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"Beauty lies in the hands of the beer holder." - Anonymous
Nowhere is this more true than in Belgium with over 450 different varieties of beer, many with personalized beer glasses in which that beer, and only that beer, may be served. The shape of each glass is made to enhance the flavor of the beer it is designed for. This strict beer seperatism may seem like behavior usually reserved for wine snobbery, but Belgians do take their beer seriously - and with good reason. Belgium has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for its specialty beers since the Middle Ages. Connoisseurs favor Belgian beers for their variety, real flavor and character.
There are almost as many beer styles as there are breweries in the small kingdom of Belgium. The choices are endless when you consider raspberry beer, white beer, chocolate beer, geuze beer, cherry beer, brown beer Trappist beer and of course the beer that Belgium is most famous for - the lambic beer. Lambic beer is made with an ancient style of brewing, depending on spontaneous fermentation to produce a bone-dry, profoundly tart, and naturally effervescent drink that improves with years in the bottle - much like wine. By European Union regulation, it can be produced only in a small area in Belgium.
Check out this great article in the December issue of Conde Nast Traveler
Pale Rider : Belgian Beer Tour by Mike Di Paola
| Beer Festivals & Events |
2009
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Special Beer Festival
For three days, more than 130 different beers, many of which originating from traditional production and some " exotic " beers, are presented. Along the years this event has grown considerably and it attracts more visitors every year (1200 to 1500). On Saturday there will be a exchange fair (February 21-22, 2009)
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Belgian Beer Festival
Beer glasses, bottles, labels, coasters, old ads, clocks, mirrors, pints, jugs and other collector's items. You can try or buy more than 850 kinds of Belgian beers. Meals cooked with beer. (May 24, 2009)
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Beer Festival of Mons
Every year the Party Service and tradesmen of the Grand'Place organize a weekend dedicated to beer. Numerous stalls allow visitors to taste traditional beers and the big brands that made Belgium famous as the World Center of Beer. (May 15-17, 2009) |
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This beer event takes place May 2009 in the town of Lustin. Beer glasses, bottles, labels, coasters, old ads, clocks, mirrors, pints, jugs and other collector's items. You can try or buy more than 850 kinds of beer. Meals cooked with beer. (May 24, 2009) |
Meeting of the Breweries in Belgian Luxembourg
The breweries of the province of Luxemburg gather in one place for beer tastings, explanation of different brewing methods, music, raffle for a basket with regional products, and street animations. (July 19, 2009) |
The Festival of 100 Beers
On August 2009 will take place the traditional festival of 100 beers .Friday, a beer game (la quête). Saturday, 8h cycling race (all types of bikes are allowed: folkloric, MTB, city bikes, racing bikes, ... Everything on a closed and secured trail). Sunday, flea market, craftsmanship, tasting of the 100 beers and barbecue. |
Arch'en Biers
This festival aims to make people discover lesser-known beers in Walloon Brabant. Every year, the organizers endeavor to present new products to visitors. Numerous samplings throughout the weekend. (August 29-30, 2009) |
Brussels Beer Weekend
The Brussels' Grand Place hosts a multitude of stands offering the opportunity to discover some of our best Belgian beers. Many small, medium-sized and large Belgian breweries will present to you their best selections of beers. Entrance is free and beer prices are very reasonable! Many other events such as jazz bands, brass bands, activities for children will entertain you while tasting one or two beer. (September 4-6, 2009) |
Bruxellensis Festival
The Bruxellensis festival in Saint-Gilles presents authentic beers and various Belgian breweries which buck the predominant trend and do not brew beers that are far too sweet and fruity. Make way for diversity of flavor and authenticity! (September 2010) |
Hops Festival in Val de Sambre
Great hops festivity with amazing entertainments throughout the weekend including music, guided tours of the brewery, hot-air balloon rides, and craft exhibitions.
(September 11-13, 2009) |
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In Rulles you can visit different stands and meet 22 Master-Brewers and taste their products consisting of more than 80 different beers. On the agenda: music, reading with beer historian Mr. Philippe Voluer, and local cuisine made from Belgian beer.
