Kwak Beer Review - The Beer That Kwaks

October 14, 2023 Cameron Mackenzie

Pauwel Kwak is a spiced, Flemish, amber beer that comes with a very unusual glass and backstory. It’s brewed by the Bosteels Brewery in Buggenhout, Belgium. The brewery is still owned and operated by the same family as its founders in 1791. They brew two other beers: DeuS and Tripel Karmeliet. Kwak however only came into mass production in the 1980s.

Belgian beers are renowned for being served in interesting bottles and glasses. Much like the Belgian Trappist beer, Orval. Kwak is served in a bespoke, branded glass, with a wooden glass holder that wouldn't look out of place as a beer-version of an egg-timer. Don’t drink it too quickly, as it’s 8.4% ABV will soon tell you.

You may prefer to drink it straight from the glass via the wooden holder, but that might get a bit messy. Taking the glass out of the holder and trying to place it on a table will definitely be messy. The glass has a round, bulbous bottom and you’ll either get laughed at, or glared at for wasting perfectly good beer. This all begs the question as to why it was designed in this way.

According to the brewery, the set-up was designed by a Flemish inn keeper called Pauwel Kwak. He was also a brewer. While horse and coach passengers passing by, stopped at the inn for refreshments, the coach drivers outside were left holding the reins, to protect the coach and keep hold of the horses.

With nowhere to place their beer (if they had one to drink), Kwak invented a new drinking mechanism. The idea was to replicate a ‘stirrup cup’ as the driver could hang this on their coach between gulps. The design of glass also made it easier for the drivers to hold, as they were usually wearing thick gloves, needed to control the horses.

Kwak’s invention became a runaway success, but not so practical today. If served in the full mechanism, please remember to put it back in its wooden holder between gulps.

The bulb at the bottom also creates a vacuum. What happens when air reaches the bottom of the glass, is followed by a rush of beer accelerating towards the drinker’s mouth. The noise accompanying this supposedly makes a sound like the word ‘Kwak’ if spoken quickly.

Kwak has won multiple awards, achieving a certificate of excellence for the category: ‘Pale and Amber Ale,’ at the Brussels Beer Challenge in 2018.

Kwak is a strong, amber ale. It has mellow, fruity and malty aromas with warming spiciness. Caramel is present on the nose, but spices of coriander and clove tend to take over. More subtle aromas include banana, pineapple and mango. Kwak is best served between 5-6 degrees celsius.

The taste is warming, with hints of liquorice complementing the spices and hops. It feels smooth and comforting, all while being aware of the high content of alcohol. It’s highly recommended to take time over it to fully enjoy it. The mouthfeel is elevated with medium carbonation, but still smooth and dry.

This particular drink in the image was purchased from Craft and World Beers in Drighlington, West Yorkshire. Behind the bar, on the wall, is ‘The 24 Rule.’ This promotes sensible drinking, using a long-standing Flemish idea of drinking no more than a total of 24% in one sitting. This would allow you to have three Kwaks, or thereabouts.

Recommended food-pairings include grilled game, with accompanying pepper-seasoned, roasted or sautéed, caramelised vegetables. Matched desserts use spices of cinnamon or ginger.

Overall, a nice beer to warm you up, and some decent, comforting food pairings. Strong in alcohol content, but delicious if drunk sensibly. Kwak has a really interesting story about how the mechanism of the glass and wooden holder came about, and it’s pleasing how this is still used today. Even if it’s not completely practical for today’s uses, it’s good fun, and a unique selling point.

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