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Local beer tastes and traditions vary wildly between regions and countries. For the beer enthusiast hell-bent on experiencing them all, these dispatches from the world’s most dynamic beer scenes and brew-centric cities will put you in the way of whatever flavors you're looking for. Find yourself behind the scenes on a brewery tour, seated at a bar with 50-some varieties on tap, or on a full-on guided beer tour on your next trip.

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Plan your end-of-summer road trip: The 10 best beer cities to visit

Finish summer strong by visiting one of these 10 beer cities.

Christopher Osburn

Sure, it’s great to spend time at home during the summer (and early fall) months. This is especially true if you have a nice back deck, patio, or pool (or all of the above) and a well-manicured lawn to play cornhole, ladder ball, or croquet. But, while it’s fun to be home on warm, sunny days, we believe summer deserves at least a few road trips. And while a day trip to a regional amusement park or to a state forest for a hike is great , we’d rather hop in our car and have the trip end with some liquid refreshment instead of nausea-inducing spinning teacups. Specifically, lagers, IPAs, and other thirst-quenching beers .

Grand Rapids

Philadelphia, portland, oregon, los angeles.

If you’re a beer fan and anything like us, you’ll want to take a day trip or vacation to a city that is chocked full of breweries, brewpubs, and other places to drink frosty brews. Luckily, since the U.S. is loaded with beer bars, brewpubs, and over 9,000 breweries, there are quite a few towns and cities well-worth hopping in your car and visiting.

We understand that figuring out where to take that road trip (or flight) is no easy task. There are seemingly countless cities with booming beer scenes. Lucky for you, we did the leg work (beer drinking), so you didn’t have to. We dwindled this massive number down to the ten best beer cities to visit this summer. Keep scrolling to see them all. Summer won’t be here for long. Get your beer-centric road trip plans set as soon as possible.

Boston is a historic city. If you visit this summer, you can walk along Paul Revere’s Freedom Trail, stop into Faneuil Hall Marketplace, or take in a Red Sox game at iconic Fenway Park. You can also drink a lot of beer thanks to the city’s many beer halls, beer bars, and breweries like Night Shift , Trillium , Aeronaut , Notch , and Lamplighter .

If you’re an IPA fan (especially West Coast IPAs), you’re going to want to take a trip to San Diego. Not only does it appear to always be warm and sunny there, but you can mix in days at the beach or an afternoon at a Padres game with trips to local beer bars, brewpubs, and beloved breweries like Societe , North Park , AleSmith , Fall , and Pure Brewing Project .

If you’ve ever seen the TV commercials, you probably already know that Michigan is a summer vacation destination. What you might not have known is that after you spent some time kayaking in Lake Michigan and visiting Mackinac Island, you’re going to want to take a trip to Grand Rapids. This city of less than 200,000 people is home to more than forty breweries. This includes standouts such as The Mitten , Brewery Vivant , City Built , and the wildly popular Founders Brewing Company .

The largest city in Western North Carolina is home to one of the most exciting beer scenes in the country. After you have visited The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, take the drive to Asheville. The city is home to myriad beer bars and brewpubs, as well as over forty breweries. Wicked Weed Funkatorium , Highland , Burial , and Hillman are just a few of the many breweries waiting for a visit.

The “City of Brotherly Love” is home to more than just the Liberty Bell and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia . The city and surrounding area are also home to more than 115 breweries (yes, you read that right). No stop in Philadelphia is complete with trips to Brewery ARS , Crime & Punishment , Human Robot , Triple Bottom , or Yards Brewing for a burger and a flight of beer.

It’s a toss-up between the two Portlands as to which one is the better beer town. While you can’t go wrong with Maine for its ‘Vacationland’ vibe, we tend to believe Portland, Oregon, has a slight advantage when it comes to beer. Can’t-miss breweries include Breakside , Great Notion , Ruse , Wayfinder , and Ex Novo .

You might think of Florida as only a place to travel if you’re going to an amusement park either featuring a boy wizard or a cartoon mouse. But after you visit these destinations, take a trip to Tampa and check out the beer scene. While Cigar City and its range of highly-rated beers is a big draw, the coastal city is also home to Coppertail , Zydeco , 7venth Sun , Angry Chair , and the popular Tampa Bay Brewing Company .

