonderful as they are, generally speaking Belgian beers are more malt-forward – so the more sugar from the malt, the higher the alcohol content when the yeast eats the sugar from the fermentation process.
If beer’s not your thing, there are cocktails, gins and all manner of wines and spirits as well as some impressive alcohol-free beers for teetotalers – and if you like your AF beer served on ice (unusual, but makes sense in this case) you must try the incredibly moreish fruit-forward extravaganza that is Liefmans On the Rocks 0.0%.
Menenstraat 41, Ypres, Belgium, 8900; tankbier.be
