5 Things to Do in Brussels if You Love Beer

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Hello, tourist! Last week we talked about one of the most important aspects of Belgium, one that shapes not only its culture and way of life but also its tourism: Drinking beer in Brussels. Today we are going to look at the five things to do if you are a true beer enthusiast and, if you are not, to discover beer in Brussels. It all comes down to learning to enjoy beer in Brussels. It is not enough to drink it only now and then: you have to smell it, savour it and learn to brew it. Are you in?

Visit the beer museum

You may wonder whether a beer museum really exists. Bear in mind that Belgian beer holds UNESCO World Heritage status, so yes, of course there is a museum. Tradition has to be maintained and passed on despite the passage of time, and what better way to do it than through a museum.

The beer museum (Brewery Museum; in Spanish we have no specific word for brewer or brewery) is on the Grand Place and it is open from 10 to 5, Sundays too. During your visit you will see first-hand all the equipment needed to make a good beer in the 18th century. Of course, much of the equipment has changed today, but the process is exactly the same.

Have a beer in one of the most famous bars

In Brussels you can find beer anywhere, no doubt about that, but we all know some places have more charm than others, and some you will remember all your life while others you will forget as soon as you get home. So… why not have a good beer in a bar with charm? I invite you to visit one of the following, perfect for enjoying beer in Brussels.

• Delirium Tremens: It is sure to be the first bar you jot down on your list of places to visit, either because others have told you about it or because you know it is one of the must-stops in Brussels. Delirium Tremens is well known for offering more than two thousand beers, breaking the Guinness record. If you find it hard to decide, you will have a hard time leaving. You can find it on Impasse de la Fidelité, right next to the Jeanneke Pis.
• Poechenellekelder: One of the best known and perfectly located, as it is in the same spot as the Manneken Pis. Its name means puppet cellar and it is much roomier than it seems when you arrive. The inside, as you would expect, is full of puppets. They also display a huge collection of representations of the Manneken Pis in every format.

Go to a beer tasting

In Belgium there are so many beers that it is very hard to decide and settle on the ones you like best. A good way to immerse yourself in the world of Belgian beer is to go to a beer tasting. There you will try different types of beer and they will tell you why they differ from one another. You will also learn the process followed to brew them and the key steps that give each one a unique flavour and texture.

Visit a Trappist abbey

If you have read anything about the history of beer in Belgium, you will have found that Trappist abbeys have played a fundamental role in it. At first, beer was drunk as an alternative to water, since it was not so easy to get hold of in the past, let alone drinking water. It was used to prevent the spread of disease. The Trappist Order was made up of monks who made, and still make, their own products in order to support themselves.

For a beer to be called Trappist it must have been produced by monks of this order within their abbey, and its profits must go solely to the community that made it. If there is any additional profit, it must be donated to charity. There are only eleven Trappist abbeys in the world, so drinking their beer or visiting one of them is an exceptional thing.

In Belgium you can visit several of the abbeys that produce beers with well-known names such as Orval, Westmalle, Achel, Chimay, Rochefort or Westvleteren. In some cases you can visit the monastery, and in all of them you can try different types of beer, as well as other delicious products of theirs, such as cheese.

Brew your own beer

If after hearing so much about beer and how it is made you feel like making it with your own hands, you are in luck! You can become a master brewer and learn first-hand how to make your own beer. There are different kinds of workshops, some lasting a few hours and others several days, depending on your level of commitment to beer.

During the workshops a master brewer will accompany you so that you learn to tell aromas and tastes apart, and to get to know the key ingredients that give each beer its characteristic flavour. There is usually food during the tastings, so you will also learn which type of beer goes best with each dish.

See you soon!

That's all for today, tourist. I hope it helps you enjoy beer in Brussels and keep a good memory of it. Even if you are not a frequent beer drinker, I encourage you to try a few. There is so much variety that I am sure you will end up finding one you like. Remember that you can see a list of key places to visit, including bars and restaurants where you can drink a good beer, on the Brussels tourist map. See you next time!

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