Travelers to Los Angeles might be there for the beaches, sun, and potential of running into a celebrity or two. But they’d be remiss if they didn’t seek out the beer as well. On top of all of the amazing restaurants and beer bars, the “City of Angels” and the surrounding area is home to Monkish , Highland Park , Homage , Golden Road , and Angel City Brewing .

Chicago is another city that’s a great summer road trip destination. The second city is home to two baseball teams, great museums, restaurants, iconic foods like the “Chicago-Style” hotdog, Italian beef, deep dish pizza, and a ton of great breweries. This includes Revolution , Half Acre , Dovetail , Pilot Project , and Off Color .

When it comes to outdoor adventures, you’ll have a tough time beating the appeal of Colorado on a summer or early fall day. But after an afternoon of hiking or mountain biking, you’ll likely want a respite from the heat. We suggest visiting one of Denver’s many beer bars and brewpubs or one of its many great breweries. This includes Wynkoop . Great Divide , TRVE , Call To Arms , and Crooked Stave .

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Christopher Osburn

  • Health & Fitness

The data on New Year's resolutions aren't the best. Recent data shows that most people give up before the calendar flips to February. However, perhaps you've vowed to be the outlier this year, specifically with weight loss and healthy eating. Diet and weight loss remain top resolutions manually, but change is hard. A strategy, like a meal plan, can help, but developing one can feel overwhelming. Consider a food planner to lose weight. No, you don't have to buy a physical planner. Instead, meal plan apps allow you to hold the tool that can help you achieve your eating and weight loss goals in the palm of your hand.

Various healthy food planner phone apps offer different interfaces, bells and whistles, and price points. Most are more than mere calorie apps. Instead, you'll find ways to track your progress and plot out meals to ensure you're getting the calories and nutrients you need to thrive.

Whether it’s for health reasons, a change of pace, or you tied one on a little too tightly during the holiday season, there’s a chance you’ve decided to join countless others for Dry January. For those unaware, this means this month will be spent without imbibing any alcohol. This means no cocktails, no wine, and absolutely no beer. Well, no beer with alcohol in it, at least.

Dry January doesn’t mean you’ll be completely parched all month because no beer hits your lips. Due to a rise in sober consumers and drinkers who enjoy taking time off from booze, there are countless non-alcoholic beers on the market. Gone are the days of mass-produced, fizzy water NA beers.

We love our festive cocktails and bottles of beautiful reds this time of year. Please give us all the hot toddies and spiked eggnog concoctions. And there's truly nothing like a tall, frosty beer after a long day on the mountain. But when it comes time for that ball to drop on New Year's Eve, the festivities just aren't complete without a glass or two of Champagne. This beautiful bubbly beverage is celebratory in its very essence and, therefore, simply must be enjoyed on the most celebrated night of the year. Unfortunately, though, those bubbles tend to come with a pretty price tag, particularly if one is set on enjoying true Champagne and not another variety of (often more affordable) sparkling wine.

One of the reasons our favorite fizzy drink tends to be a bit pricier is because Champagne can only be classified as such if it comes from the Champagne region in northern France. If your bubbles come from another region - or a different country altogether - it is considered sparkling wine, not Champagne. This region itself is quite small compared to other wine regions, and is made of soil that is infamously difficult to work. Creating a bottle of deliciously pure and bubbly, perfect Champagne is a true labor of love, and that love comes at a cost.

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Providing Opportunities For The Extraordinary

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Exclusive VIP Beer & Beverage Trips for People in the Quality Beverages Industry

We focus on beer and bourbon history, education, and unique one on one networking opportunities.

