Like last year, Ashley’s Beer & Grill of Westland is doing its part to beat the winter blahs by organizing a Belgian Beer Festival. Expanded to 11 days (Feb. 9 through Feb. 19), the event will feature over 80 Belgian drafts and over 60 bottled Belgian beers, a special Belgian food menu, a prix-fixe Valentine’s dinner, a Belgian waffle breakfast and more. Most of the offerings require no tickets or advance signup.

However, for the hosted dinners where multiple courses are paired with different beers, as for the beer-blending seminar on Feb. 15, it will be wise to register early, because seating is limited and they did sell out last year!

The Festival Opening Belgian Beer Dinner on February 9 ($75) will be hosted by John Staunton, and the Brewery Van Eecke Belgian Beer Dinner on February 17 ($75) by Danny Dieussaert. Exclusively for Gazette readers, Danny will also host a Gazette van Detroit Dinner on February 16 at 7 p.m. at a reduced price of $62 (this price includes taxes and gratuity). You can register for this dinner online at: http://abbf.ashleys.com/home/order-form/gvddinner or you can contact the Gazette at (586) 777-2720.  Please let us know ASAP if you are interested in car pooling or even chartering a van or bus.

For your eyes only!

The “Gazette van Detroit Dinner” will take about 2 1/2 hours and will include appetizers followed by four (4) courses, accompanied by a total of six (6) different beers. Belgian host Danny Dieussaert of the Van Eecke Brewery in Watou (West-Flanders) will introduce a brand-new offering: Dark Poperings Hommel Beer. Our guests will taste the very first samples to be served in the US!

The original (Golden) Hommel beer has received great reviews on the Beer Advocate web site, with an exceptional 90 points BA score and a 100 points “world class” rating by the Alström brothers. The name Hommel in this case is derived from the word for hops in the local dialect of Poperinge, and not from the homonymous Dutch word for “bumble bee.” The Van Eecke brewery’s other star, Kapittel beer, in its Blond, Abt and Prior variants, will accompany other courses.

Gazette Van Detroit Dinner

With VIP US release of Poperings Black Hommelbier

February 16, 2012 – 7 p.m.

Tickets $62 (i.e. $50 plus tax & gratuity)

Ashley’s Beer & Grill of Westland,

7525 Wayne Rd, Westland MI 48185

(734) – 525-1667

Host: Danny Dieussaert, Export Manager, Brouwerij Van Eecke, Watou (Belgium)

MENU

- Hors d’œuvres:

• Potato & endive soup
• Cocktail shrimp in sour cream and dill, served in endive boat
• Country Terrine
• Belgian Cheeses

Beer: Christmas Leroy

Release of Poperings Black Hommel Bier

- Salad: Grilled Belgian Endive w/ goat cheese, roasted red pepper chutney and a shallot vinaigrette

Beer: Poperings (original) Hommel Bier

- Seafood entrée: Seabass w/ Risotto in a roasted Garlic cream Sauce with basil essence.

Beer: Kapittel Blond

- Meat entrée: Carbonnade met Frites (Classic Flemish Stew)

Beer: Kapittel Prior

- Dessert: Chocolate Salami w/ Raspberries

Beer: Kapittel Abt