After a short trip to Flanders in July I went back to Europe in August with the family and was able to indulge in further beer hunting. First stop was my old friend Namur, staying at the always excellent Hotel Les Tanneurs whose grill restaurant is a special treat. Le Chapitre pub near to the Cathedral on Rue du Seminaire always keeps a strong beer list and in the beautiful afternoon weather we enjoyed Queue de Charrue tripel brewed at Van Steenberge, ABV 9%, Goliath Tripel, now named Gouyasse from Geants, ABV 9%, the wonderful Malheur 10, ABV 10% and the just plain daft Cre Tonnerre spiked with rum from Silly, ABV 7%. All accompanied by the ubiquitous fromage et saucisson!
I also managed to sneak off to the oldest pub in the city, Ratin-Tot on Place Marche aux Legumes where I had a cheeky sample of their house beer, Blonde de Chavee which is commissioned from Silenrieux. ABV 8.9%
Departing Belgium, we made our way to Troyes in Aube, France. A beautiful city, I enjoyed the local Biere de Garde Valmy Blonde, now made by the brewery in Orgemont accompanying my andouillettes a la moutarde. ABV 6.5%
Staying in the Foret de Orient, a short drive from Troyes I also tasted another local beer, the blonde from Le Moulin de St Martin, less full-bodied than the Valmy. ABV 5%
Moving on to Challons en Champagne, which punches well below its weight considering the amount of praise it receives. Very middle class, very dull. However, our hotel for the night, Auberge Des Moussins was up the road towards Epernay and was a fantastic find – superb accommodation, quality restaurant with local produce, great wine, pool and their house beer – also brewed by Brasserie Des Orgemont – fortunately this was the only disappointment, very thin and weedy.
Onwards to Colmar, Alsace and a feast of Alsatian wine, wurst, choucroute, etc. Stayed on the wiessbier as the temperature was too high for beer hunting but while in the Marche Couvert de Colmar found a guy selling wines and local Biere d’Alsace! There is a beer scene brewing in this part of Alsace so I will need to get back there and check it out.
Next, a nip across the border into Germany to Cochem, which wifey and I hadn’t visited for about 23 years! We spent our time there mostly enjoying Mosel wine when not sightseeing, however I was very happy to enjoy a half litre of Weinenstephan for 2 euros in our hotel overlooking the river, bargain!
We then headed back into Belgium and the Ardennes. First stop La Roche en Ardenne on the Ourthe River, scene of lots of fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. The beer scene here is rather understated but we did enjoy some Tripel Karmeliet at the Ardennaise on the river and a fine selection of Ardennes beer at the Bronze in the middle of town. I can also recommend the mini golf at the rear of the Hotel de Liege, the only course I know that you can buy from a range of Trappist beers to enjoy before, during and after your round.
La Roche’s other claim to fame is the fantastic beer shop Cave de Venitien, full of beers from around Belgian Luxembourg. Apart from a case of mixed Christmas brews from 2014, I also picked up the local beer, La Feodale de la Roche. This deep amber beer is named after the chateau in La Roche and is brewed by Brasserie Saint-Monon in Ambly. It pours with a thick creamy head but had virtually no aroma, just hints of malt and grass. The taste is also grassy and very thin with only hints of malt, caramel, vanilla and cream. The finish is bitter and slightly reminiscent of vanilla ice cream. Not great to be honest. http://www.saintmonon.be ABV 6.5%
Half an hour away is the beautiful little town of Durbuy, home of the Ferme au Chene who produce Marckloff, a delicious amber beer. Enjoying their brew on the terrace was heaven on such a hot day. ABV 6.5%
Our next stop was Bouillon, on the Semois river and home to the Marche de Nathalie beer store – more beer to squeeze into the back of the car. Nathalie’s shop celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and when I had a chat with her I reminisced about my first visit many years ago when a bottling plant ran through the centre of the shop. This was to bottle the celebrated Cuvee de Bouillon, a brew that I am very fond of. Nowadays beers are produced off site and the Brasserie de Bouillon produces six regular beers plus ‘tailored’ beers for villages and groups according to their specific recipes.
No visit to Bouiloon would be complete without a visit to the Vielle Ardenne where you can enjoy the full range of Dubuisson’s beers – we opted for Cuvee des Trolls tripel, ABV 7% and Surfine Saison, ABV 6.5%. Dubuisson is Wallonia’s oldest brewery. We also snuck in a cheeky one at the Estaminet, a lovely and friendly little bar with an interesting beer list.
We then headed to Mechelen, home of the Het Anker brewery and Gouden Carolus beers. We stayed at the brewery hotel and had a wonderful tour (which has been reviewed previously). Unfortunately, the brasserie was being refurbished so we headed out into Mechelen for a beer after the tour. Brasserie Den Beer kept us watered and sheltered from the torrential rain – a shame as there was an open air concert taking place. Still, the bitterballen, cheese and Gouden Carolus tripel kept our spirits up.
Dinner was taken at Afspraak, 23 Keizerstraat, a cafe with a huge beer list and a wide-ranging menu. Be warned, unless you love a bucket-full of julienne-thin string fries, the 2 person local dish ‘Steppengras’ is best avoided – there are plenty of other menu choices. As a night cap we planned on visiting the Stillen Genieter which has sadly finally closed after over 30 years. However, next door at De Gouden Vis we discovered another great bar – great beer list, good looking food and a very jazz-oriented set list in the background. Perfect for a De Konninck.
Back to Brugge – only seems like a few weeks since I was here! First stop had to be ‘t Terastje, 45 Genthof and to enjoy more of Ian and Patricia’s hospitality. Wifey was itching to get back here and enjoy her favourite draft Straffe Hendrik Tripel, ABV 9%. I decided to see what all the fuss has been about (they have won medals at te World Beer Awards) and opted for the Kasteel Triplel 11, ABV 11%.
Onwards to Cafe Vlissinghe, 2a Blekersstraat to wish them a happy 500th anniversary and buy a souvenir t-shirt. There was also Bruno’s house beer to try too, brewed by Fort Lapin. A beautiful, hazy, amber beer that is very addictive and goes well with the salami and cheese plate! ABV 8%
No trip to Brugge is complete without a trip to see Daisy at ‘t Brugs Beertje, 5 Kemelstraat. Enough has been written about Daisy’s and I just want to say that it is probably my favourite bar in the world. No, definitely my favourite. We were lucky to arrive at a time when Daisy’s huisbier was available on draft. Specially commissioned by De Dolle Brouwers, Essen we bought some bottles too and these will be reviewed within the next two weeks. ABV 10%
An overnight stay in Watou at Het Wethuys, wonderful food and St Bernardus’ beers – how much more beer can I fit into the boot – and then home. Looking forward to going back already!
Beer Sommelier Kew 