(October 17-18, 2009) |
| Beer Breakdown |
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Blanche or White Beers
Sometimes called a wheat beer - it is light, cloudy, and with a hint of citrus. Example: Hoegaarden. |
Lambic
A non-malted wheat beer naturally fermented by wild, airborne yeasts. A draft beer specific to the Brussels area. |
Gueuze
A blend of two or more Lambic beers to create a secondary fermentation and a Champagne-like sparkle. |
Faro
Lambic light, if you will. A sweetened variety with some of the flavor but less intensity of other Lambics. |
Kriek
A Lambic beer in which further fermentation is brought about with the addition of cherries or raspberries - refreshing in summer! |
Brown Beers
These beers interplay caramel-like malty sweetness and a sourness gained from several months of maturation. Example: Goudenband |
Red Beers
Produced from red barley, these beers are aged in oak. Fruity, sweet & sour, very thirst-quenching! Example: Rodenbach. |
Golden Beers
These beers are similar to Pilsner lagers using very pale malts and hops, while retaining ale yeasts. Example: Duvel. |
| Legendary Monastic and Abbey Beers |
Trappist Beers
Among the dozen or so surviving abbey breweries in Europe, six are Trappist and located in Belgium, all established in their present form by Trappists who left France after the turbulence of the Napoleonic period. Rich dark ales produced solely by monks according to centuries-old methods in the six following monasteries; Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Achel. To learn more about Trappist beers, read: Style of Trappist beers. |
Abbey Beers
Strong ales in a similar vein to some of the famous Trappist brews, but not made in monasteries. Some have names indicating a business relationship between an abbey and a commercial brewery. Several of these monasteries did brew in the past. There are several other religious institutions that license breweries, and other beers that are simply named after an abbey ruin or local saint. Some names to remember when sampling abbey beers are: Leffe, Grimbergen, Duvel, Affligem, Karmeliet, Kwak, and Corsendonk. |
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| Trappists |
Trappistines |
Cistercians |
| Chimay, Scourmont (1) |
Clairefontaine, Bouillon (6) |
Aubel, Val-Dieu (12) |
| Orval, Villers-devant-Orval (2) |
De La Paix, Chimay (7) |
Sint Benediktus, Bornem (13) |
Rochefort, St. Remy (3)
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Soleilmont, Fleurus (8) |
Cisterciennes (Nuns) |
Westvleteren
Sint-Sixtus, (4) |
Nazareth, Brecht (9) |
Marienhof, Kerniel-Borgloon (14) |
| Westmalle, Malle (5) |
Klaarland, Bocholt (10) |
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Achel, Hamont-Achel
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Brialmont, Tilff (11) |
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Belgian Breweries
| Brussels Breweries & Beer Museums |
Brewers' House
Headquarters of the Belgian Brewers Association located in a magnificent baroque building. |
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Brussels Gueuze Museum and Cantillon Brewery
Witness the traditional style of Belgian beer brewing and taste a traditional Gueuze-Lambic at Cantillon museum & brewery. |
Brasserie Friart
Producer of St.-Feuillien beer. By appointment only. (30 miles south of Brussels, in Roeulx) |
La Binchoise Brewery & Museum
Experience the alchemy of beer manufacturing and the brewing process. Reservation mandatory (25 miles south of Brussels in Binche) |
La Brasserie Lefevre
Producers of Abbey de Floreffe beers. (25 miles south of Brussels in Quenast) |
| The Brewers of the Market
Enter the pub "Les Brasseurs de la Grand Place" (The Brewers of the Market) and enjoy of on the spot brewed beers. More… the hungry stomach will be pleased by excellent Belgian preparations. |
| Liege & Vicinity Breweries |
Artisan and Didactic Brewery of Du Flo (Blehen)
A small artisan brewery that produces the " cuvée Saint-Antoine ". The artisan brewery of Flo owes its name to the locality "au Flo". The brewery is situated in the ancient town hall. The brewery offers the visitors the chance to discover the art of brewing, from the crushing of malt to the bottling of the beer. |
Artisan Brewery "Bruyers" (Jupille-Sur-Meuse)
This brewery, with an actual annual production of 75 hl/year, is probably one of the smallest official artisan breweries in Belgium. Since February 1996 it has been producing "La Botteresse": the Botteresse Ambrée (amber): 8,5% Vol, the Botteresse Brune (dark): 9,5% Vol, the Botteresse Miel (honey): 8,5% Vol, the Botteresse Blonde (pale). Guided tours: individually or in small groups, by appointment only. |
