Belgium: A Beer Trip Full of Joie de Vivre

Belgium has long been a bastion of beer excellence. With generations of brewing acumen under its belt thanks to Trappist monks, early production brewery juggernauts and its inimitable “Belgian yeast” (which has remained a popular flavor for centuries), Belgium stands as perhaps the foremost country in the world when it comes to beer.

Though dates are hazy regarding the oldest breweries in Belgium (as are many of the naturally cloudy brews in the country), both Brouwerij Timmermans – famed lambic producers – and Brouwerij de Halve Maan – makers of Straffe Hendrik – claim to have been brewing beer in their original locations for over 500 years.

Despite years of beer connoisseurship, I had never personally traveled to the great nation of Belgium (for shame), but I finally got the opportunity thanks to the wonderful hosts at Visit Flanders – who created an amazing, stuffed-to-the-gills-with-beery-goodness itinerary for me to follow in the middle of September.

Following a series of layovers across the U.S., I finally arrived in Brussels after only a mild two-hour delay at customs upon entering the country. While the people that worked at the Brussels airport were nothing but pleasant (far more so than many U.S. airports I’ve visited), the lengthy queuing process did put a slight damper on my excitement to imbibe high-quality Belgian brews… but not for long! After zooming out of the airport, I was immediately taken to perhaps the most notable spot on the itinerary – the iconic Brasserie Cantillon (below).

Upon arrival, the first thing that hits you when crossing the threshold of Cantillon is the smell. The brewery is redolent of musky, wild, funky and fruity aromas that can only come from centuries of brewing some of the most highly regarded lambics in the world. While my customs travails forced me to miss much of the tour, I arrived in time to peer into the (empty) coolship at the top of the brewery as well as see the brewery’s work-in-progress conservatory for lambic, opening in 2024/25.

The Cantillon brewery tour is a must-visit for any beer connoisseurs visiting Brussels.

Of course, I wouldn’t miss the tasting for the world, as I imbibed the Cantillon lambic, gueuze and kriek in quick succession – all poured consecutively into the same glass so that each brew’s flavors and aromas can meld and blend together, conveying a truly one-of-a-kind drinking experience at one of the most notable lambic producers in the world.

There was no time to waste though, as our next stop beckoned: Moeder Lambic’s original location at Rue de Savoie. Now one small bottle of Cantillon Kriek heavier, my traveling companions and I took a short stroll to the lovely outdoor patio at Moeder where we were treated to a five-beer flight of terrific brews from around the country – as well as a lovely charcuterie plate festooned with delicious local cheeses, meats, breads and spreads that certainly hit the spot after hours of nothing but minuscule portions of airplane food.

Our host, Jean Moeder, the founder of Moeder Lambic, regaled our group with tremendously interesting tidbits about each beer that was given to us. The last beer sampled was Cantillon’s Kriek on cask, which was actually superior out of the bottle from the brewery (showing how important bottle-conditioning is to Cantillon’s offerings).

Moeder Lambic treated us to a five-beer flight of terrific brews from around the country – as well as a lovely charcuterie plate festooned with delicious local cheeses, meats, breads and spreads.

According to Jean, Cantillon was the only brewery in Brussels in 2009, but now, there are 22 active breweries in Belgium’s capital city. Just like in the States, beer is a rapidly growing industry in Belgium.

As we strolled past the evocative and picturesque city streets in Belgium, the weather sunny and breezy, it became apparent that Brussels is a densely populated yet quite relaxed European metropolis. Traffic noise was loud and constant, but the general joviality and quiet generosity of the Belgian people spoke louder than any car horns ever could. With terrific beers on tap at almost every location you could visit, that national spirit is certainly understandable.

And nowhere is that fact more apparent than at Belgian Beer World, the brand-new museum/exhibition in Brussels that served as the main reason for this trip for its many attendees. Housed in a staggeringly beautiful gothic building that was once home to the Belgian stock exchange, the Belgian Beer World aims to be “more than just heritage, it is a place for discovery, surprise and pleasure.”

Housed in a staggeringly beautiful gothic building that was once home to the Belgian stock exchange, the Belgian Beer World aims to be “more than just heritage, it is a place for discovery, surprise and pleasure.”

