Brussels: looking for bars/bottle shops/brewery info

This is a good lambic / gueuze bar ( & other beers)

http://www.alabecasse.com/index.html

 

Better avoid a la becasse, mostly sweetened Timmermans Lambic and geuze. Maybe their oude geuze now but you better find your luck elsewhere. Moeder Lambic always has a nice selection of top quality lambics and geuzes. Delices et caprices, Delirium, Cantillon of course, poechenellekelder are also good options

 

When I went to Beersel, I did Oud Beersel early then 3F's restaurant and 3F's shop. Oud Beersel is definitely worth a stop (still one of my top fruited regular lambics) and when I was there, you got to keep the glass when the tour+samples ended.

In Brussels, I didn't really find any good shops to buy lambics from -- they were all pretty much tourist traps; buy Cantillon and 3F from the source. Unfortunately, it looks like you're going to miss the release of Fou Foune. I'll definitely second Moeder Lambic, but wasn't a big fan of Delirium. Bier Circus is worth a stop if you're in the area, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

If you have the extra couple of hours and are there on the right day, I'd go to Westvleteren/Oostvletern instead and visit St Sixtus and De Struise over Fantome.

Any plans on visiting the other beer cities in Belgium? Kulminator in Antwerp is fanastic and Bruges has several worthy spots to list a couple.

 

For shops, you can certainly buy a range of lambics etc. in Brussels, as noted at Delices, also Beer Mania, and I think some of the other ones like Beer Tempel/Planet could probably get away with charging more than they do. Some will have Fantôme. The car is a game-changer for you, though, since you can easily get to De Bierschuur (a separate room full of the stuff), ABS/B&S (stop in on a hop to Leuven or Mechelen?), SBS during the workweek... I think all those stores are listed in the places section of this site (always click through to the store's own site to get updated locations/hours) but post back here if you can't find it here or via Google. If you're staying out of the very center, look for your local grocery and check that out, too -- good insight to the local market.

The beauty of the bottle shop is you can pick up stuff other than Cantillon and 3F that is just as worthy, in some moods better, often cheaper, and in all ways as essential.

Among bars, several of the good ones are noted above; I'd add La Fleur on Paper Doré and La Brocante as places with the widest ranges, up there with Poechenellekelder and the Moeders. Good stuff at Toone and Booze 'n Blues... A few pennies of unsolicited thought: Bier Circus is worth going out of the way but better for drinking than eating; Delirium only before 5pm on a weekday; A la Becasse is atmospheric and may have Cantillon or some non-Timmerman's gueuze, FWIW. I'm repeating 100 other threads in this forum. If you are here for a Sunday morning, In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst could be the highlight of a gueuze-guzzler's trip. (Well, sippers, if driving.)

That bring us briefly back to buying bottles. Dorst may be your best bet if you'd like to buy vintages, which you probably wouldn't find in other bottle shops. You can't buy on the spot, but have to order in advance on its web site a few days at least (not sure but the Google will point the way), then pick up on the Sunday of your visit.

With wheels, you can also easily get to De Heeren van Liedekercke (sort of in the direction of IVTGD) for genuinely excellent food and unique beer list. Beersel can be, not always, worth popping out to -- 3F is not often open for visits/bottle sales but the restaurant is good, so if you time it right and swing by Oud Beersel to give them a little support while you're in the 'hood, and it's nice country.

Speaking of nice country, since you asked about Fantôme -- I've heard the stories about wild times there; haven't done it myself but I could see the temptation if also making a few other stops in the area, like Huy, Rochefort (can't tour the abbey), La Roche en Ardenne, Bastogne etc. ... If you have to choose between that sort of thing and the West Flemish breweries, I suppose that may depend on beer preference. Beer aside, small Ardennes villages and country make for a more diverting road trip, but West Flanders also has nice countryside, loads of history and you can't go wrong. ... There, that about overdoes it. Sorry for that, I got excited for you.

 

Ghent is highly underrated. we like to stay there. its in-between two or three great Beer towns.

 

azorie: I will be in Ghent for 2 nights next week. Can you recommend must visit bars & beer restaurants? Thanks much!! Cheers!

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/list/?city=Gent&c_id=BE&s_id=
most of the same stuff in the Good beer guide to Belgium. It all depends on what your looking for. I look for cozy, quiet but either a big beer list or a list that has at least what I want.

2 days wow, not enough time IMHO. I can barely get settled and unpacked and find food in 2 days.

I hate to say just go here and you hate it. its a small center you can walk it in an hour. look at each place, see if it is intriguing to you...

Still Deus, Dulle Griet, and Trappistenhuis and Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, are on my list.

Some may be closed, Its been 2 years since we were there last to stay.

get the book.

 

Yeah I know, that's not enough time. I'm just passing thru Europe on my way home & making a quick stop in Holland & Belgium. Thanks for the tread, I'll check it out. I have Webb's book & did mark the bars listed, so I will check those. I like the small quiet bars also w/ a possible beer list of regionals I can't get at home. Thanks for hitting me back!!

 

the tourist spots are along the river. September is busy month. sadly.
http://www.ottosrambles.co.uk/ghent.php
http://www.spottedbylocals.com/ghent/category/activity/bars/
https://www.beeradvocate.com/ratebeer/?path=/places/city/gent/0/23/
http://www.inyourpocket.com/Belgium/Ghent/Nightlife/Bars
http://www.simonseeks.com/travel-guides/24-hours-ghent-beer-cruise-ceiling-shoes__168903
http://belgium.beertourism.com/cities/ghent

cannot for the life of me, know why this site and Rb spell Ghent wrong...

 

Hey, thanks for all the great links! Wow, that surprises me about the town being busy in September. I was hoping for a quiet time, I'm not much for big tourist crowds. I will try to find the spots off the "tourist trail". Thanks again!!

 

well it will not be as bad as Brugges.

 

Because that's its name in its language? But then we don't we use Brugge or Ieper, for example. Legacy of linguistic misunderstandings since WWI? Usually I'd say that in English we've mostly adopted French names for other European places (e.g. most of the Italian and German city names in English are just taken from French)... but then why not Gand for G(h)ent? Or Anvers? Ghent and Antwerp are at least close.

Note to Belgian friends: this isn't delving into domestic linguistic issues! Purely English.

 

I knew that last comment would bite me in the ass, lol.

 

Heading to Brussels in 5 weeks for 4 days so this thread has come in very handy.