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Fasching & Munich Beer Tour | Germany

February 9 - 15, 2024 [Sold out]

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Starkbierfest & Munich Beer Tour | Germany

March 11 - 17, 2024 [Sold out]

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Kentucky Bourbon Sojourn (Spring)

April 8 - 13, 2024 [Closed]

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May 13 - 18, 2024 [Last call]

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Craft Beer Sensorik Training Seminar | Germany

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Online course: June 6, 2024 - September 12, 2024 | Trip / Live Brew: September 14 - 23, 2024

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Oregon Craft Beer Adventure

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Trip's Beer Excursions

  • Turnkey Beer travel experiences.
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  • Beer Trip themes that tie in with your latest beer styles.
  • Small group sizes for a more intimate experience. 14-20 people
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ALASKAN CRAFT BEER TREK 2023

"A great beer trip from Juneau, and a car trip from Anchorage through  Fairbanks. Trip had insights to the breweries making for a personal experience with the owners and brewers. The road trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks was a great introduction the main Alaskan thoroughfare allowing for overnight stays along the route and and course multiple brewery visits. Visiting Denali NP was a great excursion. The beer scene and beer law is very different in Alaska and reminded me of the initial craft beer vibes. I would certainly revisit Alaska just based on this alone.

Great breweries and great tour which is very worthwhile.”

Trip's Beer Trips Featured on Craft Beer Professionals (CBP) Educational Sessions

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Weekend Trips for the Beer Lover

Create your dream beercation with must-do brewery tours, beer festivals and bars.

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Portland, Oregon

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Portland, Oregon

Asheville, north carolina.

Although there are more than 100 breweries and brewpubs across the state, Asheville is the epicenter with the most breweries per capita, earning it the title of “Beer City, USA” four times in a row. As such, beercation options abound. You can start by following the Asheville Ale Trail , which provides options by car, bike or on foot. Wicked Weed Brewing is a favorite for its hoppy ales and barrel-aged sour beers. Visit its Funkatorium location, a barrel house and tasting room all in one.

Download the Dig Local app for the city’s latest beer happenings, or let an organized tour, whether the original Brews Cruise or small group Asheville Brewery Tours , do the work for you. Depending on the time of year, try to include the long-running Brewgrass Festival for live music alongside favorite local brewers, or the Winter Warmer Beer Fest to partake in some of the best breweries from around the state.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Denver, colorado, san diego, california, chicago, illinois, seattle, washington, portland, maine, brooklyn, new york.

Believe it or not, Brooklyn was once one of the country’s top beer producers at the turn of the 20th century. As with the rest of the country, Prohibition was one of the major factors behind the industry’s decline. Brooklyn Brewery heralded the industry’s resurgence when it opened in 1996, and today its beers, including the popular Brooklyn Lager, can be found nationwide and abroad. Venture to hipster-haven Williamsburg for a free tour and tasting. Other breweries that you can visit include Threes Brewing , which consists of an on-site brewery and a full bar with 20 taps. Recent newcomer Other Half specializes in IPAs and gives appointment-only tours. Tørst has become a destination for craft beer imbibers; across the river in Manhattan, Blind Tiger Ale House , one of the city’s best craft beer bars, serves a curated tap selection that includes renowned Brewery Ommegang from upstate New York.

For guidance, Urban Oyster offers craft beer walking tours and craft beer crawls. True beer lovers shouldn’t miss the annual NYC Beer Week , a 10-day event celebrating local beer with everything from trivia nights to secret events.  

Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Great Spots For a Pint, Tasting Tour & More

beer bar trip

 Brasserie de l'Être

Paris hasn't traditionally been a city associated with interesting and unusual beers. Unlike Brussels or Munich, where breweries, bars and beer festivals place the carbonated drink at the center of local culture, the French capital has generally been more specialized in wines. With the exception of a few (mostly Belgian, and sometimes French Canadian) specialty bars serving craft brews, it's generally been pretty hard to find bars in Paris serving anything beyond a few well-known European brands. 

All that's changed over the past few years. Perhaps owing to the city's burgeoning hipster culture, trendy new breweries and microbreweries have been popping up in numerous neighborhoods, generating a new passion for handcrafted, uniquely flavored IPAS, Stouts, Belgian-style Krieks and British-style ales. Not only are these great new places to head for a casual lunch or dinner, but they've also made the Parisian nightlife scene more interesting. Keep reading for the 10 best places to taste craft beer in the capital. 

La Brasserie de l'Etre

Widely considered to be one of the best new Parisian-based microbreweries, this brasserie in the previously seedy, now-hopping 19th arrondissement (district) has quickly become a local favorite. Founded by beer connoisseur Edward Jalat-Dehen in 2016, the microbrewery prides itself on using local Parisian water and malts from surrounding regions, as well as observing environmentally friendly brewing and aging processes. 

