Drinking outside the Box

The Belgian beer type is one beer that I know little about. I've never been too fond of the taste, as the ones I've tried I felt tasted sour and "skunked." The number of times I've tried Belgian beer can be counted on one hand. So when I was invited to the Belgian beer bar Monk's Cafe I will admit I was a bit weary, and had no clue what to expect. I ended up working another Saturday and cut out around 7 to head into the city. What I thought would be a 15-20 minute drive, took well over a hour as there was a major accident on I76 westbound. The multi car pile up had both lanes shut down at one point; by the time we got to the bar I was ready to drink regardless of the beer type. They could have had Natty Ice, and I would have been thrilled.

Thankfully, the people we were meeting had gotten a spot by the crowded and jammed bar. Trying to figure out what beer to order I looked over the list they provided and read each beer description at least 10 times, I even went through their beer bible. As I know nothing about this beer type I had no idea what to order, but knew I should order a beer they had on draft. After what felt like an eternity to make a decision, I ordered the Hasndbryggerist Good Force Beer. The beer, which was served in a Belgian glass was orange in color and was enjoyable which surprised the hell out of me. I've always heard that Belgian beers are strong, and realized the strength of this beer soon after finishing my first. I'm sure not eating since lunch didn't help.

By the time we got seated, I was finishing up my first beer, and was ready to order a second one. Wanting to try a different Belgian, I ordered the beer that the other guys I was with were drinking: A Russian Belgian Ale. This beer was served in a pint glass, and reminded me of a pale ale. I preferred this beer over the first one, and ordered a third. To be honest, I got so caught up in the beer, food and company that I didn't worry or think too much about the ideas and important information that I could use for this blog. What I remembered most about Monk's Cafe was that it was a busy bar that had awesome beer selection, and their mussel were incredible.

If your looking to drink outside the box, give this place a try.