De Koninck from cask?

Beer-drinking circles were buzzing recently when Wetherspoons announced it was launching the famous Belgian beer De Koninck on draught throughout its 600-strong pub estate. De Koninck means "the king" and the beer from Antwerp lives up to the billing. It's a classic pale ale. It was inspired by the English pale ale revolution of the 19th century but it has developed its own definitive character, a cinnamon-like spiciness from the house yeast and the use of Czech Saaz hops.

1. Should a Belgian beer be sold in a manner that is not true to style and tradition in its own country?
2. With independent brewers in Britain struggling to get on to the bars of the major pub companies, should they have to face competition from a "cask beer" that is only sold in keg form in Belgium?

De Koninck, above all, should be served in a traditional glass known in Antwerp as a bolleke. Titter ye not, as the late Frankie Howerd would have said, as the name means little goblet in Antwerp. But you can imagine the mass outbreak of tittering that would engulf Wetherspoon's pubs if customers started demanding loads of bollekes. On my last visit to Antwerp I called into a famous tavern, Den Engel - the Angel - in the city centre and asked for the ritual bolleke. There is no need to mention the name of the beer. The barman pours the amber beer with its dense foaming head into the ritual goblet and a waiter carefully deposits it at your table. As most Belgians speak excellent English, there is no doubt the waiter in an Antwerp café knows exactly why the term bolleke brings on a fit of the giggles among British visitors. In fact many, keeping perfectly straight faces, will ask British drinkers "not to drop a bolleke" when they serve them with little goblets.