While Germany is most closely associated with beer, it seems a large percentage of top European beers are, in fact, not from Germany at all. Some are from the Czech Republic, and a lot are from here, Belgium. In fact, Belgian beer is so good that in 2016 it was declared a UNESCO cultural heritage of humanity.

As of 2018, there were more than 300 active breweries in Belgium (of a country of only twelve million), and beer has been produced here since Roman times. It comes in all sorts of styles, colors, flavors, and strengths, and is one of the top attractions Belgium has for visitors.

I am not a beer connoisseur. I am not anywhere close. I’ll have a beer on occasion, normally when traveling to a beer producing country, but I typically have to ask someone more knowledgeable to tell me what beer I might enjoy on a menu. And when it comes to Belgian beer, my experience going into this trip was pretty much limited to Stella Artois, the most common international beer produced here. That’s not exactly a large basis to build from.

Let’s do a quick run-through of some of the most common types of Belgian beer. First are the abbey beers, which are – as the name implies – produced in abbeys and monasteries (or are similar in style to those). Specifically there are Trappist beers, made by a Trappist monastery. There are also those done by larger breweries in conjunction with a religious site, or those named after a now-closed religious site. It’s a bit confusing.

Then there are lambics, which, if I understand correctly (don’t hold me to that) are exposed to wild yeast instead of cultivated, and aged longer. This leads to a somewhat sour taste.

Then there are the basic ales and wheat beers. Most of these range from light to amber, with few dark beers seen locally. There are dubbels and tripels, which are normally stronger than other beers, being around 8% alcohol by volume.

And finally are fruit beers, which have fruit concentrates added. Most common are red fruits (cherry, strawberry, etc…) but apple, peach, and others can be found as well.

It’s a dizzying array, and one that I am a bit overwhelmed by. I am also pretty confused between the types, and probably couldn’t differentiate by taste, or even remember the list if I hadn’t been taking photos and notes. Bottom line: try an assortment and decide what you enjoy.

With all that out of the way, let’s get to the “how to experience Belgian beer” portion, which is the fun part.

While beer is served basically everywhere, there are three types of venues beer lovers will want to try. First is a basic bar, and I can strongly recommend A La Becasse near Grand Place in Brussels. Here, lambics are the specialty, and they are mixed with fruit juice in a pitcher, then poured into simple glasses at your table.

If you’re someone who prefers a beer to compliment great food, try a Belgian brasserie, basically a pub. You can get cozy traditional dishes like stews, pub food like burgers, or you can go with my stand-by: moules frites, mussels and fries. (Remember, while they are called French fries, Belgium is where they come from.) The mussels will be steamed in wine, in cream and garlic, or in other spices. This is a perfect pairing for a wheat beer on tap. Some brasseries will be affiliated with one particular brand, while others will have more of a variety. And different brands come in different glasses, so you can tell what others are drinking around you.

Finally, you can visit a brewery. The oldest continually running brewery in the world is in Melle, about a half hour outside of Brussels, and just a few minutes by train from Ghent. (Click here to read about Ghent.) While it’s been called the Huyghe Brewery since an ownership change in 1906, the establishment dates back to 1654. Today, they make Delirium, one of the world’s top beer brands.

A brewery tour has to be arranged in advance, but is a wonderful hour of seeing every step of the process, including an overhead view of the bottling line. The complex is as massive as a “small” brewery can be, making well over a dozen varieties at this point. Delirium Tremens is the main beer made here. Known by its signature pink elephant logo, this strong beer has won best in the world (in the actual competition) and is shipped all over the globe. My guide pours me one at the start of the tour, and a few other kinds, like Delirium Red, their fruit beer, at the end. They also make an abbey beer, a dark beer, and more.

If you are a beer fan, chances are that Belgium is already on your travel wish list. If you aren’t a beer fan and come to Belgium for other reasons, experiencing beer here will still be a fun part of your trip.

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