Brasserie des Fagnes (Couvin)
This Belgian brewery and museum is located in Mariembourg, between Philippeville and Couvin. In this unique place you will find an 18th century brewery, a modern working brewery and a tasting area. Entrance into the museum is free. |
Brewery "Grain D'Orge" (Hombourg)
The microbrewery "Grain d'Orge", with its nice and cozy bar, is situated at the heart of the charming little village of Hombourg. The traditional brewer will personally welcome you and will introduce you to his passion: visit of his production location and savoring of tasty beers. |
Brewery of the Abbey of Val-Dieu (Aubel)
Monastic order: Cistercians (13th century). The abbey used to have a great tradition of beer brewing which revives again thanks to the take over by some laities. The brewery Val Dieu remains inside the walls of the monastery. The four products of the Val Dieu are: lager, brown ale, tripple and a "Christmas Special". Visits by appointment only. |
Jupiler Brewery (Jupille-Sur-Meuse)
The Liège brewing tradition is today perpetuated in the Jupiler brewery. Established in 1853, it owes its know-how to the family Piedboeuf. The Jupiler brewery is part of the Inbev group. In order to ensure the perfect quality of your Jupiler beer, the Jupille brewery boasts some extremely sophisticated and ultramodern installations and equipment. The group exports to more than 80 countries throughout the world. Visits for groups only by appointment. |
| Namur & Vicinity: Breweries & Beer Museums |
Abbey Notre Dame de Scourmont
Since 1862 the Cistercian Trappist monks of Chimay have been developing the production of Trappist beers and cheeses which are well known and enjoy great success. Located in the providence of Luxembourg, neither the abbey nor the bottling plant are open to the public but the gardens, cemetery and church of the abbey can be visited every day from 8:00am - 8:00pm. |
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Brasserie Du Bocq
At the gates of the French speaking Ardennes, in a marvelous small village in the valley of the Bocq, the tradition of a brewery founded in 1858 by the Belot family. Guided tours are organized by professional guides and followed by a taste of the products of Brasserie du Bocq: La Gauloise, Blanche de Namur, St Benoit, Triple Moine, Saison Regal, Deugniet and Regal Christmas. |
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Gambrinus Drivers Museum
Unique museum dedicated to brewery trucks. The name Gambrinus owes its origin to the Duke of Brabant, Jan Primus, who was known as The King of Beer…King of the Road for trucks and king of beer! This museum is in a former maltings-brewery-farm from the 19th century and it houses 20 vehicles and 75 themed displays. |
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Leffe Museum (Dinant)
The museum expresses the link between the beer and Notre-Dame Abbey. The museum is in 4 sections: 1. Origin of the brewery. 2. History of the Abbey, assortment of Leffe beers, evolution of promotional materials, the use of Leffe beers in cooking. 3. Activities of the religious community of Notre-Dame, oddities of the beer. 4. Tasting of Leffe beer. Open to the public. |
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Museum of Belgian Beers (Lustin)
This museum boasts more than 15,700 bottles and glasses of Belgian beer as well as beer-mats, flags, umbrellas, ashtrays, posters and old advertisements for Belgian beers.
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Brasserie La Caracole (Dinant)
Truly artisanal Brasserie La Caracole is located in a small village Falmignoul, Province of Namur, Wallonia in southern Belgium. Their portfolio consists of four stock ales: Caracole 8% abv, Nostradamus 9.5% abv, Saxo 8% abv, Troublette 5% abv. The recurring theme on each label is that of spiral snail shell from which the brewery takes its name. Apparently the snail is the emblem of Namur and the word for a snail in local Namurois dialect is "Caracole". This brewery is also the smallest one in Belgium.
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| Tournai & Vicinity: Breweries |
Brasserie Brunehaut: (Brunehaut)
The Brunehaut brewery was founded in 1890 outside the Belgian city of Tournai. This artisanal brewer uses 1000+ year old recipes dated back to the First Crusade. Brasserie de Brunehaut offers four Abbaye de Saint-Martin labels (Abbey style beer), three Brunehaut of Organic (Bio) beers, and several ales unique to Flanders/Wallonia. E-mail the Brunehaut brewery, to schedule your visit and find that the proof of this award-winning beer is in the bottle.
