I am Belgium bound next month and am looking for some must visit places. I would love some feedback on some of the smaller breweries and some pubs with a great selection of beers from big and especially quality small breweries (decent food a big plus). We are staying in Bruges for a couple of days with a likely day trip to Brussels. We will be driving to Bruges from paris and then heading through Eastern Belgium on our way to the Alsace in France. We are willing to go off the beaten path to discover great beer. We are going to hit Saint Sixtus in West Flanders on our way to Bruges. Just starting the research and thought I would start here. Thanks!
Between St. Sixtus and Brugge definitely give a go to : - Struise / Het Oude Schooltje : Kasteelstraat 50 Oostvleteren (If you miss this you can visit their bottleshop in Brugge) - De dolle brouwers : Roeselarestraat 12B Esen Also on your way to St. Sixtus you can visit Alvinne : Vaartstraat 4a Moen Have a great time in Belgium !
Don't forget to check out the Benelux Forum on this site. Great info there! For me, a must visit in Belgium is Cantillon in Brussels.
If you are into Lambics and Gueuzes- Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen are the way to go. Other than that Beerader hit the nail on the head- St. Sixtus to De Struise to De Dolle. That makes for the best Saturday afternoon ever. Try the Trappist ice cream with the Westvleteren Blonde- amazing.
Thanks for the tips. Exactly what I was looking for. I checked out the Benelux thread, thanks for that too!
+1 on searching Benelux forum. Also, find the Good Beer Guide to Belgium, which practically doubles as a tour book. Comprehensive pub listings and mindful of food. New edition coming soon (or came recently). You can buy online or find it in big/tourist towns here. I confess, I'm confused by your description of your itinerary (not sure why eastern Belgium involved -- not anything is far away) but basically you'll be tracking through or near the best of West Flanders, the Payottenland (lambic country), Hainaut province (saison territory) and the Ardennes. Fertile ground. Have a great trip but post back here/Benelux with further questions.
Did a recent trip to Belgium and will give another vote for both, De Struise, and specially DeDolle. I had a fantastic time while there. The English tour at DeDolle is on Sundays and De Struise only opens on Saturdays, so you do have to pay attention to the brewery hours and such. As referred above, the Good Beer Guide to Belgium is an invaluable resource. Also, try and check breweries websites and call ahead if possible, as I had several places closed for vacations. Some with due notice, but some that a week before just closed without much warning in advance.
I went to Belgium last year for a beer journey and did extensive research for Brussels and Bruges. Here are the must go to places: Cantillon brewery in Brussels (spend most of a day there) Delices & Caprices (bottle shop and tasting room) t'brugs beertje bar in Bruges (lively fun bar with amazing beer) Cafe Rose Red (for Orval lovers) Bruges (beautiful place away from tourist frenzy, for a quiet drink) De dolle brewery in Esen (find Papegaei tasting room on your way in the village... a great independent beer and brewer) Westvleteren brewery (the cycle through hop fields is amazing) in Poperinge Then cycle to De Struise (if it is closed there is an amazing pub called "Het Witte Paard" in the village. It is so cheap for a delicious Black Albert and the locals are wonderful. I can help you with logistics for the Westvletern trip. Have a great time Elaine
Thanks for all the tips! The trip was great, we ended up only spending only a couple of days in Bruge and had to allow time for the Mrs to visit the chocolate shops, but had time to vist Westvletern. While in Bruge I visited the De Struise bottle shop and bought a couple of bottles to drink while traveling. (thank you to Beerader for that tip, I could have easily missed the shop) We went to T'brugs Beertje and just loved the vibe in that place. We met a great couple from Poland and I could hear other's at the table around me talking to strangers from around the world. We also made a stop in a Cambrinus, which had a great selection and also visited the local brewerie in Bruges, which had great beer also. We plan on going back again. So much beer, so little time!
