Belgian Beer Guide: Why Is It The Best Beer In The World?

Discovering the world of Belgian beer can be a bit overwhelming at first. Belgium seems to be in a beer league of it’s own!

Belgian beer isn’t your plain old off-the-shelf beer. It’s all about complex and diverse flavour profiles that they needed to create categories for each unique Belgian beer style and drinking glasses!

Whether you’re planning a trip to Belgium, or just interested in the wonderful world of Belgian beer, here’s everything you need to know about Belgian beer!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Beer In Belgium

Belgium and beer go hand in hand – you can’t have one without the other! I mean, they brew over 2000 different beers in more than 200 active breweries. And among them are some of the best beers in the world!

As it turns out Belgian’s drink the most beer per capita in the world (yup, even more than Germany!). They even have a specific way of serving and drinking beer (down to specific glasses for each type of beer).

What Makes Belgian Beer So Different?

Unlike German beer, Belgium doesn’t have any regulations on what ingredients you can use. For example, German beer can only contain water, hops, and malt and you can’t add anything else.

Belgium has no such restrictions, you can add whatever you want! With such lax rules for beer in Belgium, you end up with a wide variety of options and flavours. In Belgium, you can find your regular I.P.A., stouts, and lagers, but you’ll also come across anything from sour beers to cherry beer… you name it, they have it!

Another characteristic typical with Belgian beer is their higher alcohol percentage. For the most part, the lowest you’ll find is around 6% and there’s really no limit.

There’s A Beer For Everyone In Belgium!

Because there are so many types of beer in Belgium, and there are no rules to follow I guarantee there’s a beer for you in Belgium! Even if you’re not a fan of beer, Belgium will have the beer for you.

I swear, my friend who hates beer went to Belgium and found not one, not two, but THREE different beers she liked!

Understanding Belgian Trappist Beers

One of the main kinds of beer in Belgium (and one of the best) is what’s known as a Trappist beer. Unlike other Belgian beer, to be considered a Belgian Trappist beer, you must follow very strict rules.

Trappists are a Christian religious order that take part in specific industries to make a living. So to be a Trappist brewery, the beer has to be brewed at a monastery where monks play a role in its production. 

What I find most interesting though, is that they cannot profit from the sales of the beer. Any money they make can only be used to support the monastery. They sell their products simply to be self-sustainable.

There are only 10 Trappists Breweries around the world, 6 of those are in Belgium: Achel, Orval, Scourmont-Lez-Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle, and Westvleteren (p.s. this is apparently the best beer in the world… more on that in a bit!). You have another two in the Netherlands, one in Austria, and one in the U.S.

Trappists don’t only make beer; some farm mushrooms, make soaps or cleaning products. Read more about the Trappist lifestyle.

Belgian Beer Styles: Dubbel, Tripel, Vs. Quadrupel

There are three main categories of beer in Belgium: dubbel, tripel and quadrupel. They differ in alcohol percentage and flavour.  

What Is A Belgian Dubbel?

A Belgian dubbel (meaning double) is exactly what it sounds like. It’s doubling the alcohol percentage of a regular beer. So if a normal beer is anywhere from 3% to 5% alcohol, a dubbel can be anywhere from 6% to 9%.

I love a good dubbel! Aside from doubling the alcohol, they’re also characterized by their dark brown colour. They look the least inviting, but you can’t always judge a dubbel by its colour.

Despite their dark colour, you’d think they’d be the strongest Belgian beer, but they’re actually the sweetest. The scary dark brown colour comes from caramelizing Belgian candi sugar. These sweet flavours take over the bitter hops, leaving only a moderate bitterness. 

So, if you’ve never been a fan of IPAs; try a Belgian dubbel, you might just fall in love, like I did! Plus, everyone’s always impressed when they see you drinking an almost black beer (shows you how much they know!).

What Is A Belgian Tripel?

Unlike a dubbel, a Belgian tripel doesn’t get darker with their stronger alcohol percentage. Belgian tripels are a shocking light amber colour at about 7.5% to 10% alcohol.

Instead of caramelizing candi sugars, they’re brewed with three times more pilsner malts than normal. And unlike those deliciously sweet Belgian dubbels, Belgian tripels are more about the bitter and spiced flavours.

I tend not to like tripels, since I find they often taste a lot like IPAs. Although some will surprise me by being on the more citrusy side of the flavour profile.

Even though a Belgian tripel might look the most inviting, they are quite high in alcohol. So, it’s important not to forget that drinking one Belgian tripel is like drinking 2 to 3 regular beers!

What Is A Belgian Quadrupel?

A Belgian quadrupel has the least restrictive guidelines out of any Belgian beer style. They pretty much include anything with an alcohol percentage above 10%. Fun, right?

Surprisingly, they fall in the middle of the colour scheme. Not as dark as a Belgian dubbel, but darker than a tripel. They tend to be dark amber to the dark brown in colour.

In terms of flavour profiles, Belgian quadrupels also hover somewhere between a dubbel and tripel. Since they can contain both caramelized sugar and malts, they can be sweeter than tripels and more bitter than dubbels, 

It’s especially important to be careful when drinking a Belgian quadrupel – it’s like having an entire bottle of wine to yourself! I always have to share one of these with my partner, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to walk out of the bar!

Belgian Beer Guide: A Glass For Every Beer

Just when you thought you were over the hump of Belgian beer complexities, there’s more! Little did you know, there’s a specific way to drink beer in Belgium from how you pour it and what glass you serve it in.

For every beer there is a specific Belgian beer glass to drink it from. The unique shape of the glass promotes its individual aromas and flavours. So, pairing a beer with the proper glass is taken very seriously. The classic style beer glass is called a Tulip because it looks like a Tulip bulb.

