Brasserie Slaapmutske
Bière du mois (Belgique):
Slaapmutske Blond: Aygems Caffeetje - Aaigem
Slaapmutske Blond: De Warande - Wetteren
Slaapmutske Hop Collection: De Tinnen Pot - Nossegem
De Beiaard - mai 2012:
'Zomerbier van Slaapmutske mag naar Zweden' by Ruben De Clercq
Het Nieuwsblad - mai 2012:
'Slaapmutske scoort in Zweden' by Didier Verbaere
Het Nieuwsblad - 30 octobre 2009: 'Slaapmutske is beste buitenlandse Kerstmisbier in Denemarken' by Ann Braeckman Het Laatste Nieuws - 2 avril 2008:
'Slaapmutske is beste bier' by Didier Verbaere
De Standaard - 28 mars 2008:
'Slaapmutske wint goud op bierfestival' by Frederiek vande Velde
Modern Brewing Age - Septembre 2007:
BellaOnline - USA 22/04/2006:
'Slaapmutske Nightcap from Belgium' - By Carolyn Smagalski
'The Anchorage Press' - Canada 10 - 16/03/2006:
'Rock-a-bye baby...'- By James 'Dr. Fermento' Roberts
Sometimes I wonder where brewers come up with names for their beers. Add the twist of foreign dialect to numerous interpretations of words, and beer-naming becomes complex, yet fun. I spied a bottle of Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap on the shelf at a local liquor store and just couldn't resist. As I drove home, I laid the bottle on the seat of my truck and smiled again and again as I rolled the name around in my mouth, anticipating what the beer would be like when I finally uncorked the 750 ml bottle with the wire restrainer. The orange crescent moon on the label wears a night cap and kept shooting me a silly grin. A little research revealed that the Triple Nightcap was one of three beers in a series brewed by Danny De Smet at the De Proef brewery in Lochristi, Belgium. De Smet brews the beer under license there, but doesn't work for the brewery. Other delicious offerings have come to us from De Proef in recent months. Like most other brewers, De Smet has his beer-making roots in his kitchen. He studied brewing and brewed at Huyghe Brewery in Belgium for a while. His girlfriend fell in love with the process along with him and they brewed together for years. De Smet married Marleen Vercaigne and in 1999 a child was born to them. They named him Jonas and promptly celebrated by making a beer they named Jonasbeer. When Jonas would cry at night, De Smet and his wife would dip the tyke's pacifier in one of their beers. Not surprisingly, Jonas would cease his fussing and drift into slumber. Their homebrew was an offshoot of the original Jonasbeer. They didn't have a name for it yet, but one night when the pacifier trick worked handsomely, Marleen exclaimed, “This beer is a real Slaapmutske,” which in the East Flanders region means “sleeping hat” or nightcap. The first iteration was called Slaapmutske Winterbier. The beer was successful enough that they worked with De Proef to produce it, then a Slaapmutske Blond. What we get in Anchorage is the third and final in the series: Slaapmutske Tripel. This version is lighter, crisper and more aromatic than the others. Interestingly, American hop varieties are imported to produce it and it's dry-hopped, meaning that hops are added during conditioning - after brewing - in addition to flavoring and bittering hops used in the process. The slightly hazy orange beer pours frothy, but not enough to bury the fruity, somewhat perfume-y hoppy aromas that cry out from underneath. The Belgian yeast's influence is also evident in the nose with distinct, but soft spiciness and citrus notes. A hint of light malt is also evident. The first sip comes across bold, especially on a fresh palate. The hops are more in the forefront than I'd expect for a refined Belgian triple, but this is only a minor distraction. The beer's peppery spiciness is right there as well, but the beer has an alluringly sweet, almost passion-fruit edge to it. The 8.1 percent alcohol is evident, especially in the long swallow. The bready malt foundation is adequate in this beer, then thins appreciably toward the dry finish. The bitterness sticks around after the swallow which adds a slight coarseness to the experience. ... These beers are expensive but worthy of exploration. Belgium is steeped in tradition, but eclectic has always been the norm in a country that's not much bigger than Maryland but boasts many more recognized styles and sub-styles of beer than we do in the United States. I've always fancied that true beer-loving Americans are gullible when it comes to strange and interesting beers from afar. If a home brewer can create a market with a beer inspired by using it to help a baby snooze, anything's possible, and because Anchorage in particular has a penchant for beers from Belgium, our market continues to support them. We're destined to see more as time marches on. Anchorage Press articles, commentary, news, reviews, features and calendar are copyrighted by: Anchorage Publishing, Inc. 540 E. 5th Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 99501. For information call 907-561-7737.
'Het Volk' - 23/02/2006:
Slaapmutske Blond (blz 176-177)
'Slaapmutske Blond blijft in elk geval een zeer smakelijk zacht maar tegelijk vol en mals verfrissend zomerbier met een zeldzame delicate bittertoets. Dit Slaapmutske is daarom een echte verrijking van de Belgische bierkaart' (Bob Maegerman).
