How many belgian beers exist

He has worked his way up over subsequent years to his current position as a Senior Brewer in Ellon and will be studying towards IBD Diploma in the coming years. Russell has visited Belgium several times which has cemented his preference for Belgian beers. Chosen by David Le Roy. And so the history of the Contreras brewery in the small village of Gavere took a new turn. The Valeir Extra is his flagship beer.

The delicate use of American hops like Amarillo gives it beautiful citrus and grapefruit aromas, and a taste that makes this beer loved by amateur and experienced beer drinkers alike.

Chosen by Zak Avery. As blenders rather than a brewers, Tilquin purchase worts from Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon and Girardin, and ferment them in their own oak barrels. Magma is a massive exception, displaying all the mouth-watering juicy new-world fruit of a modern IPA with the warmth and nuance of classic Belgian strong ale. Bold yet accessible; strong without being heavy: a real beer for all seasons. The monks of the Abbaye St.

Remy near Rochefort only make three beers, with Rochefort 10 being the ultimate expression. Its rich, deep brown colour and multi-faceted aroma evoking rich red wine, bonfire toffee, almond and smoke are mysteries waiting to be solved by those who can wait.

The reason I love this majestic Trappist beer is because it rewards patient drinkers, and once warmed a little, its raisiny, toasty body reveals decadent, rum-like flavours of leather, cocoa, fig, vanilla and gentle spice.

With its aromatic hoppy nose, wheat accents and crisp, refreshing taste it not only smells and tastes good, but it also looks good: in the bottle thanks to the fabulous emblematic artwork and in your glass because of that big, white creamy head over a pale, golden and hazy beer. With its lowish ABV of 4. Kevin Desmet , a 30 something lover of Belgian beers. He turns his love for beer into words on his blog Belgianbeergeek. Married and father of 2, he has a soft spot for bitter beers, sour beers and pitch-black, thick stouts.

He has yet to refuse a beer. It was brewed first in to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Brussels Gueuze Museum. It is a complex brew with a unique taste. Lorenzo Dabove , aka Kuaska, is an Italian professional beer taster, beer writer and judge in major international beer competitions.

It is slightly peppery, sometimes but not always has a subtle whiff of banana, with a sherbet fizz. Boak and Bailey are beer bloggers and authors of the book, Brew Britannia. Chosen by Erik Verdonck. This beer is produced using three varieties of malt and three strains of Belgian hops.

Surfine owes its lovely balance to the alchemy of its ingredients. Remarkably, the Surfine is subject to three fermentation stages, using a different yeast each time. The third and final fermentation stage uses wild yeasts that convert the remaining sugars into carbon dioxide, giving the beer its dry character. This is a fine example of innovation out of tradition, typical in family breweries such as Dubuisson.

Erik Verdonck is content manager for www. He is an experienced writer in travel, beer and gastronomy. Erik has been a freelance editor, writer and photographer for years. He has collaborated with numerous Belgian magazines. His main focus is story telling with Belgian beers. Which Belgian beers would you recommend people try? Are there any you think should be added to this list? Leave your suggestion in the comments below with your reason as to why you think it should be included. The 37 amazing Belgian beers you should try: 1.

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These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Lambic beers are fermented by exposure to naturally occurring yeast in the Zenne Valley and are the oldest type of beer in Europe, though without flavouring perhaps only for the aficionado.

However, Kriek Boon, which contains cherries, might convert the doubting to this wine-like type of beer on summer days. Standard beer glasses don't exist in Belgium. Glasses are relatively small since Belgian beer has high alcohol content, and are distinctively shaped for each brand — straight, wide-mouthed, stemmed, tulip-shaped — which supposedly brings out the beer's particular characteristics.

The most amusing might be for Kwak, whose glass looks like a piece of chemistry equipment and requires a wooden stand to keep it upright. Scoff at your peril, because beer is a serious matter in Belgium. See also: Drink your way through lockdown: 13 tipples to take you around the world. Home Destinations. Search Site. Previous slide Next slide. In turn, the process for purchasing the beer is quite strict, involving pre-ordering over the phone, a one case limit and the taking down of your licence plate and phone number.

And so, all of this feeds into the reputation of the Trappist beers. On the other end of the scale from Trappist beers is the humble pintje.

Apparently, to order a basic lager in a beer cafe or bar, you can gesture at the bar with your pinky for a pintje. During a heavy drinking occasion like Aalst Carnival , Belgians will stick to drinking pintjes. This is because its easier to drink with a lower alcohol content, not to mention cheaper in bulk.

They also seem to be the rare case where it is ok to drink out of the can rather than from a glass. Both terms appear to be based on Trappist beers by the Westmalle Brewery and describe the character of beer that these specific beers typified. Beers with the label Dubbel are typically dark, heavy and strong brown ales that bear a resemblance to an old Westmalle beer, the Dubbel Bruin.

Not strong enough? Then why not venture into Quadrupel territory, with beers like Gulden Draak that are When people think of Belgian beers, they likely envision pale lagers, blonde ales or thick stouts.

Probably the most common fruit beer is Kriek , a sour cherry beer. Traditionally out of Flanders, kriek is typically a lambic beer, which means it is made with wild yeast and bacteria. Some brewers exclusively brew kriek beers, while others supplement their range with a single offering.

Silly Rouge. The are actually two types of lambic beer : kriek and geuze. Whereas kriek often offers a fruity flavour, geuze is more likely to be dry and sour, making it a refreshing choice when drinking in summer.

After all, one of the joys of travel is experiencing new or different things. So one no-brainer for me is Delirium , the beer with the pink elephant. Another safe choice in my opinion is La Chouffe , another blonde but stronger and more fruity flavour. What would you like to know about beer in Belgium? What are your favourite Belgian beers? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission, but at no extra cost to you. David is the author behind the Travelsewhere travel blog and is always on the search for the quieter, less-visited corners of the world. Tip the glass slightly to one side and then raise it gradually to an upright position. Let the froth flow over the sides and then skim off the surface bubbles of the froth with a clean knife. Rinse the outside of the glass.

Gourmet beer : Serve the beer slowly so as to create a rich foamy head. Leave some beer in the bottle so the glass can be topped up afterwards. For beers that are bottle conditioned, leave the yeast deposit in the bottom of the bottle and present the bottle with the glass.

Apart from A glass bottle has an average life cycle of between 9 and 15 years. The empty barrels are picked up by the breweries and are cleaned thoroughly so that they are ready to be filled again. Moreover the green and brown bottles and barrels are the optimum packaging for preserving the beer taste without damaging the aroma of it. For the Water For the brewing process and the cleaning of the installations, water of a high quality is needed.

The breweries have taken important measures to reduce their water usage. Did you know that an average brewer needs between 2 and 7,5 l water for 1 litre beer? In , this was still between 10 and 20 l.