Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Blanche de Bruxelles

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Oct 1, 2008 6:25PM

You're probably looking at the logo on that glass in the photo and asking yourself, "Is that a cherub taking a leak?" It sure is, one of many reasons to order a glass of Blanche de Bruxelles at Hackney's South Loop (733 S. Dearborn, $5.50).

This witbier selection from the Lefebvre brewery, located in the town of Quenast in Belgium's French-speaking Wallonia region, is teeming with wheat malt. This gives the beer a thick cloudy that is amplified by pouring it into the beer's frosted glass. Among other flavors on the palate you'll find clove, coriander and orange peel, which are added during brewing. there's also some bottle conditioning using extra yeast and brewing sugar, smoothing out Blanche de Bruxelles' mouthfeel. The extra sugar also gives Blanche de Bruxelles a dry finish. We picked up hints of pine and cloves on the nose, with a lot of yeasty esters. For a selection weighing in at 4.5% ABV, this is a very thick beer.

Besides Hackney's, Paramount Room (415 N. Milwaukee) has been known to carry this on draft, as well. Both Hackney's and Paramount Room make excellent burgers, and a glass of Blanche de Bruxelles, Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week," is a wonderful complement.