So, another summer brought yet another trip to Belgium. A full-on agenda included a bar crawl around Brugge, a day in Brussels taking in Cantillon and all things Lambic, a beer tasting with the great and the good of Belgium, Canada and the USA, a trip to Tournai and a tour around the Saison breweries of the Senne valley and, finally a tour by bike around the hoplands of West Flanders to take in some of the wonderful breweries and bars that abound there.
The great thing about driving across to Belgium is that it is so close and quick. Landing in Calais at 10am my mate Luke and I had a quick 1 hour drive to our base for 4 days in Brugge. However, it would be rude not to take the hour detour to Noel Cuvelier’s wonderful farmhouse biershop in Abele and replenish the stocks. A little like ‘a child in a sweet shop’, with Luke and I cramming every bit of available space in the car with liquid delights. Arriving in Brugge an hour later we caught up with an old work colleague and began a tour of some of the best bars on offer in this beautiful city. Ian and Patricia’s Cafe ‘t Terastje was (and always is) first on the list, the best place in the city to enjoy draught Straffe Hendrick Tripel.
Other heavyweights visited included the Vlissinghe, Brugge’s oldest cafe at 502 years young and De Garre to enjoy their house tripel. The recently opened Cambrinus tap room with their ever-changing selection of draught beers is always a delight as was catching up with Tom Mathys at his Volkscafe neighbourhood bar. A personal highlight was to spend the evening with Daisy Claeys, former owner of Brugs Beertje at the aforementioned pub. Probably still one of, if not the best beer bar in the world. I’m looking forward to catching up with her again on a future trip this December, probably over a Kerstbier or two.
Our rented apartment was situated on the Walplein Square, home to the Brouwerij De Halve Maan. Well, it seemed logical to take a tour of the brewery on Luke’s last day as he had never visited Belgium before. It was also around 10 years since I last visited so I was keen for another visit. The tour certainly doesn’t disappoint with the perfect blend of De Halve Maan’s rich heritage together with an update on the brewery’s current status. The artifacts and old brewing equipment are fascinating and the re-configured tour route now takes you up through the old brewery chimney where you exit onto the brewery roof. Here you a treated to a magnificent view of the old city. The modern brewhouse surprises in its smallness, all polished stainless steel. Everyone was keen to see the ‘beer line’, installed to take beer underground to a packaging plant on the outerskirts of Brugge. The tours finishes with a sampling, unfiltered Bruges Zot – the only bar where you will find it.
My last day in Brugge was spent taking in the glorious local countryside in wonderful summer weather by bike, reinforced by liquid intake at the fantastic Welkom in nearby Hoecke. A great beer list. Despite taking a wrong turn (I had left my bike maps at home!) and putting in way more kilometres on the bike than I meant to, there was time for a quick shower before heading off to a beer tasting/bottle share hosted by Ed and Leila Waller who were spending their annual two months in Brugge. A selection of beers from Belgium, North America and Fuller’s were enjoyed and I was pleased that I managed to convince our Belgian friends that well made, tasty and balanced beers can be found in the UK. I was delighted when our Imperial Stout was judged by the majority as the most enjoyed beer of the evening.
Here’s some photos taken at the Halve Maan Brewery.
Beer Sommelier Kew 