Bringing beer to Belgium

Following.

I'm coming to Belgium from November 2-6th, staying in Brussels but making day trips to Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp. I'm also looking to do the same thing.

 

I've never tried to trade with a brewery or bottle shop. I have had lots of fun sharing though. For trades I tend to stick with BA members. @mathieu87 had a particularly strong thirst for Russian River this spring.

 

I've heard this from multiple sources. I brought some sours and wild beers and found they were mostly disinterested. It's probably like dragging lagers along to Germany. They want what they don't have.
Big IPA's (especially famous ones like Pliny and Sculpin) are the ones they're seeking.

 

I think you'll have better luck arranging trades or bottle shares in advance with BA members. Many breweries are gifted so many bottles that they can't drink them fast enough. One of the guys at 3F told me they had a few bottles of Pliny going bad in their cellar. I've shared a few bottles with bottle shop owners but never tried to trade. I'd imagine that most of them would like your business rather than your beer.

 

Agreed -- the brewers themselves get around, meet each other and try each other's stuff, so ... I'd be even more shocked if any shops or bars trade their product for yours. Some will accept gifts, and many of those are probably just being polite. For fun, by all means, bring something as a conversation starter, but I wouldn't expect recompense. Of course I'd be interested of anyone's experiences with this? ... As for what to bring, the IPA thing is making its way here, with Green Flash's West Coast now contact brewed here, more Belgians expanding their ranges in that direction. I don't think that makes Pliny and its ilk less desirable -- it might actually generate more interest. Go for it.

 

Bringing beer TO Belgium? Talk about coals to Newcastle. Enjoy your trip; it's a beautiful country.

 

I'm heading over in November and plan on bringing some bottles to share/trade. Who wouldn't like an opportunity to try something they can't easily access.

 

Bullocks this. We also like an American IPA or a big Imperial Stout once in a while. Please do bring some to trade and share. Have fun!

 

Hell yeah bring those American beers with you.... love fresh ipa's

 

Don't be dissuaded! Last trip to Brussels I hauled over 28 bottles of California goodness. Made a great IP trade, shared some bottles with some pretty cool people (Belgian, Italian, Swiss, Dutch, some folks from New Jersey!) and got to share my homebrew sours with some brewers and lambic enthusiasts. Just don't expect some sort of quid pro quo from people that sell beer for a living.

 

i'm in belgium in November. if you dudes want any IPAs, let me know

 

Nowadays I´m living in Belgium. If you want I have some beer to trade or to share them.

 

My friend visited from the states and had good luck sharing big stouts (chocolate rain/mocha wensday), jester king sours, and hill farmstead at a well know beer bar. They didn't give him beer but he was able to purchase some whalez to take home that were for on site consumption. One of the guys even busted out a few of his homebrew for us to try.

 

sounds like a fun idea, and about the saying, I have read about a 19th century businessman, who was tricked into the idea of doing exactly that (shipping coals to manchester) and he had the luck to arrive, just when there was a shortage for once becuase of a long strike and he made his fortune. I used to swap beers with a German friend, I'm only a novice but I might be interested in doing some exchanges, free from any judgment I'd like to see what the Americans have to offer, hearing by the vast arsenal of breweries the USA has atm.

 

Please bring your big ipas and stouts. We love it!

 

OP If I were you I would post some of the stuff you can bring. Line up a bottle share or trade(s) with people abroad. It also never hurts to bring some extra bottles for fun and spread some American good will. Beer karma always comes back one day!
I second what was said before. Don't ever expect anything in return. Just be generous, and have fun!