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Belgium: A Beer Trip Full of Joie de Vivre
From ancient breweries to divine brews, immerse yourself in Belgium: a beer lover's paradise. Discover the rich history of Belgian brewing, unique tasting experiences and the warmth of its people. Don't miss the Belgian Beer World and rooftop bar with breathtaking views. Cheers to a beer connoisseur's dream come true!
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