It was certainly surprising, as the engaging exhibits were eminently well designed with a terrific artistic through line found within the entire building, which extends across three floors of beautiful architecture (below) – including the rooftop.

While the exhibits were certainly well designed, they were lacking a bit on substance (especially for our group, which knew almost all there was to know about beer already). However, for beer neophytes and hobbyists who don’t know much about the brewing process, there might be more enjoyment and information to be found within BBW.

King Gambrinus, the legendary king of beer, sitting atop a hefty gilded beer barrel installation at Belgian Beer World.

After touring the gorgeous interior of the building, perhaps the most impressive feature is the walk up the stairs onto the rooftop, where a view of La Grande Place beckons you upwards to a sprawling, 360-degree view of the Belgian skyline alongside a well-stocked bar delivering popular favorites such as Duvel, Orval and St. Bernardus Abt 12 as well as rarer offerings for the discerning beer aficionado.

After touring the gorgeous interior of the building, perhaps the most impressive feature is the walk up the stairs onto the rooftop, where a view of La Grande Place beckons you upwards to a sprawling, 360-degree view of the Belgian skyline alongside a well-stocked bar

The museum itself might not have held the group’s attention wholly, but the rooftop bar, at least to this writer, was worth the price of admission alone. Especially considering the beautiful weather, the rooftop bar at Belgian Beer World was a highlight.

Our first night ended with a trip to Ghent, Belgium and a more “American-style” brewery in DOK Brewing Co. With myriad amusingly named brews and even a quality American IPA on tap, this brewery delivered a lovely spread of meats, cheeses and vegetables alongside its brews to us weary, hungry travelers after a long day of sipping tasty suds.

Upon waking up in Ghent, our group was greeted with a guided tour of the city. While Brussels impressed me mightily, the city of Ghent was my favorite place on this trip by far. It’s a picturesque city with striking architecture all around, as well as plenty of natural beauty perfectly interspersed with its urban elements. Hell, the city even has a medieval castle still standing in the middle of it (below)!

One road we walked down could be dated back to the 10th century (that’s from a year in the triple digits, mind you), and it made me think back to some old medieval citizen traversing these same cobblestone streets after a night at the local public house. One can’t help but ponder the past when walking in Ghent, and if left to my own devices, I could’ve easily gotten lost in the side streets of the city – and been perfectly content to simply wander where the cobblestones took me.

Ghent is a picturesque city with striking architecture all around, as well as plenty of natural beauty perfectly interspersed with urban elements – and numerous lovely beer spots to enjoy too!

Of course, that wasn’t possible, as we had another stop to make! It was back on the road following our Ghent guided tour, this time to Wetteren, where we visited Heilig Hart Brouwerij (which translates to Sacred Heart Brewery) – a stunning beermaker that is housed in an old church.

The brewery kept much of the church’s original furnishings, including pews, a couple confessionals, an organ, gorgeous stained glass and more. This was an amazing brewery, and we were hosted by the founder and owner Hans Dusselier, who was a font of knowledge and expressed true joy in what he did.

Heilig Hart Brouwerij is a stunning beermaker housed in an old church.

Our hosts poured myriad beers for us while Hans provided backstory and details about the brewery and its brewing processes: “We want nature to decide our beers; we only want to accompany and guide nature when brewing,” Hans conveyed.

“We want nature to decide our beers,” said Hans Dusselier, founder and owner of Heilig Hart. “We only want to accompany and guide nature when brewing.”

One way in which they allow nature to do most of the heavy lifting at Heilig Hart is by brewing beers in 16 amphorae – the only brewery in Belgium to use these unusual, ancient fermenting containers. According to Hans, “brewing with amphorae allows the ingredients of the beer to provide the flavor, unlike barrels,” and the minerality of the beer is allowed to come to the forefront in amphorae.Why? Because gravity does all of the work in amphorae: simply place the mash in the amphora and let nature (and gravity) do its thing – all of the ingredients will sink to the bottom given enough time, and what’s left on top is a finished and fabulously tasty brew.

The brewery kept much of the church’s original furnishings, including pews, a couple confessionals, an organ, gorgeous stained glass and more.

Hans is clearly doing the Lord’s work with his brewery and beer, so much so that when the former priest of the church where Heilig Hart is located passed away, he left Hans his own personal Bible and hymn book in his will. This meant a lot to Hans, you can tell, as his eyes welled up and his voice swelled with emotion as he told this anecdote.

