Why Belgium?
Some Belgians like to affectionately punctuate the end of a sentence with "Why not!?!," so it quickly becomes the running and endearing joke of many beer tours. Just like some Canadians, say "Eh!?!" For example, "I love beer, so I decided to start a brewery, why not!?!"
Belgium, aka beer paradise, brews some of the finest, unique and delicious beers in the world. What makes these beers so special? In two words: Taste and variety. Here are a few articles to give you a peek at this amazing country.
Just a few reasons to love Belgium, but there is more below. Santé!
How A Tiny Brewery Run By Monks Came To Make The Best Beer In The World
MELISSA STANGER
JAN. 26, 2015, 12:27 PM
The Trappist monks at The Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren, Belgium, aren't in the business of brewing beer for the riches or glory — they brew only enough to support themselves and their abbey. But fame found them anyway in the mid-2000s, when the beer-information website RateBeer.com named their dark, quadrupel-style 12 the best beer in the world. Read the entire article...PDF
Exploring Belgium's Beautiful, Beery Gaume
All About Beer Magazine
Chuck Cook
January 8, 2015
In the southeastern corner of Belgium, within the province of Luxembourg, is a beautiful, historic region referred to as “The Gaume.”
This area, which borders France, is home to valleys and rivers, and is a hotbed of outdoor activities. It is a big tourist region, especially during summer.
The Gaume has a microclimate with the highest number of sunny days in Belgium and is often 2-6 degrees F warmer than the rest of the country. It is sometimes referred to as the “Provence” of Belgium. The Gaume sits at a slightly lower altitude than the Ardennes, which it borders. In Torgny, there are even vineyards, which are uncommon in Belgium. Read on. | PDF
Brussels On Draught
In Belgium, the word "café " has two meanings: coffee, the drink you enjoy in the morning, at home or at the office, or the establishment where you order one, known as a... café. Although belgians are coffee drinkers, their cafés are known first and foremost for serving draught beer and, in a return to their roots and authenticity, traditional beers. belgians love their beer, drinking 100 litres of the beverage a year.
To see the variety and wealth of this heritage, go to a specialist café and ask the café proprietor to advise you. soak up the cheerful atmosphere of a café on the Grand-place and share the enjoyment of this sociable drink. Read on. | PDF
Bruges Grote Markt
A City Tasting Tour: Ghent Food Guide
BY NOAH CHARNEY
DECEMBER 02, 2013
A walking tour of Ghent's best food, Belgium's lovely town has much to offer in terms of not only beer and waffles but typical dishes you will remember.
Ghent may be the coolest small city in Europe. It combines an incredible history (for a long while it was the second largest city in Europe, behind Paris), with great art (Van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is the single most-influential painting in history), kind people (who speak excellent English, making it easy for visitors), charming atmosphere, exotic gothic architecture, and a vibrant, avant-garde youth culture (with 60,000 university students in a city of only around a quarter million). But what surprises many visitors is just how good the food is. Belgium isn’t known for its food, waffles, beer, and moules-frites aside. Read on. | PDF
A Weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons
Part 1 – Eupen
by ALISON
Jan 25, 2012 • 12:16
Although most people think of Belgium as a bi-lingual country with French and Flemish spoken, there is actually a third official language – and no, we don’t mean English.
Like most inhabitants of Belgium, Andrew and I knew very little about the Eastern Cantons; the 11 municipalities that are home to the country’s German-speaking community. Last weekend, we decided it was high time we educated ourselves about this under-promoted corner of Belgium. Read on.
A Weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons
Part 2 – Hombourg and Aubel
by ALISON
Jan 27, 2012 • 10:27
On the second day of our weekend in Belgium’s Eastern Cantons, we were driving north, almost to the Dutch border, to the village of Hombourg (Homburg). We were headed for our second B&B in Belgium and another gastronomic experience. (Don’t forget to read part 1 of our Weekend in the Eastern Cantons of Belgium.) Read on.
Belgium Beer Festivals 2015: The 10 Beer Festivals in Belgium You Simply Cannot Miss!
BY BREANDÁN KEARNEY
Dec 26, 2014
in Beer, Festivals & Events
Belgium enjoys at least one beer festival on almost every weekend of the year.
But that’s to be expected, I guess. Belgium has one of the most rich and diverse beer cultures in the world. You can read more about why that is the case here: Three reasons why Belgian beer is so good.
The beer festivals we have listed below include a mix of internationally recognised beer festivals in Belgium as well as more local, niche and sometimes family orientated Belgian beer festivals that we believe are worth a visit. There are many other festivals we have been to that might also warrant inclusion, but we’ve decided to limit our suggestions so that they remain a useful resource rather than an unwieldy list. Read on. | PDF
One beer you won't want to miss.
40 Beers to Put on Your Bucket List
Maggie Hoffman, MANAGING EDITOR
JUL 15, 2014 12:00PM
When it comes to beer, we all have our go-to bottles. But if you're looking to expand your repertoire a bit, what beers should you buy? We asked our crew of friendly beer experts—all Certified Cicerones—for their list of essential beers you really should try.
Beer Styles
Belgium is without a doubt a beer country like no other. In more than 150 breweries, give or take a few, countless beers flow into barrels, bottles and cans. The choice of beers on offer Belgian Beer Styles, beer in BelgiumWooden 'Foeders' © BeerTourism.com is truly splendid, but what really makes the country unique are the many varieties in which these beers come. Read on. | PDF
Boudin – A Taste of Belgium
by ALISON
Nov 25, 2011 • 09:45
As my food hero, Anthony Bourdain, says, every culture has its own version of ‘meat in tube form’. Belgium is no exception. Although boudin isn’t a strictly Belgian invention, it’s part of the fabric of food culture here and love it, or hate it, everyone has an opinion on it. Read on. | PDF