The Brasserie de l'Etre brews five permanent varieties of their own-brand beers, as well as special "editions" created in partnership with other breweries and beer artisans. The "permanent collection" includes the Sphinx, a deep, amber-colored wheat beer with delicate floral and herbal notes; Oliphant, an IPA with notes of gingerbread, cyprus, herbal bitters and tropical fruits; and Cerberus Triple Parisienne, a deep, malty beer approaching a stout with rich caramel and hoppy notes, finished off with a touch of honey and tropical fruit. 

The brasserie itself, situated right near the Bassin de la Villette  (the city's largest artificial lake), is a pleasant and off-the-beaten-path spot for enjoying a pint with style. 

  • Address:  7ter rue Duvergier, 19th arrondissement
  • Metro:  Jaures 
  • Tel:  +33 (0) 6 62 71 66 00
  • Opening Hours:  Daily except Sunday, 6:00 pm to 2:00 am 

Le Bouillon Belge

Le Bouillon Belge 

This unassuming bar situated in a sleepy stretch of northeastern Paris is one of the neighborhood's best-kept secrets. For beer connoisseurs who appreciate the complexity of a good Belgian-style brew, Le Bouillon Belge is an ideal stop on a craft-beer bar crawl in the capital. 

The menu is extensive, but Belgian beer lovers can taste classics including Cherry kriek from Lindeman's, a variety of lambic and trappist-stye beers from La Mort Subite, classic brews from well-known brands such as Duvel and Chimay, and Boon Oud Geuze—an intensely sour, cider-like beer made by blending young and aged varieties of lambics. This last beer is for the more intrepid taster-- it's certainly not to everyone's taste. 

Inside, there's a slightly grungy vibe more fitting of a pub in Portland or London than a bar in Paris, with picnic-table seating, condiments in large plastic bottles, enormous metal beer kegs serving as decor, and a bar staff that's friendly but gets straight to the point. You can enjoy Belgian classics like moules-frites with your brew; the made-to-order fries are crispy and delicious. The bar also currently serves a variety of traditional dishes from the Philippines. 

  • Address: 6 Rue Planchat, 20th arrondissement 
  • Metro:  Buzenval 
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 43 70 41 03 
  • Opening Hours:  Daily, 5:00 pm to 2:00 am; Sundays until midnight

​This new star in the Parisian microbrewery firmament makes what many say are some of the most creative, delicious and palate-challenging beers in the country. Unfortunately, their "brasserie" can be visited upon reservation only , and opening hours are limited — this isn't a bar in the full sense. 

However, the visit is highly recommended if you want to learn more about how this quirky brewery creates is distinctive beers. The 90-minute tour and five-beer tasting session will introduce you to some of BAPBAP's signature creations, including the original Pale Ale; Vertigo, an India Pale Ale made with seven different barley and wheat malts; and Toast, a deep Porter with distinctive, rich notes of chocolate, toffee, coffee and — you guessed it — toasted bread. In total, the company currently produces 12 artisanal beers.

Luckily for anyone who's acquired a taste for these brews, they're also now available in many other bars and shops around the capital. They've also teamed up with the previously-mentioned La Brasserie de l'Etre and New York-based Brooklyn Brewery to roll out a few limited-edition beers.                

  • Address:  79 Rue Saint-Maur, 11th arrondissement
  • Metro:  Rue Saint-Maur 
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 77 17 52 97
  • Shop opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Saturday from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday. 
  • Reserve a tour and tasting session here 

Paname Brewing Company

The Paname Brewing Company

Another new arrival in Paris' increasingly hip  19th arrondissement , the Paname Brewing Company offers gorgeous views over the Bassin de la Villette; on a nice day, it's one of the best places in town to meet up with friends for a pint in the sun and a casual meal. It's open every day from late morning until the wee hours of the morning, too, so it makes a great go-to option for craft beer tasting if you're hankering to start early, stay out late — or both. 

