Day 22 / Jan 22
Brouwerij Bavik / Belgium
Where: Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, Falls Church VA
| A | NG | P | G | VG | O |
Duff
Buzz
Shotz
Witterkerke
What do all these beer brands have in common? They are all fictional beers featured in TV shows. Actually, sort of. Duff Beer is The Simpsons beer of choice, Buzz Beer was created on The Drew Carey Show, and Laverne and Shirley worked the bottling line at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee.
But Wittekerke? Never heard of that? Neither had I until last night.
It was on the beer list at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack in Falls Church, where my friend Kevin and I had dinner before seeing The Smithereens (yes, they’re still around) at The State Theater next door. Given my chosen quest this year, I ordered up this unique beer.
Wittekerke is a mild Belgian Witbier, with subtle flavors or orange and spice. At Clare and Don’s, it is served in cans. It pours a light cloudy yellow, with a white head. Overall, it was fine, but nothing especially interesting about its taste. It would be a good “starter” wheat beer, for someone who wanted to try out this beer variety. It’s backstory, however, is quite interesting.
“Wittekerke” means White Church in Flemish, and is the name of an imaginary town in northern Belgium on a long running Belgian sitcom/soap opera of the same name. The local beer that the characters drink on the show is called “Wittekerke.” The show’s producers teamed up with the Bavik Brewery to produce the beer, and it is now one of the most popular witbiers in Belgium.
NOTE: Clare and Don’s is a great little place in Falls Church, and was pretty crowded last night. It definitely has a beachy theme, with kid-sized flip flops nailed to the walls all over the dining room. There is also an outside bar and patio, which they use probably 8 months out of the year. The food is great here, especially the seafood. Prices are reasonable, beer selection ranges from PBR to Old Dominion to Porkslap to Dale’s to Wittekerke.
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