On Independents - Selecting Craft Brews for A Thai Tapas Restaurant’s Beer List

We celebrated Independence Day by locking the door, disconnecting Ronnie’s entire kitchen, ripping out four previous layers of flooring and mudding in a new quarry tile floor. It actually took four days, twice as long as expected. I was reminded that independence entails a lot of work and responsibility…

Ronnarong’s beer list, as you might guess, is chosen for quality and for pairing with Thai flavors. But we have also insisted that the brewers be independent. In recent years the beverage world has been “consolidated” (the polite word for “taken over”) by huge corporations. Did you know only two companies now control the overwhelming majority (over 80 %) of the American beer market?

So when you see names like Pretty Things, Dogfish, Great Divide, Brooklyn, Allagash, Stone, and Green Flash on our list, we want you to know these are fiercely committed independents as well as great brewers.

Some Belgian brewers have taken things one step further. In 2007, Hugues Dubuisson, the owner of a family brewery dating back to the 1700s, invited other long standing independent brewers to form The Belgian Family Brewers Association. Look for this symbol on the label:

There are now thirteen breweries that carry this designation. To qualify, they must be independent breweries, family owned and operated in the same location for over fifty years. Together the active family members have over 1500 years of brewing experience! They pledge not to create or sell “label beers,” the fast growing cynical trend to market beers produced in large batches under multiple brands, giving the appearance of small local brews. (A lot of those cute names and labels you see in the store are all owned by a handful of corporations, and are brewed in the same giant facilities. And of course, to these brewers, anything labeled "Belgian Style" should be labeled "An Imitation Not Brewed in Belgium".)

If you look at the list, you will see Ronnarong offers three Belgians in addition to the house favorite Delirium Tremens. All three are Belgian Family Brewers:
The Straffe Hendrik Tripel (a.b.v. 9%) is produced by De Halve Maan in Bruges, in the same location since 1856. It is amber colored, bitter, full bodied and a delicious match with Ronnie’s curries.

The Cuvee "van de Keiser" Blauw is in limited supply. It is Het Anker’s celebration of Emperor Charles V’s birthday, brewed on February 24th every year with the finest hops and higher alcohol (this release has an a.b.v. of 11%). The Cuvee of the Emperor is mahogany brown ale, with sweet brown sugar, a fig-like note and a bunch of yeasty flavors, pairing beautifully with Ronnarong’s sweeter noodle dishes. This is a 750ml bottle, meant to be shared on celebratory occasions. (It's Wednesday. Let's celebrate!)

The Bacchus is a Flemish sour from Van Honsebrouck Brewery (a.b.v. 5%). This tart dark ale has complex flavors from barley malt and wheat. It just works with food, anything you choose.

If I’m around, I’ll gladly raise a glass of any of these with you!