There’s also a very specific way to pour your Belgian beer. First, every beer has a preferred drinking temperature (usually room temperature). Sometimes you’ll want to open it up and let it sit for a bit to reach the appropriate temperature. You also need to make sure you’re pouring it at the right angle. Watch how to properly serve and pour your Belgian beer.

Where To Go Beer Tasting Around Belgium

As you probably understand by now, a trip to Belgium is all about beer. You cannot visit this amazing country without doing at least one beer tasting tour. Luckily for you, there’s pretty much a brewery in (or near) every city to visit and taste their local brew!

If you don’t want to visit a specific brewery, you can also go on a beer tasting tour. We did one in Brussels with Sandeman’s and loved it! We learned all the crucial information about Belgian beer that way.

If you want to try them on your own, you’ll have the most selection at Delirium in Brussels. It’s a huge bar with some 2000 different beers to try.

You can also plan your trip around the annual Belgian Beer Weekend Festival in Brussels. It’s usually at the start of September, see the current dates. 

Belgian Beer Guide: Belgian Breweries To Visit

It isn’t surprising that almost every city in Belgium has its own beer. Some might be more well known (like Stella Artois and Leffe) but that doesn’t mean the smaller breweries aren’t just as good (in fact, they’re usually better!).

Here are some of the main ones you can visit…

Try Stella Artois In Leuven

One of the smallest cities in Belgium brews one of the largest Belgian beer exports: Stella Artois. And it’s still brewed there today!

You can visit the brewery, which is just outside the city centre in Leuven. Leuven is only a 15-minute train from Brussels too, so it’s pretty easy to get to. Plus, the city is one of my favourites in Belgium to visit, read more about spending a day in Leuven!

P.S. Leuven is also home to the longest bars in the world. It’s insane, you have to check it out!

Try Leffe In Leuven Or Dinant

Another well known Belgian beer around the world is Leffe. It’s originally from a monastery in Dinant but today it’s also brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven.

That doesn’t mean Dinant doesn’t honour its heritage though. They set up a museum and tasting room in the old monastery, and it’s only a short walk from the city centre. There is, of course, more to do in Dinant than taste beer, they have some of the most spectacular views in Belgium. 

Read more about what else to do with one day in Dinant.

Try De Halve Mann Beer In Bruges

This romantic medieval city has two breweries to visit: Bourgogne des Flandres and De Halve Mann. De Halve Mann is the main one to visit in the city and they set a new standard for Belgium and beer. 

They built a 3km underground pipeline to bring the beer from the original brewery in the city to the bottling plant just outside. And, to top it all off, it was paid for by the citizens of Bruges.

Aside from their pipeline, De Halve Mann also brews a nice selection of Belgian beer styles to try. They have them all! From Belgian dubbels, to tripels, and quadrupels. My favourites are BrugseZot and Straffe Hendricks.

As a bonus, their brewery tour gives you one of the best rooftop views of the city! Read more about planning the perfect trip to Bruges.

Must Try De Konnick Beer In Antwerp

Antwerp is De Konnick beer. You can visit the brewery, but it’s a bit further outside the city centre. They have three main beers available to try, the Bolleke (the original), Tripel Anvers, and Wild Jo.

You’ll only be able to try these in Antwerp, but they won’t be hard to find once you’re there. They’re served at every restaurant and pub in the city!

What’s The Best Belgian Beer?

The one beer that you have to try at least once while you’re in Belgium is Westvleteren (but don’t ask me how to pronounce it). Apparently it’s one of the best beers in the world, but also one of the hardest to get your hands on.

I’ve tried it twice now, and let me tell you, the hype is worth it! If you’re a beer lover, you MUST try it. If you aren’t a beer lover, well, you still have to try it, it might change your mind!

It’s so smooth, well-balanced, and really doesn’t taste like a typical beer.

The reason it’s so hard to find is because it’s a Belgian Trappist beer (remember I spoke about Trappist beers?), so it isn’t sold commercially. The only way you’re supposed to get it is by ordering it 2 months in advance and driving to the monastery yourself to pick it up. Of course, when you’re only in Belgium for a week or two, this isn’t so convenient. So, I have a few hookups for you to try some if you’re in Brussels…

Where To Try Westvleteren In Brussels?

If you want to enjoy Westvleteren at a bar, head to The Monk near St. Catherines Church (November 2023: Cafe Monk closed and is reopening under a new a name: Billie). Westvleteren wasn’t on the menu, so you’d have to ask the bartender for it… I don’t know if the new management will offer the same service.

If they don’t have it, you can also try Beer World in Ixelles. It’ll be more expensive, but they usually have a nice supply of it.

Is Belgian Moon From Belgium?

No! Belgian Moon/ Blue Moon beer is simply a Belgian-Style Wheat Ale.

Belgian Moon is owned by MillerCoors in the U.S. and has been brewing their beer in North America since 1995 (and it says that on the can!). The name might be a bit misleading, but it’s only a Belgian style beer!

Even though this isn’t authentic Belgian beer it’s still my go to summer beer! But it’s brown Leffe in the winter for me!

The Best Beer-Themed Souvenir From Belgium

One of the easiest and cheapest souvenirs to bring back from Belgium are the bottle caps of the beers you’ve tried. Every time I ordered a beer would I ask the bartender for the bottle cap. 

Then when I came home, I turned them into fridge magnets. They’re a nice reminder of my trip every time I see them.

Belgian Beer Essentials On Amazon

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Last update on 2024-12-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API