Belgium ‘s Best Breweries are known worldwide for their high-quality, delicious, flavored and tasty beers.
Belgium has long been recognized as one of the world’s top beer producing nations, with beer culture deeply interwoven in the country’s history and customs. Belgian brewers have been polishing their skill since the Middle Ages, and the country now produces over 2,000 distinct varieties of beer. In this blog article, we will look at Belgium’s rich beer history as well as the top-ranked SEO keywords that may be leveraged to boost any beer-related content.
The Birth of Belgian Beer
Belgium’s brewing legacy dates back centuries, with monks playing a key part in developing some of the country’s earliest beers. Beer was viewed as a better and safer alternative to tainted water in the Middle Ages. Monks would utilize their botany and brewing skills to create unusual and flavorful beers, many of which are being made today.
The Rise of Belgian Breweries
Belgium’s brewing culture evolved through time, with the introduction of new ingredients and brewing processes resulting in the creation of various beer varieties. By the nineteenth century, the nation had over 3,000 breweries. However, because to competition from bigger brewers, many of these tiny breweries were put out of business.
Today’s Belgian Beer
Belgian beer is now highly sought after by beer connoisseurs all over the globe. The country’s beer genres are numerous, including lambics, saisons, and Trappist beers. Belgian brewers continue to experiment with new ingredients and processes, and the country’s beer culture is as robust as it has always been.
This guide will expose you to some of Belgium’s top breweries and what makes them unique.
Chimay (Abbaye de Scourmont)
Chimay is one of six breweries that make real Trappist beers, which are made inside the walls of a Trappist monastery by monks. The monks of the Abbaye de Scourmont in the region of Hainaut created Chimay in 1862. Chimay Rouge (7%), Chimay Bleue (9%), Chimay Blanche (8%), and Chimay Dorée (4.8%) are the four beers produced by the brewery. They are all bottle-conditioned and have a particular fruity and peppery flavor.
Chimay is the world’s most popular and readily accessible Trappist beer. It is also one of the simplest beers to match with meals, since it complements cheese, meat, and sweets. Visit the brewery and abbey by scheduling a guided tour or staying at the guesthouse.
Cantillon Brasserie
Brasserie Cantillon is one of Belgium’s oldest and most traditional brewers. It was created in 1900 in Brussels by Paul Cantillon and has been operated by the same family ever since. The brewery specializes in lambic beers, which are fermented spontaneously in the air by wild yeasts and bacteria. The lambic beers are then matured for up to three years in oak barrels before being mixed to produce distinct varieties such as gueuze, kriek, and framboise.
Cantillon is one among the few breweries that still uses 19th-century brewing procedures and equipment. It is also regarded as one of the most prestigious and sought-after breweries among beer connoisseurs and collectors. You may visit the brewery and museum by scheduling a guided tour or participating in one of their open days.
De Dolle Brouwers
De Dolle Brouwers (The Mad Brewers) is one of Belgium’s most quirky and forward-thinking brewers. Kris Herteleer and his brother Jo created it in Esen, a tiny community in West Flanders, in 1980. The brewery makes a variety of beers notable for their high alcohol level, complex tastes, and unusual names, including Oerbier (9%), Arabier (8%), Dulle Teve (10%), and Stille Nacht (12%).
Brasserie d’Orval
Another brewery that makes real Trappist beers is Brasserie d’Orval. The monks of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval in the province of Luxembourg built it in 1931. The brewery only makes one beer: Orval (6.2%), a dry-hopped pale ale with a characteristic bitter and fruity flavor.
Orval is one of Belgium’s most distinctive and complex beers. It’s also one of the most adaptable beers, since it may be drunk young or matured for years. Visit the brewery and abbey by scheduling a guided tour or staying at the guesthouse.
Brouwerij De Ranke
Brouwerij De Ranke was a forerunner in Belgium’s craft beer industry. Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos created it in 1994 in Dottignies, a tiny village in Hainaut. The brewery makes a variety of hoppy and bitter beers, including XX Bitter (6%), Guldenberg (8%), Saison de Dottignies (5.5%), and Noir de Dottignies (9%).
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen is one of Belgium’s most prestigious and sought-after brewers. Gaston Debelder created it in Beersel, a tiny town in Flemish Brabant, in 1953. The brewery specializes in lambic beers, which are fermented spontaneously in the air by wild yeasts and bacteria. The lambic beers are then matured for up to three years in oak barrels before being mixed to produce distinct varieties such as gueuze, kriek, and framboise.
Brasserie De La Senne
Brasserie De La Senne was a forerunner in Belgium’s artisan beer movement. It was formed in 2003 in Brussels by Yvan De Baets and Bernard Leboucq. Zinnebir (6%), Taras Boulba (4.5%), Brusseleir (8%) and Jambe-de-Bois (8%), are among the beers produced by the brewery and are noted for their balanced and hoppy flavour.
De Struise Brouwers
De Struise Brouwers (The Ostrich Brewers) is one of Belgium’s most unusual and unique brewers. Carlo Grootaert, Urbain Coutteau, Philippe Driessens, and Peter Braem, four friends with a similar enthusiasm for beer, created it in 2001. Pannepot (10%), Black Albert (13%), Tsjeeses (10%), and Cuvée Delphine (13%), are among the beers produced by the brewery and are recognized for their high alcohol level, complex tastes, and strange names.