Our trip to Heilig Hart Brouwerij in Wetteren was a highlight. We were hosted by founder and owner Hans Dusselier (above), who was a font of knowledge and expressed true joy in what he did.

This level of devotion and reverence for the location and product the brewers are making is what made Heilig Hart such an incredible place to visit. The brewery is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2-8 p.m., but it was definitely a standout during my maiden voyage to Belgium – and the beers were, well, divine.

Next up was a stop at one of the biggest production breweries in Belgium: Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste, where we were joined by 4th-generation family owner and CEO Omer Jean Vander Ghinste, who looked spiffy and professional in a blue blazer and khaki slacks. While he provided us with plenty of details on the current (and future) goings-on at the brewery, it was his willingness to hop behind the bar and serve our group beers that was truly impressive.

Another famed stop on my beer tour was Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste, where we sampled the eponymous Omer, Tripel LeFort, Cuvée Des Jacobins and more (sadly not from the barrels on this cart).

As we had been traveling much of the day, many of our group (myself included) were getting a bit parched. As such, seeing someone as eminent as the CEO of the brewery himself serving drinks to our group perfectly showcased the Belgian spirit of generosity and graciousness that was clearly evident throughout my entire trip.

At Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste, we were joined by 4th-generation family owner and CEO Omer Jean Vander Ghinste (center), who hopped behind the bar and helped to serve our group beers.

With my jet lag catching up to me somewhat swiftly, our night ended with an incredible four-course dinner at Den Heksestoel. While all of the food was brilliant, the highlight was a traditional Ostend shrimp croquette paired with a Rodenbach Grand Cru. You know that feeling when you find the perfect beer pairing for a food? The shrimp croquette alongside the Rodenbach provided that feeling. The two flavors intermingled and enveloped one another in a way that can only be described as transcendent. While the rest of the meal (and beers) were brilliant, I will never forget that croquette plus its Rodenbach counterpart – so much so that I must go back and get it one day!

On my third and final day in Belgium, we traveled in the morning to St. Bernardus Brewery, home of stunning hop fields in Watou, Belgium as well as an engaging and entertaining brewery tour housed in a museum about the brewery’s history. Did you know the jovial and shiny-pated monk on the bottles of St. Bernardus are actually winking on every 1000th bottle? Keep an eye open (and one closed) next time you’re sipping their terrific Abt 12 quadrupel, or any other terrific brew from them.

St. Bernardus Brewery, home of stunning hop fields in Watou, Belgium also provided an engaging and entertaining brewery tour housed in a museum about the brewery’s history.

Speaking of, after finishing the tour, we ended up atop the brewery’s rooftop bar and restaurant, with stunning scenic views of the pastoral beauty of the surrounding countryside. One such view features the brewery’s absolutely breathtaking hop vines crawling skyward on trellises – coupled with the lovely weather and tremendous beers, it was quite a spectacular moment.

Did you know the jovial and shiny-pated monk on the bottles of St. Bernardus are actually winking (left bottle) on every 1000th bottle? It’s a subtle difference, but it’s there!

After lunching on traditional beef stew and Belgian fries (which were as incredible as advertised) alongside a cavalcade of St. Bernardus brews, it was a quick bus ride to Poperinge, Belgium, where our group took in the fun and interesting hop parade – an important local tradition in the country’s most important hop-growing region. Featuring plenty of local color and amusing parade floats (some featuring faux-drunk revelers lounging atop them), this was a terrific way to cap off an amazing trip.

Yours truly overlooking the stunning hop fields at St. Bernardus Brewery in Watou, Belgium.

Whether it was munching on Belgian fries alongside a hearty beef stew and seemingly limitless St. Bernardus beers, sipping delicate, amphorae-brewed beers at Heilig Hart or taking in the relaxed yet buzzing Brussels atmosphere at Moeder Lambic, my first-ever trip to Belgium had everything a beer connoisseur could ask for.

To sum it up: I simply can’t wait to go back – for the food, the people, the culture and, of course (most importantly), the beer. Cheers!

The Poperinge hop festival is an important local tradition in the country’s most important hop-growing region.

All Photos by Chris Guest