From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
Subject: Re: Belgian beers are best!!
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:01:15 GMT

In article Delano.Dugarm@f131.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Delano Dugarm) writes:
>wilgenho@lri.jur.uva.nl (Erik Wilgenhof)

>>Let's start a discussion about the Trappist, the Kriek or heavenly
>>fluids like the Verboden Vrucht! (Thats forbidden fruit for all you
>>non Dutchers!).

>Verboden Vrucht, though, is unavailable here in the U.S.  The story goes
>(I don't know that this is true, but it's quite believable), that the U.S.
>Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms refused an import permit because
>of the label, a pastiche of a Renaissance painting of a naked Eve offering
>a naked Adam . . . a big old chalice of beer (Verboden Vrucht, I assume).
>Great beer, though.


We had an exchange student from Belgium (Liege) stay with us for the school
year.  At Christmas, his family came visiting and brought a big suitcase
full of different Belgian beers - the heavenly elixir of the gods.  One of
the beers was Verboden Vrucht, and yes, there on the bottle were Adam and
Eve in all of their splendid glory.  Of the twenty different beers they
brought, this was my favorite.

And of course, we've been invited to Belgium to stay with he and his family
(that'll save us some $), and he's offered to take me around and sample all
the beers I'd want, and even to drive me home after an evening of quaffing.
I can't wait!

I'm sure if one finds the right importer, he/she might be able to get some
bottles through the "blockade", if one exists for Verboden Vrucht.  Once I
wanted to get a great liquer from South Africa, Van der Humm, which by the
way is the best liquer I've ever tasted (this is getting away from beer,
though).  After searching and searching (and based on a lead from the South
African consulate), I found an importer who worked out of his house who
*somehow* got some Van der Humm into the U.S. during the height of the
trade embargo against South Africa.  How he did it, I don't know, but he
did it - and the bottles were legal, having the U.S. tax stamp on them.  So,
I wouldn't be surprised if, through similar effort, one would be able to find
a U.S. supplier for Verboden Vrucht.

I just might pursue this (there's a small Belgian consulate in Livermore, CA,
which is right next to the Belgian Bistro next to the Nob Hill Store, and I've
gotten to know the owner well who also runs the consulate.  BTW, they serve a
large selection of Belgian beers, including some that are not normally
imported into the U.S.  Great food, too.  I highly recommend it for those who
like a whiff of Belgium.

Happy quaffing.

Jon Noring


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