Exploring Belgium's Diverse Beer Culture: A Tasty Overview

Belgium is known for its beer, with over 400 breweries in operation in 2021, producing around 23.6 million hectoliters of beer that year. Belgian beer is exported all over the world, with an international reputation for quality. There are over 800 varieties of beer brewed in Belgium, and the country has a rich history of beer production, with evidence of breweries dating back to the Roman era.

Belgian beer culture is unique, with each beer served in its own distinctively-shaped glass, designed to bring out the unique flavours and character of the beverage. Beer is also often bottled rather than served on draught, and is frequently stronger than it appears, with a higher alcohol content than is typical in other countries.

The country is particularly known for its Trappist beers, brewed according to traditional methods in monasteries, and its Lambic beers, which are fermented in open air and have a distinctive sour and earthy taste.

Trappist Beers: Trappist beers are brewed using traditional methods by monks. There are 11 Trappist breweries globally, 6 of which are in Belgium. Trappist beers include blonde, dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel

Belgium is famous for its beer, with Trappist beers being among the most renowned. Trappist beers are brewed by monks using traditional methods, and there are only 11 Trappist breweries globally, with 6 of them in Belgium. The name "Trappist" comes from the French abbey, Notre-Dame de la Grande Trappe, and the beers are labelled with the logo 'Authentic Trappist Product'.

Trappist beers are brewed within the walls of a monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision. The breweries are not intended to be profit-making, and the income covers the monks' living expenses and the maintenance of the buildings. Any remaining profits are donated to charity.

The six Trappist breweries in Belgium are:

• St. Benedictus-Abbey (Achelse Kluis) in Achel
• Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont in Chimay
• Abbaye d'Orval in Villers-devant-Orval
• Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy in Rochefort
• Sint-Sixtusabdij in Westvleteren
• Abdij van de Trappisten van Westmalle in Westmalle

These breweries produce a range of Trappist beers, including blonde, dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel. Blonde beers are typically lighter variations of pale ale, often made with pilsner malt. Dubbel, meaning double in Dutch, is a strong brown ale, typically between 6 and 8% ABV. Tripel, meaning triple, is a term used for strong pale ales, and quadrupel, or quad, is a stronger, darker version.

Trappist beers are known for their unique brewing processes and the role of monasteries in their production. They are highly regarded by beer enthusiasts worldwide, and the breweries themselves have become popular tourist destinations for those seeking to sample these beers straight from the source.

Lambic Beers: Lambics are fermented in open-air vats and have a sour and earthy taste. Lambics include kriek and framboise, made with cherries and raspberries, respectively

Belgium is home to a wide variety of beers, including pale ales, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales, stouts, and lambics. Lambic beers are fermented in open-air vats and have a sour and earthy taste. Lambic beers have been brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, southwest of Brussels, since the 13th century. The unique fermentation process involves exposing the beer to wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Zenne Valley, resulting in a dry, vinous, and cidery flavour with a slightly sour aftertaste.

One of the distinct features of Lambic beers is the use of open-air vats during the cooling process. The wort is cooled overnight in a shallow metal pan, allowing more than 120 different types of microorganisms to inoculate it. This method is critical to achieving the characteristic flavour of Lambic beers, but it can only be carried out between October and May to avoid excessive summer temperatures that could spoil the beer.

Lambic beers come in several varieties, including gueuze, kriek, and framboise. Kriek and framboise are made with cherries and raspberries, respectively, adding a fruity twist to the sour and earthy base of the lambic. These fruit lambics are created by adding whole fruit or syrup during the fermentation process, resulting in a unique blend of flavours.

Kriek, a Flemish word, specifically refers to the use of sour Morello cherries in the lambic beer. Traditional krieks were made by adding whole or macerated cherries with their pits intact and then letting the beer referment on the fruit. After a few months, the beer would be blended with fresh lambic and bottled, resulting in a tart and complex flavour profile.

Framboise lambics, such as the Lindemans Framboise Lambic, showcase the dominant aroma and flavour of raspberries. This beer, with an ABV of 2.5%, has a tangy and softly carbonated profile, perfectly balancing fruity esters with a soft and sour acidity. It pairs well with desserts, fresh raspberries, and even oysters or caviar, offering a versatile drinking experience.

