If you are to brew the best and most tasteful beer, you have to make sure you follow specific steps as if they’re the Ten Commandments. In the case of Stella Artois’ beers however, you only have to follow nine simple steps. But remember that each drop of beer must be poured with careful and perfect precision to offer the best possible taste many beer lovers deserve.
After many years of brewing expertise, Stella Artois has concocted a nine-step pouring ritual that has never been forgotten. First brewed at the Den Hoorn Brewery in Leuven, Belgium, Stella Artois dates back to 1366.
Drawn from a passion for delivering authentic and full bodied Belgian beer, Stella Artois hosed its 2nd Draught Masters Philippines Competition last June 22 at Fairmont Hotel, Makati City to make sure the ritual stays preserved and will continue to push through the roughness of time.
In this event, bartenders, all from different hotels, bars and restaurants, showcased their expertise in the nine-step pouring ritual. Those who reach the top 3 will go to Bangkok, Thailand as finalists representing the Philippines.
“Our nine-step ritual is a dance between the Chalice and the Draught Master. It is observed properly to serve a pleasantly bitter beer flavor we’ve always loved,” says the Head of Marketing for Booze Online, Inc. Chester Cabrera. “With the second installment of Draught Masters Philippines, Stella Artois would like to share the brand’s over 600 years of brewing expertise by keeping our time-honored, nine-step pouring ritual alive.”
To make this highly sophisticated drink, this ritual has nine simple but strictly important steps.
It starts off with the first step: Purification. Stella Artois’ signature chalice (which reflect the brand’s tasteful sophistication and rich heritage) would first be given a cold-water bath, making sure that the glass reaches the same temperature as the beer. For Stella Artois, this chalice is designed to offer the authentic taste and aroma of the beer which has been mixed and fermented with the process used in the old days.
Rejoice! For now, the tap is opened by a single quick motion at the second step: The Sacrifice. Allowing the first short stream of beer to flow into the sink , it guarantees that all the golden goodness poured into the chalice has the freshest taste.
At the third step: The Liquid Alchemy happens. Holding the chalice at a 45-degree angle, this ensures that the beer flowing into the glass circulates into a perfect whirlpool that combines both liquid and foam.
Halfway poured, the fourth step is where the chalice is given The Crown. Gracefully and carefully straightened, lowered to top the chalice off with a bubbly and fresh foam crown that locks in the beer’s freshness by preventing the exposure of liquid to air.
In the fifth step, the chalice is carefully pulled away from under the tap, The Removal—a smooth and fluid one—avoids any extra drops from entering the chalice.
Holding the foam cutter at a 45-degree angle, the head is then trimmed at the sixth step—The Beheading—which ensures that the glass of Stella Artois is free from the large, loose bubbles that speed up the foam’s dissipation.
Serving as the protection that keeps the freshness in the beer, the final head must be three centimeters (two fingers) thick to ensure that the flavors are safely kept inside the chalice. This is ensured during the seventh step—The Judgement.
To rinse off the excess beer coating the outer glass of the chalice, it’s dipped in cold water and undergoes the eighth step—The Cleansing, thus resulting in a neat and brilliantly shining chalice that’s pleasant to hold.
And finally, the ninth and final step—The Bestowal. To fully appreciate the art and class that has come with the preparation of this drink, the chalice is then placed on a coaster with a drip catcher at the base. Capping off the ritual with a perfect glass of Stella Artois’ Belgian beer.
Guaranteeing the freshest flavor and aroma of world class made beer, each of the nine steps in Stella Artois’ pouring ritual ensures that those who get a taste of the Belgian beer is in nothing but a state of beer bliss. With their dedication for making the best and perfectly poured beer, this ritual will surely withstand the test of time.
