Rochefort’s Texas return

For lovers of Belgian ales, particularly those rare sippers from the Trappist monk-run breweries of Belgium and the Netherlands, the rumors of Rochefort 8 and 10 returning to shelves and bars in Texas is good news.

There is no word on just when this abbey-made beer will arrive, but the U.S. importer of Rochefort, Merchant du Vin, said the brewery decided to make a little more beer this year than in years past and that means Texas fans are in luck.

Demand in the U.S. was so high and the supply so limited that the importer cut the Texas supply to concentrate on a handful of high-volume markets.

The brew ages well, and if you bought some before Texas inventory last tapped, now is the time to drink it. A cellared bottle of Rochefort 8 from 2008 went down easily last week with interesting complexity and only minor signs of oxidation.

Beer dinners

Real Ale Brewing Co. of Blanco and Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewing Co. are featured at upcoming beer dinners in San Antonio.

The Real Ale beer dinner at the Westin La Cantera will feature Real Ale brewer Erik Ogershok and Westin chefs Isaac Cantu and Henry Wesolowski at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 22, at the Palo Duro Pavilion.

Ogershok is a rock star in Texas brewing circles (with the hair to prove it) and will provide an entertaining education on the Brewhouse Brown, Rio Blanco Pale, Devil’s Backbone Belgian tripel, the limited Anniversary XV, and Lost Gold IPA.

Chefs Cantu and Wesolowski, who pleased guests at a May Shiner beer dinner, present four reception dishes, including caramelized pinapple and mascarpone ravioli, and four full courses that include cumin-crusted Ahi tuna and Texas wild boar “Red Eye” loin with pistachio gnocchi.

On July 31 at 2 p.m., the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium at Huebner and I-10 will feature a Deschutes beer dinner with summer favorite Twilight Summer Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Inversion IPA, Hop in the Dark, and the roasty Black Butte Porter.

Food pairings include shrimp and poblano quesadilla, Flemish beef stew, and black butter tempura-fried banana split.

Bake, Broil & Brew

San Antonio has incubators for biotech and numerous types of small businesses, but breaking into the food and beer world without a big outlay of bucks is still a difficult proposition. Bake, Broil & Brew owners Michelle and David Solis say they can ease the way into a successful business.

The food, beverage, and beer incubator slated to open later this summer will present the concept to interested entrepreneurs at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, at the Guadalupe Coffee Shop (1320 Guadalupe Street). Besides commercial kitchens, BB&B will have a SABCo brewing system that records every step of the process used to create a test beer for later duplication.

Travis E. Poling writes about beer weekly for the Current. He is co-author of Beer Across Texas: A Guide to the Brews and Brewers of the Lone Star State. He can be reached at travis@beeracrosstexas.com.