The Spa waters, sold since the 17th century and today commmercialized by Spa Monopole. are internationally known and will be the topic of another Wikipedia article. On this page, we will talk about the others drinks from Spa which are currently sold, three liqueurs and one beer, and the former drinks from Spa, nicknamed Café de l'Europe under the Ancien Régime.
Drinks of Spa of today
editIt seems that it was already distilled by the Capuchin friars in Spa since the 15th century. In 1858, the distillery "Schaltin, Pierry and Cie" of Spa restarted the production of the Élixir de Spa made of 40 plants, herbs and roots originated from the region of Spa, well-known for its digestive properties. The company was the first Belgian company to receive the "Belgian Royal Warrant of Appointment" in 1869. The company had their own pavilion at the World's fair in 1910 in Brussels in order to let the visitors taste their beverages. But the company already exhibited at the World's fair in the city of Liège in 1905.
In 1956, the firm of Antwerp named F.X . de Beukelaer, which also produce the Élixir d’Anvers[2] (1863), created five centuries after the Élixir de Spa, took over the production and the commercialization of "Schaltin, Perry and Cie" of Spa - until today.
Liqueur, 70cl, 40% Vol., F.X. from Beukelaer Belgium. "Natural liqueur destilled from dozens of hand-selected aromatic plants, roots, and herbs".
Joseph Hurlet, a herbalist from [[Liège], created Extrait de Spa in 1905 by selecting more than 25 plants, barks, roots and flowers, which he macerated for one or two months to extract the main active ingredients. He then added a liqueur to this maceration to obtain a beneficial and harmoniousaperitif.
Apéritif, Tonic, 75cl, 15% Vol., Ets Marc Schleck, Zepperen. Ingredients: vin de liqueur, sugar, aromatic plants, sulfites. «Extrait de Spa is a vin de liqueur produced from a maceration of plants, easy for the digestion. The doctors suggest this drink thanks to its recovering effects, though it is not a medicine, it is proposed in pharmacies. Extrait de Spa should be drunk chilled (10-12°) and preferably accompanied by a splash of lemon". Average nutritional value per 100ml: Kcal.: 153g, KJ: 642, sugar: 17,8.
Flore de Spa
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In 1991, Didier Dumalin from Liège created a blond beer at the name of Bobeline. It comes from the term "Bobelin" which were in the past the person taking the waters at Spa. Thank to the succes of the first one, a dark Bobeline was launched on March 2006. The Bobeline is essentially distributed in Spa but is produced by the Huyghe Brewery[5] in Melle in East Flanders.
- "the Bobeline blonde is a fermented bier in a bottle which contains 8,5°. slightly cloudy blonde with huge, not too dense white head; aroma of yeast, earthy notes,some grass and bread and maybe some floral notes; taste of yeast, malty sweetness, artificial bittery and metallic notes and minimal honey.
- The Bobeline Black Label is a top fermentation beer, fermented again in a botlle, of a dark brown color, with a light brown and thick foam. With a slightly caramelized taste, we can taste the liquorice, the barks and the hops. Pours dark mahogany with medium off-white head and subtle liquorice aroma. Taste is dark candi sugar, soft liquorice and a generally smooth taste with good carbonation and strength. This brown beer contains again 8,50°".
- A third beer is commercialized since 2009. It is a Bobeline Blanche Fraise. Slighty cloud, the Blanche Fraise is at 3.6° and is perfect as an aperitif.
- The cheese "le sarté" invented by Vincent Delasalle is made of the Bobeline.
Drinks of Spa during the Ancien Régime
editBeer
editIn Spa, during the Ancien régime, the beer and the Cervoise beer was produced individually in each household and his consumption was largely widespread. The Magistrate when he was resting in a hotel or another one, showed the example by emtying the pint glasses. The anecdote about the visit of Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans (1753-1821), at Annette et Lubin, in 1787, show to us one more time this habit of consumption. Madame de Genlis wrote: "Nous allons nous promener sur la montagne d'Annette et Lubin; nous nous affligeons un peu qu'Annette soit laide et vende de la bière, ce qui nuit beaucoup aux idées pastorales et champêtres" -Translation: We will walk on the Annette et Lubin's mount; we will make Annette ugly and selling beer, which damaged a lot the pastoral ideas-, The Duchess of Orléans tasted it almost every days and she went on a camel's back. She brought herself the camel in Spa.
Champagne
editCreated by the monk Dom Pérignon in 1670 in Hautvillers, the champagne knew success in 18th century at the europeans courts, starting from Versailles. The Café de l'Europe in Spa, at only 255 km from Reims, didn't last to suggest it to the noble bobelins. Many ice houses allowed to offer at a good temperature the champagne during the summer season. We find tracks of this consumption as in a file about the stay of the king Gustave III in 1779, which say that the turner Lambert Xhrouet from Spa, turned in front of the king, in few minutes only a block of ice in a glass of champagne beautifully cut, in which the king drank a toast to the artist.
Wine
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Coffee
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Chocolate
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See also
editExternal links
edit- Official website of F.X de Beukelaer; Elixir de Spa
- Official website of the Extrait de Spa
- Official website of the Bobeline in French
- ^ gestion. "L'élixir de Spa et l'ancienne distillerie Schaltin |" (in French). Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ "Home". Elixir d'Anvers. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ^ "Description - History - Extrait de Spa, Jonapress, Maitrank Feller". www.extraitdespa.be. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ^ "Bobeline – La bière de Spa" (in French). Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ "Une délicieuse tradition familiale | Brouwerij Huyghe". Retrieved 2021-05-04.