Best American Belgian-Style Breweries

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by hoptualBrew, Apr 3, 2014.

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  1. Jaay7

    Jaay7 Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2013 Indiana

    how is Stella Artois

    was thinkin about buyin it but i dont know,heard it being refered to as the "budweiser of Belgium"so it doesnt sound that great

    was lookin for a good non expensive Belgian beer all i really know are those trappist ale's
     
    #61 Jaay7, Jan 17, 2015
  2. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,044) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    You can get it in 30 racks for the price of Bud Light. Go for Leffe Blond or Leffe Brown if you want reasonably-priced Belgian beers in the U.S.
     
    #62 Dupage25, Jan 17, 2015
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  3. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,884) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Leffe Brune should fit the bill- very nice and drinkable, especially for the price. Their Blonde isn't quite as good, unless you like circus peanut candies (of which I am admittedly guilty, but I also do think it gets cloying after a while).

    ETA- beat to the punch by a minute- D'oh!
     
    #63 TongoRad, Jan 17, 2015
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  4. Premo88

    Premo88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,682) Jun 6, 2010 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Adelbert's here in Texas is good ... in fact, I need to try more of their stuff.

    as @Janis_Hoplin pointed out, Jester King, too ... they're all farmhouse ale all the time and their brews are hard to find, but their reputation is sterling
     
    #64 Premo88, Jan 17, 2015
  5. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    Lots of good ones opening up. But I would have to say the ones I have tried would have to be Allagash, Ommegang, Russian River, Crooked Stave, Wicked Weed and Bruery. Although those breweries do not only make exclusively Belgian style beers, except maybe Ommegang. I think the only completely Belgian style brewery is Spencer right now. Which I have not had and cannot comment on. I probably should give it a try!
     
    #65 humuloner22, Jan 17, 2015
  6. BMBCLT

    BMBCLT Grand Pooh-Bah (3,427) May 9, 2014 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Stella Artois isn't much different/better than Beck's and Heineken. "Skunky" beer that comes in green bottles.
     
    #66 BMBCLT, Jan 17, 2015
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  7. DoubleJ

    DoubleJ Grand Pooh-Bah (4,516) Oct 13, 2007 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You should be able to find Hoegaarden at a similar price point as Stella Artois.

    Oddly, if you go to Belgium, you will find Stella's stablemate Jupiler more often at places (including vending machines!).
     
    #67 DoubleJ, Jan 17, 2015
  8. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    1. Allagash
    2. Ommegang
    3. Boulevard
    4. Lost Abbey
    5. Brewery Vivant

    breweries here mentioned like Jester King, Crooked Stave, etc that are American Wildale producers are really doing their own thing with Belgian brewing philosophy influence. The five breweries above are the most Belgian-style beer focused that I know of. Saint Somewhere down here in FL is a goodSaison brewery too but relatively small in comparison.
     
    #68 hoptualBrew, Jan 17, 2015
  9. jds16

    jds16 Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2007 Ohio

    Rockmill in central OH makes some good ones.
     
    #69 jds16, Jan 17, 2015
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  10. Nightwish1094

    Nightwish1094 Initiate (0) Apr 24, 2010 Texas

    Boulevard, don't care that they're Belgian owned now. They were producing great Belgian beers before they were purchased. Tank 7, BBQ, sixth glass, dark truth, tripel
     
    #70 Nightwish1094, Jan 17, 2015
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  11. kingofhop

    kingofhop Initiate (0) May 9, 2010 Oklahoma
    In Memoriam

    Boulevard and Prairie make some outstanding Belgian-style beers.
     
    #71 kingofhop, Jan 17, 2015
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  12. Jaay7

    Jaay7 Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2013 Indiana

    i guess i probably should of added that i perfer darker beers
     
    #72 Jaay7, Jan 17, 2015
  13. woemad

    woemad Grand Pooh-Bah (5,601) Jun 8, 2003 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Another vote for Selkirk Abbey.
     
    #73 woemad, Jan 17, 2015
  14. TheNightwatchman

    TheNightwatchman Initiate (0) Mar 28, 2009 Pennsylvania

    Allagash is consistently good. Some of the other popular ones are hard to find in my area, so I can't really comment on those.
     
    #74 TheNightwatchman, Jan 17, 2015
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  15. Barnoloid

    Barnoloid Initiate (0) Jan 3, 2015 Illinois

    Another vote for Brewery Vivant - excellent range of offerings and a unique taproom/brewery venue in Grand Rapids, MI. Their annual wood aged beer fest is great, need to get to it again this year. Agreed on Allagash and Boulevard too.
     
    #75 Barnoloid, Jan 17, 2015
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  16. GoodJuJu

    GoodJuJu Initiate (0) Sep 29, 2015 California

    For me, it's Boulevard, Prairie and Monkish, right now. Neither produces, exclusively Belgian styles, but when they do, they nail it. Prairie nails saisons with Standard, and Tank 7 is what made me more curious about Belgians in the first place after a run of too sweet American takes like Great Divide's Colette and Victory's Golden Monkey. And everything I've had from Monkish is on point and makes me happy I live close enough to try all their releases.

    Seems as long as a brewery isn't making Belgian styles "just because" they'll nail it. Whenever I've had one I don't agree with, I get that overpowering sweetness, and I don't think that's what makes Belgian beer. Sweetness from the yeast is a big part, but you've gotta work with it instead of making it the main (and in some cases only) factor.
     
    #76 GoodJuJu, Oct 18, 2015
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  17. Sir_Whats-his-face

    Sir_Whats-his-face Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2015 Oregon

    pFriem is in Hood River, not Bend. That said, their beer is excellent, and their brewpub is amazing.
     
    #77 Sir_Whats-his-face, Oct 18, 2015
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  18. TLS28

    TLS28 Initiate (0) Sep 13, 2015 Colorado

    Everyone just keeps repeating the same 5 breweries.

    River North in Denver.
     
    #78 TLS28, Oct 18, 2015
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  19. Brolo75

    Brolo75 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,134) Aug 10, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Russian River, The Bruery, The Lost Abbey
     
    #79 Brolo75, Oct 18, 2015
  20. ScaryEd

    ScaryEd Grand Pooh-Bah (3,793) Feb 19, 2012 New Hampshire
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Just going to assume Allagash has been mentioned 17 times already and echo those statements.
     
    #80 ScaryEd, Oct 18, 2015
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