Thirsty Thursday (The Swiss Beer Edition)

On our first night in Switzerland, our hosts took us out to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant in their small village (pop. 2000). My colleagues were drinking beer, so out of habit I asked my host to order a dark beer for me. As soon as I had spoken the words I wondered what I was getting myself into by ordering “dunkel bier” in Switzerland.

When the waitress poured the beer into my glass, I was relieved to see that it had a deep caramel color instead of the black-Guinness color I was afraid of.

It had a smooth, rich flavor that went nicely with our dinner of “traditional” Swiss fondue–a big basket of bread cubes and a big pot of melted cheese. 😀 The alcohol content probably was pretty high–or it just hit me hard because of my jet lag.

When I was on my own a few nights later, I asked the waiter about this beer on the menu. He confirmed that it was a dark beer, and seemed surprised when I ordered it knowing that–maybe he expected an American woman to prefer a lighter beer!

(Not the best pour!)

The label proclaims that this is an “authentic Belgian Abbey beer” with a “sweet caramel yet bitter taste.” It does have a bit of a bite, but it went well with the pumpkin soup (topped with foamed milk) with truffle ravioli (on the side) that I ordered for dinner.

When I got home, I was surprised to see Leffe at the grocery store! Of course I bought some to enjoy at home.

Are you wary of ordering unfamiliar foods in foreign countries, or are you more adventurous?

Do you have a good broth-based pumpkin soup recipe?