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Brasserie Dupont (Leuze-en-Hainaut)
The Dupont brewery is co-writer of a real part of the Belgian beer history. Situated in Tourpes (Leuze-en-Hainaut), in the centre of West-Hainaut, and incorporated in an old farm, originally dating from 1759, the brewing has been going on since 1844. The original beer was a “Saison Beer”, meaning that this beer was brewed in the winter, to be drunk in the following summer by the workers (seasonworkers) on the fields. Ever since 1950, the brewery Dupont has been specialised in the production of top fermentation beers with refermentation in the bottle. |
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| Beer Links |
| Belgian Beer Retailers |
Vanberg & Dewulf
Founders Don Feinberg & Wendy Littlefield lived in and fell in love with Belgium. They were the first Americans ever inducted into the Belgian Brewers Guild and import only beers made by independent family run breweries. They have introduced many of Belgium’s loveliest beers to the US marketplace
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Beer Mania
Have authentic Belgian beer shipped to your doorstep from Beer Mania. Located in Brussels and you must be 21 years or older to purchase. |
Kingdom of Beer
Receive fast, and at low costs all the Belgian authentic beer treasures. For every purchase of 10 pieces , you get a free bottle of Belgian beer! |
The Belgian Beer Merchant
Original Belgian beer products which are produced, packaged, and promoted to reflect the high quality of the product. |
Belgian Shop Online
Hundreds of varieties of Belgian beer shipped to the US as well as beer paraphernalia such as coasters, glasses, t-shirts, hats and more. |
| Belgian Beer in the US |
Brewery Ommegang
Located in Cooperstown, NY, this Belgian brewery is open year round for daily tours and tastings. They also list on their website Belgian beer festivals and events in the US. Belgium comes to Cooperstown! Belgian Beer Festival Saturday July 15, 2006. |
New Belgium Brewing Company
Located in Colorado, they brew Belgian style ales and also offer information on beer festivals and events on their website. |
Beer Experts
Website focused on buying, making and tasting great beer. |
| Belgian Beer Information Links |
Ale Street News
Your bridge to beer and life's related pleasures! Beer tours, beer articles, online purchases and much more. |
Belgian Beer Board
The latest and greatest news of all things Belgian Beer including articles, links and a chat forum. |
Belgian Brewers / Beer Paradise
This is the website of The Union of Belgian Brewers. It is one of the oldest
professional associations in the world and all Belgian breweries belong to it. |
Michael Jackson
Also known as the Beer Hunter, he is an expert on Belgian beer and has written several books on the subject. |
The Belgian Beer Escort
All about Belgian beers, where to find them in Belgium and in the US. |
Global Beer Network
Useful information on Belgian beers in Belgium and in the US |
Benelux Beer Guide
Written by Peter Crombecq, it has tons of information on beer in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg |
Tim Webb's Books on Belgian Beers
Lambicland and Good Beer Guide to Belgium |
Belgian Brewers
Find locations of breweries and their exports, statistical info and more. |
The Beer Info Source
A service provided to the seekers of fine brews who wish to locate information on the net regarding their favorite beverage |
A Pint-Size History of Beer
All things beer from 8000 BC until today! |
Style of Trappist Beers
Description of the different Trappist beers, beer glasses and a beer travel guide. |
All About Beer Magazine
Search for articles and news on Belgian beer.
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Celebrator
Beer news , Brussels newest beer stars article.
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World of Beer
Great articles on Belgian beer written by by Stephen Beaumont. |
Brewtopia Events
For Beer Information, Beer Travel, Classic City Brew Fest. |
The Burgundian Babble Belt
An international community of Belgian beer lovers babbling about beer.
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Tastings.Com
The ultimate buyer's guide to wine, beer, and spirits is produced by the respected Beverage Testing Institute.
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Golden Pages
To find a pub you are interested in visiting in Belgium just enter the name and the city for maps, directions and contact information. |
Beer Advocate
Educate yourself on the world of beer in this comprehensive website with information on all beers, events, festivals and more. |
Podge on Beer
Extensive information about beer tours, bar, and festivals. |
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