Last month, I got an invitation from the famous Belgian beer brand Leffe to attend the yearly hop harvest in Poperinge where they grow the traditional English Whitbread Golding hop used for the Leffe Royale Whitbread Golding beer. It sounded interesting (there would be food Read Post
Belgian beer: Brasserie d’Orval
Series by Christopher Barnes. Located deep in the south of Belgium near the border of France lies Abbaye de Notre-Dame d’Orval. Within the abbey walls lies one of the most famous breweries in the world. Brasserie d’Orval produces only one beer for sale, their world Read Post
Belgian beer: Brasserie de la Senne
Series by Christopher Barnes. In 2010, Brasserie Cantillon lost its title as the only working brewery left in Belgium’s capital, Brussels. Brasserie de la Senne, named in honor of the historic river that runs through Brussels, officially opened their doors December 22nd, 2010. Brasserie de Read Post
Belgian beer: Het Nest Brewery
Series by Christopher Barnes. While the Belgium is renowned for its brewing heritage and its equally storied breweries, many people assume that the country’s brewing culture is stuck in time. However, what many beer fans don’t know is that there is a whole new generation Read Post
Belgian beer: the Brunehaut Brewery and St. Martin Beer
Series by Christopher Barnes about Belgian beer. In this episode: the Brunehaut brewery and St. Martin Beer. Brasserie de Brunehaut, located in the municipality of Brunehaut in the picturesque south of Belgium, just outside the historic city of Tournai (Doornik to the Flemish), has become Read Post
Belgian beer: St Bernardus beer and brewery
The St Bernardus brewery is located near the city of Ypres (Ieper in the local Flemish) and the French border in the small town of Watou. It goes without saying that it brews outstanding beer, but its story goes beyond the brewhouse and is linked to two Trappist abbeys. Read Post
Belgian beer: Cantillon beer and the Cantillon brewery
Cantillon beer is brewed by Brasserie Cantillon, a surviving brewery in Brussels. Its Lambic and Geuze beers are world-renown and have a long and rich history. More about the beers and the brewery in this post. Read Post
Belgian beer: De Halve Maan or Half Moon brewery in Bruges
De Halve Maan or Half Moon brewery in Bruges is known for several beers, like the Brugse Zot and the Straffe Hendrik Tripel. The brewery offers tours, tastings included. Our beer expert tells you a bit more about the brewery and its beers. Read Post
Belgian beer: Rodenbach
Guest series by Christopher Barnes. Belgium is a land filled with a huge variety of beer styles, but probably none more unique than the ‘sour ale’. Throughout history, most beer probably had some level of sourness due to poor sanitation and open air fermentation. The Read Post
Belgian Beer: Chimay
Guest series by Christopher Barnes. Belgium is renowned as the home of six Trappist breweries: Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren. Of those six, Chimay is the largest. Situated outside the tiny village of Baileux a few miles from the French/Belgian border, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Read Post
Chocolate stores, beer bars and a wall of beer in Bruges
Bruges is known for its chocolate stores and for the bars that offer a wide range of Belgian beers. We tried some ‘Brugse Zot’, a typical beer from Bruges and visited the famous Bruges beer wall. Check it out! Read Post