Grab a table outside or at a table inside — the enormous floor to ceiling windows mean you'll get great views either way. Some of the brewery's own beers worth tasting include the Barge du Canal, an American-style IPA with strong hoppy notes and a full body; the L'Oeil de Biche (Doe's Eye), a pale ale that's crisp and fruity and perfect for a hot day on the canal; and Casque d'Or, a cloudier beer made with wheat malt and featuring deep, spicy notes of ginger, bitter French hops and orange rind. 

The salads, pizzas, wraps, burgers and other casual fare are all solid and reasonably priced here, and there are several options for non meat-eaters. 

  • Address: 41 bis Quai de la Loire, 19th arrondissement    
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 40 36 43 55
  • Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or

 Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or

Opened in 2012, the Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or is widely credited as having revived the local brewery tradition in Paris. Springing up in the traditionally working class neighborhood of Barbes , the bar brought new energy — not to mention troupes of young nightlife-seekers — into an area that has generally resisted gentrification. 

Unfortunately, the opening days and hours are quite limited, so you'll have to carefully choose your moment to come check out the space and taste some excellent beers, named and inspired after the neighborhood. Tastings and visits to the brewery are free. Favorite brewed beers include the Chateau-Rouge, named after the nearby metro stop and surrounding neighborhood, and offering intense spicy and malted notes. The 3ter, meanwhile, is a coffee trippel that is strongly reminiscent of the roasted bean. 

One of the things that makes these beers so distinctive? They're mostly unfiltered and unpasteurized, allowing the native flavors of malts, wheats, hops and other ingredients to come through with strong, fresh notes. They're also made specifically to be enjoyed with food and desserts, and the bar staff can help you choose some delicious and complementary pairings. In short? A dream for anyone with a love for beer and cuisine. 

  • Address:  28 Rue de la Goutte d'Or, 18th arrondissement
  • Metro:  Barbes-Rochechouart or Chateau Rouge 
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 9 80 64 23 51
  • Opening Hours: Thursday to Friday, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm; Saturday 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. 

Calling itself a "beer cafe" and gastropub, the label is probably fitting, since Brewberry closes on the early side and is open from mid-afternoon. It's an ideal spot for artisanal beer-tasting in the Latin Quarter : aficionados can choose between 450 different craft beers from around the world in the downstairs bar and cellar, while upstairs in the pub, handcrafted beers from Parisian microbreweries are readily served on tap. 

Whether you're a fan of Belgian, French, American, Dutch, German or even Norwegian beers, you're likely to find something perfect for your palate and mood in the cellar. The small plates and platters feature local cheeses and charcuterie, with suggestions for beer pairings. 

  • Address:  18 Rue du Pot de Fer, 5th arrondissement
  • Metro:  Censier-Daubenton 
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 43 36 53 92  
  • Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm; Sunday 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Closed Mondays. 

Le Triangle

This cheerful restaurant and microbrewery situated in the Canal St Martin neighborhood has gained legions of fans for its small-batch beers made onsite. The menu also includes a frequently-refreshed selection of delicious craft brews from around the world. The Petite Passion is a fresh blonde lager with notes of oatmeal and passionfruit, while the Presse Abricot is a Parisian-made white beer with lemony notes: perfect for summer and made in the style of the "Berliner Weisse". 

In addition to their short but excellent menu of craft brews, Le Triangle is also a good spot for lunch or dinner. The menu primarily features traditional French and Italian dishes, with a focus on local produce and fresh flavors. 

  • Address:  13 rue Jacques Louvel Tessier, 10th arrondissement
  • Metro:  Goncourt/Hopital St Louis 
  • Tel:  +33 (0)1 71 39 58 02
  • Opening Hours:  Daily, 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm 

Café L'Envol Québécois

L'envol Quebecois

For anyone with a taste for a good craft brew hailing from Quebec , this bar on a quiet street deep in the Quartier Latin is a welcome change from the humdrum Paris brasserie. Run by a jolly French Canadian named Antoine, the bar offers a laid-back, North American atmosphere that can be a welcome reprieve from sometime-seriousness of the typical Parisian brasserie. Sit back in a comfy booth or chair and sip French Canadian brewery favorites, from St-Ambroise (their apricot-infused wheat ale is particularly refreshing in summer) to Belgian-style trappist brews, character-filled ales and lagers from Fin du Monde, Belle Gueule or Maudite. 

