Out and about – Belgium (Beer)

I recently spent a week in Belgium on vacation with two friends. We stayed in Gent and also visited Brugge, Antwerpen, Brussels, and Damme (to go to the Siphon).

I did a lot of good eating and drinking while there and I have a lot to share…so please bear with me as I decided it was too much for a single post. This post will be devoted to Belgian beer (and assorted other beverages).

I think our friend Ward said it best: “Water’s too expensive…if you want to rehydrate, drink 6% beer instead of 12%.”

The beer menu at Dulle Griet, and Old Spice Fiji

These are all of the beers I tried:

• Brugse Zot at Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Gent) and De Halve Maan brewery (Brugge)
• Gulden Draak at Dulle Griet, which has pig bladders hanging from the ceiling (Gent)
• Tripel Karmeliet at Aba-Jour (Gent) and Kulminator (Antwerpen)
• Straffe Hendrick tripel at Craenenburg (Brugge)
• Straffe Hendrick quadrupel at Craenenburg (Brugge)
• Westmalle Dubbel at Cafe ‘t Galgenhuis (Gent), though I ordered the Westmalle tripel
• Leffe Bruin at ‘T Braboke (Antwerpen)
• Leffe Blond at K. Zeppos (Antwerpen)
• Mort Subit Lambic Blonde at A la Mort Subite (Bruxelles)
• Grimbergen Blonde at Plattesteen (Bruxelles)
• Brugs Witbier at Le Paon Royal (Bruxelles)
• Peche Lambic at La Fin de Siecle (Bruxelles)
• Augustjin at De Scheve Zeven (Zomergem)
• Gentse Tripel at Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Gent)
• Brugse Tripel at Brasserie Borluut (Gent)

One of my favorites was Tripel Karmeliet, which I tried the first night we were there. The menu at Aba-Jour said it was “the beer for the ladies” (or at least that’s what I was told it said). I managed to bring a bottle of that back to Boston with me, as well as a bottle of Brugse zot dubbel.

When we were in Brugge, we were able to take a tour of De Halve Maan brewery. They brew Brugse zot, Brugse zot dubbel, Straffe Hendrick tripel, and Straffe Hendrick quadrupel.

Straffe Hendrick tripel and quadrupel

We tried to go to De Garre (also in Brugge), but it was closed (under construction) and wasn’t re-opening until the weekend. I got a peek on the inside and I’m not sure how they were planning to be ready to open by then.

In Antwerpen we went to Kulminator, which is a bar with supposedly more than 500 beers. This was written up in my travel book as one of the top 10 beer places to go in Belgium. It felt like we were in someone’s living room, complete with a cat wandering around. We drank Tripel Karmeliet again.

Triple of Tripel Karmeliet

I loved the Mort Subite lambic blonde, which I tried at A la Mort Subite in Brussels…I think that was a two beer lunch that day.

Mort subite lambic blonde on the left and right

While I did heed Ward’s advice to not waste money on water, some other notable beverages included:

• Coffee: I’m not a coffee drinker, but man they make some good coffee
• Irish coffee: apparently this is standard procedure at Gentse Feesten as you are watching the sun come up
• Paradis at the Siphon: I have no idea what this was, but it came in a champagne glass, and it was orange and tasty

Paradis

Believe it or not, there are a few things we didn’t get to do that were on our list, but that gives us a reason to go back!

• Delirium tremens brewery (Geraardsbergsesteenweg 4/B
  , 9090 Melle)
• Genever
• Kwak

The rundown (or at least some highlights):
Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
Groentenmarkt 9, 9000 Gent

Dulle Griet
Vrijdagmarkt 50, 9000 Gent

Jigger’s
Oudburg 16, 9000 Gent

De Halve Maan
Walplein 26, 8000 Brugge
De Garre
De Garre 1, 8000 Brugge

Kulminator
Vleminckveld 32, 2000 Antwerpen

A la Mort Subite
Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7, 1000 City of Bruxelles

Siphon
Damse Vaart-Oost 1, 8340 Damme

Gentse Feesten