Beer Glasses: Each beer has its own glass, designed to bring out its unique flavours. Examples include the distinctive Kwak glass, which requires a wooden frame to keep it upright

The glass you drink your beer from is just as important as the beer itself. The glass can alter the taste of your beer, so drinking from the correct glass to match your beer ensures you get the full experience as intended by the brewery. In Belgium, almost every beer has its own branded, sometimes uniquely shaped, glass.

The shape and design of the commonly used, sturdy 'pint glasses' of the saison en geuze, are, in large, due to the purpose for which they were used in the past. A tulip glass, for instance, helps trap the aroma and aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation. The bowl-shaped chalices and goblets are mainly associated with Trappist and Abbey ales. Goblets tend to be more delicate and thin, while chalices are heavy and thick-walled. A flute glass, similar to a champagne flute, is the preferred serving vessel for Belgian lambics and fruit beers. The narrow shape helps maintain carbonation while providing a strong aromatic front.

The Kwak glass is an example of a uniquely shaped glass. It is distinctive and requires a wooden frame to keep it upright.

Beer Strength: Belgian beers can be incredibly strong but mask it well. Beers are typically served in 330ml bottles and smaller-sized draught pours

Belgian beers are known for their high alcohol content, with some of the strongest beers in the world being brewed in Belgium. The strength of these beers is often masked by their flavour, making them deceptively easy to drink.

Belgian beers are typically served in 330ml bottles or in smaller-sized draught pours. The bottles are usually brown or dark green tinted glass to avoid negative effects on the beverage from light exposure. Belgian beers are highly varied, with a range of colours, brewing methods, and alcohol levels. Beers brewed in Trappist monasteries, for example, are often warm-fermented and have alcohol contents ranging from 4.8% to 11.3% ABV.

The strongest Belgian beer is the Struise Black Damnation VI – Messy by the Struise brewery, a stout with a 39% ABV. Other strong Belgian beers include the Gulden Draak Imperial Stout (12% ABV), the 28 Imperial Stout (12% ABV), and the Onyx et Onyx Amburama (11% ABV). These beers are not for the faint-hearted and are best sipped and savoured, or shared.

Belgian beers are often served in their own elaborately branded glassware, with unique shapes and logos. The tulip glass is one of the most common types, helping to trap aroma and maintain a large head. Belgian beers are also frequently bottled in large 75cl bottles, similar to those used for champagne.

Beer Culture: Belgians are proud of their beer and its history, quality, and range. Beer is used in cooking and is often paired with food

Belgium's beer culture is so significant that UNESCO has recognised it as a treasure of humanity. The country has a rich brewing history, with nearly 1,500 styles of beer and around 400 breweries. Beer is an integral part of Belgium's social and culinary life, and Belgians are proud of their beer's history, quality, and range.

Belgian beers tend to be higher in alcohol content than beers from other countries, and the unique character of Belgian beer often comes from the yeast used during fermentation. The yeast produces fruity or spicy notes in the beer's aroma and flavour, even when no fruit or spices have been added. Many Belgian beers have an alcohol content of around 7%, with some exceeding 10%, which is comparable to wine.

Belgian beers have a wide range of colours, brewing methods, and alcohol levels. They include pale ales, lambics, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales, and stouts. Beer is typically served in bottles rather than cans, and each beer has its own branded glass, sometimes with a unique shape.

Belgium exports almost 80% of its beer, with France, the Netherlands, and Germany being the most important destination countries. Belgian beer is also popular in the United States, Spain, China, Korea, and Russia.

In addition to drinking it, Belgians also use beer in cooking. Traditional dishes such as carbonade (French) or stoverij or stoofvlees (Dutch), a beef stew cooked in beer, often feature beer as an ingredient. The type of beer used varies by region, so the taste of the dish changes accordingly. Beer is also used to make sauces and beer-washed cheese.

The variety of Belgian beers means that they can be paired with different courses of a meal. Wheat beer, for example, goes well with seafood or fish, while blond beers or tripels complement chicken or white meat. Dubbel or other dark beers are recommended with dark meat, and fruit lambics can be enjoyed with dessert.

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