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One of the most sought after beers in the world is from the Trappist Abbey of St. Sixtus' in Westvletern Belgium, Westvletern 12. Why is this beer so special and rare? It is a big quadruple beer produced by Trappist monks inside their monastery. They do not distribute their beer (except for one shipment before the Pandemic to fund a new dormitory), they only brew for themselves and their community. If you're in Belgium you can get some at a cafe next to the monastery. You can also buy up to 2 cases, once every 3 months based on availability, by registering at the beginning of the week for pick-up later in the week. You must also give your address, driver's license and car license plate to track how often you can buy. The only way to get some into the US is to visit the monastery and bring some home in your luggage (I have). Now for the secret: After WWII the monk's didn't want to brew beer any more so they asked a local business man to brew their beer and it was imported into the US as St. Sixtus 12. When all the Trappist Monasteries got together to form International Trappist Association they mandated that all brewing had to be withing the walls of the Monastery. So the brewery in Watou Belgium that brewed there beer post WWII had to stop using their name. But they didn't stop brewing their beer! They renamed the beer St. Bernardus. There are two differences between the beer now brewed at the Monastery and the beer brewed at St. Bernadus. First, St. Bernardus is a modern updated brewery with high standards of consistency. Second, the brewery at the Monastery is so small an operation that they can't propagate their own yeast strain and instead get yeast from the Westmalle Monastery. But St. Bernardus has the original Westvletern yeast strain so their beer is actually more authentic than what the Monastery produces. Now the best part, we've convinced the brewery to start selling us full 1/2 barrels of their beer instead of small 5 gallon kegs. Bigger keg means a much lower price per gallon and we're passing those savings on to you our guest. So come on in for one of the world's greatest beers served in the proper glassware to bring out all the flavor at a new lower price!
The Alchemist of Brussels: Why Brasserie Cantillon is the Holy Grail of Beer In an era of shiny stainless steel tanks and lab-engineered yeast, Brasserie Cantillon stands as a defiant, cobweb-draped time capsule. Since its founding in 1900, the brewery has remained a family-run operation in the heart of Brussels, serving as both a working brewery and a "living museum" dedicated to the ancient art of spontaneous fermentation. Brewing with Ghosts and Wild Air What makes Cantillon truly legendary is its refusal to "pitch" yeast. Instead, the brewery relies on the unique microflora of Brussels. The Attic Coolship: Every winter (October to April), the unfermented wort is pumped into a shallow copper vessel in the attic. As it cools, wild yeasts like Brettanomyces settle into the liquid, effectively "infecting" it with the brewery's unique terroir. Living Walls: The brewery is famously covered in dust and cobwebs, which are never cleared away because they house the essential bacteria and spiders that protect the beer from pests. The Art of the Blend While many breweries focus on a single batch, Cantillon is a master of the Gueuze—a complex blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old lambics. The master blender balances the sharp acidity of aged lambic with the residual sugars of younger batches to trigger a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The result is a beer with the effervescence of champagne and a "funky" flavor profile featuring notes of green apple, wet hay, and earthy citrus. A Global Cult Icon Despite its global fame, Cantillon remains a small-scale producer, making only about 2,500 hectoliters a year. This scarcity, combined with their commitment to 100% organic ingredients, has turned their bottles into "unicorn" finds for collectors. Events like Zwanze Day—where a single experimental beer is released simultaneously at select bars worldwide—only cement their status as the ultimate craft beer pilgrimage. Whether it's their tart Kriek (made with real cherries) or the fabled Fou' Foune (apricots), every sip of Cantillon is a taste of history that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth.
Lent is here and Ashley's has you covered with lots of options including a couple specials. If you're from Michigan you know all about lake perch and what a treat it is. Enjoy our fried perch basket, lightly dusted lake perch with fries and slaw
