How much have Belgian beer sales fallen?

Had one last night at my local, and it tasted mighty fine, as did the Allagash Curieux

 

I feel like part of the problem is that it's not pushed by retailers and bars as much as other stuff. As we have seen more taplists become more IPA forward, the Belgian beers along with perhaps some of the more classic styles (brown ales, amber ales) have taken a back seat. Listen, I know a lot of us think we know enough and want to be left alone when we purchase our beer, but honestly, I forget about Belgian beer whenever I'm at the store, besides the occasion I pass and possibly grab a bottle of Drie on the way to check out. I don't really think about dubbels, tripels, and quads. And for some reason, I haven't been drinking as much saisons as I should this year. Sometimes a reminder from sales/bartenders about these beers is good to rekindle that old flame.

I also feel like a lot of this is that there just isn't the open mindedness that there once was. Folks used to try everything. Now, people are pushed into those major categories. You have to drink IPAs, try a smoothie sour, yo this stout tastes just like this dessert! Before maybe 2015, you kind of had to go through the starter kit of trying the Belgians, trying the English, trying the Germans, trying the standard roster of a brewpub. The desire to discover, hell, the requirement to discover isn't there like it used to be.

And at the end of the day, a lot of people just want to find a beer they like and just stick to it. It's easier to have promiscuity in a proliferated vertical like the IPA style than to try stuff you think you are less likely to like.

 

As an old man who proudly yells at clouds regularly, I say give me more Belgians and you young hipster whipper-snappers can go enjoy your hazy IPA badges on Untappd. LOL!

 

Yeah I'd agree, and just having returned from Belgium, people there (and France) just down blonds (Omer, Leffe), dubbels and tripels (along with Juplier) like water. Including, or maybe especially, women and younger people. And I have to say having spent a week there I felt better at the end of it all than I have after any other beercation I've taken. I never had a hangover, and gut health seemed better than ever, even with all the lambic I also fit in between. It just seems more approachable not just to the palate, but to the body.

Man I feel so stupid having waited so late in my beer journey to try certain beers, often taking them for granted based on their availability at local shops, or assuming they're all the same as the next in the style. Most American breweries just can't quite nail Belgian beer styles well, even if they have the right yeast and malt profiles. But Tripel Karmeliet is one of the better beers I've had, regardless of style (or who may own it...by the way, why doesn't the Bosteels Wikipedia mentioned AB-INBEV at all?). I don't typically like tripels all that much but it's just so much more quaffable than others I've had.

 

If Czech lagers can become popular in the US, I have 100% confidence that Belgian ales can become popular again in the future.

 

But that happened in 2016.

 

Yeah, I clearly missed the news of the buyout back then. It's not like it says InBev anywhere on the packaging. I still buy InBev products and never boycotted BCBS but I'm not thrilled about it.

But in the the theme of this thread, I was living in the states and it wouldn't have been quite as big of a deal to me back then when Belgian beer constituted maybe 5-10% of what I drank. Here probably 75% of what I drink is beer from Belgium just because that's what's available and it can handle the long hot journey it takes to get here better than some IPA from Holland.

 

It's weird that there's only like five articles on the subject, all from 2016 too, and nothing else. It just...happened, and that was that. Seeing as to how AB-INBEV is starting to offload its craft portfolio, I half expected that news to no longer be relevant, but their website does show them at the bottom.

 

Where in TX are you, if you don't mind me asking? I am northeast of Dallas, and would love a restaurant with only Belgians on tap!

 

One of the benefits of commuting for several years to the Atlanta area was the availability of a number of Allagash offerings, including Curieux. Can't get it at home base in TX.

 

In Houston.

Regularly go to Under The Volcano, which always has Chimay on tap. A handful of German imports that rotate, and a few locals. Its also one of my favorite books ha, and just down the block from Brazos Bookstore, which is excellent...I have actually met some Pulitzer Prize winning writers at Under the Volcano, but that is a different story ha.

The restaurant is Cafe Brussels. Locally owned, family place that has been open about 40 years. I can tell the Mom and Pop are about to hand over the restaurant to their son. Probably 10 taps, with a really good all Belgian selection, more bottles and again all Belgian. Great food, and both places are among my favorites in town.

 

Oh the Hay Merchant is closed? I remember them having quite a few European beers, can't say specifically the number of Belgians, but that was like 7 years ago lol. Sad.

 

Yeah Hay Merchant closed several years ago, they had a large selection for sure. 5 casks, lots of American crafts, plenty of imports. The Ginger Man closed around the same time as well, which in its prime had a better import selection of German, Belgian, and UK beers. The Flying Saucer is still open, and they use to have a great import selection, though that has dwindled in the years. Still a great craft selection.

 

Excellent. Thanks.

 

The story that I hear from brewery representatives is that the market keeps moving. Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, USA all used to be sizable markets, but interest fell of as local craft beer took off.

Larger more industrial breweries focus now largely on China (examples: Lindemans, Lefebvre), smaller breweries have stepped away from the traditional idea that most beer should be sold abroad (example BBP), Belgium has always produced more beer than it consumed and focus now on local market.

 

It’s expensive. Unibroue was my poor mans version when their bottles were $7.

I load up on Chimay blue at Costco before Christmas, $12 but still expensive.