"…The German offensive had stalled by Christmas, but for the Americans trapped behind German lines in Bastogne, Christmas 1944 was a difficult one. The 101st Airborne and elements of other units caught in the retreat were trapped behind German lines, and the thick cloud cover meant American air support was nowhere to be found. Not only that, the capture of the divisional medical company some days earlier meant that the 101st's wounded were without proper medical personnel or supplies. Morale in the division was as low as it could get.
A young paratrooper named Vincent Speranza was assigned to the 101st during those fateful days in Bastogne. His good friend Joe Willis had been wounded and was lying in a makeshift casualty collection point in the ruins of a church. Willis asked Speranza for a drink, to which Speranza politely responded by reminding him that their unit was surrounded. There were no supplies coming in. Luckily, the makeshift medical facility was not too far from the ruins of a pub. Speranza rooted through the tavern and at last came to an untouched, tapped barrel. He looked around for glasses, but all had been destroyed in the bombing. Speranza turned then to his trusty M1 helmet. He filled his helmet with beer and rushed back to the hospital. Needless to say, every wounded GI was enthralled at the prospect of a swig of Belgian beer, even if it was out of a helmet. Private Speranza would make two more trips bringing beer to his comrades before an officer caught wind of what he was doing and stopped him, since the beer could prove fatal to those with intestinal wounds. Nonetheless, the actions of Private Speranza proved to be a morale booster for the wounded troops of the besieged 101st. The story would continue to circulate, not just among troops, but also among local Belgians. Decades later, the story would spawn the "Airborne Beer." Brewed in Bastogne by a local brewer, the beer's label depicts a smiling American GI marching gleefully with a helmet full of beer. It's served in a ceramic miniature American helmet. You can still order an "Airborne" in many taverns across Belgium.
What is it about Belgian beer that makes it so delicious? There isn't any one thing that makes Belgian beer especially Belgian. That small country, about the size of Maryland, has over 150 breweries, ranging from the massive Inbev Corporation to mom-and-pop microbreweries. These produce over 1,000 different varieties of beer ranging from Flemish Reds to Pale Ales. In fact, if Belgian beer has a unifying theme at all, it's a willingness to experiment and push brewing to its limits."
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