A la Belge - Or: The resistible rise of the Belgian brewer Interbrew
Ever bigger, ever faster, ever further. The 1990s were the decade of globalisation. The thrill of a new challenge, the faith in progress and the euphoria of expansion were experienced the world over. In the brewing industry too. Between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Millennium party the take-over merry-go-round really got going. The reason was that someone had thrown the switch: Interbrew.
Sometimes rumours and prejudices linger for longer than you would like them to. Particularly if you happen to be Belgian. The belief that life in Belgium is more laid-back is hard to dislodge from European opinion. A la Belge translates as "the Belgian way" and means more or less "let’s try it and see". This is nothing more than a paraphrase for a fatalistic laisser-faire attitude.
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6 print issues