The decor is willfully and delightfully kitschy-Canadian, with abundant maple-leaf and fleur-de-lys flags, knick-knacks and maple syrup seemingly offered at every turn. For a refreshing aperitif, try a kir or house beer infused with maple syrup. Food choices include hamburgers, and French Canadian specialties (to the regret of many, though, there's no poutine in sight). Admittedly, the prices here aren't the lowest, but when you're craving a good Quebecois bar, this one can't be beat. 

  • Address: 30 Rue Lacépède, 5th arrondissement
  • Metro: Jussieu or Censier-Daubenton 
  • Tel: +33 (0)1 45 35 53 93
  • Opening Hours: Daily except Sunday, 6:00 pm to 2:00 am 

La Robe & La Mousse

This chic but resolutely 21st-century bar and pub near the Theatre de l'Odeon in the heart of the St-Germain-des-Prés district is appreciated by locals for its large selection of local craft beers. Half of the beers on tap served here are from Parisian microbreweries, including some of the ones already mentioned on this list.

The bar and restaurant also boasts a good wine menu specializing in organic and biodynamic bottles. This is a great place to head for craft beer tasting on the left bank.  There are also a small selection of cheese and charcuterie plates, quiches and nibbles on offer, if you've skipped dinner or need a little snack. 

  • Address:  3 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 6th arrondissement 
  • Metro:  Odeon 
  • Tel:  +33 (0) 9 81 29 29 89
  • Opening Hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 4:00 pm to 1:00 am; Thursday to Saturday, 4:00 pm to 2:00 am 

Frog Brew Pubs

The Frog stable of beer pubs have been open in Paris since 1993, and making their own artisanal beer for their eight locations around the city at one central, dedicated brewery . While the pubs have had a reputation over the years as a place where English and American expats like to hang out, the craft beer Renaissance in the city has given the chain a new halo of credibility and cool. 

Some popular Frog beers include their Galactic Empire IPA, Rhubarb White and Apricot Wheat (both ideal for summery days), Cherry Porter, and Hopster, a dry-hopped pale ale. The Ginger Twist, meanwhile, is a spicy amber ale that will please more discerning palates. 

All pub locations serve bar food such as hamburgers, tacos, mixed salads and sandwiches. 

Address: Various locations around Paris 

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Ratings and reviews

Location and contact.

Lots of choices of sausages, yummy. Great fries. HUGE selection of beers. Huge! Comfy seats, tables, nice service. Great sports TVs, but most people are not paying attention, so don't think it's a sports bar and write it off, it's a beer bar. steve

Wide selection of bottled and draft beers. Plenty of specialty and craft offerings. Something for everyone. Very busy on weekends, but the service is still very good. Small patio area. Would recommend.

Ty Burell, star of Modern Family (Phil Dunphy) just opened up 'Beer Hall' next door to his 'Bar X' in Salt Lake City. Walking into this place, you find a stripped down decor and picnic style tables across a large cement floor, a small stage... with more tables sits against a wall. A long bar (with no seats) awaits you as you walk in. Serving 30 Beers on tap and over 100 more in bottles, the Beer Bar is exactly what it says. It also has a head chef who cooks up dozens of incredible styles of Bratwurst! Get a brat, get a beer, sit down and chat with friends, watch the game, or meet new people. There is also an outdoor seating area where you can get some fresh air or have a smoke. This place has such a cool, laid back feeling to it. It was not what I was expecting at all - it was better. The brats and beer are VERY reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is inviting. This place begs you to make new friends. From hipsters to businessmen to ladies, to internation tourists, we saw it all there. I loved this place! More

Excellent selection of beer and the staff can recommend well. The brats were amazing and well thought out. Perfect blend of flavors and textures.

beer bar trip

Now owned now by a Hollywood guy (I think All in the Family), it's changed a lot for the better. Back in the day our rugby team met there after practice because there were no women distracting our team mates since women were not allowed.... Times have changed. I stopped in recently and it's been updated and had a wall knocked out to expand the space. Great beer and probably the best beer selection in Utah, bar none. Fond memories of the old BAR X days will be with me forever. Highly recommended More

I visit Beer Bar when looking to explore "imports" in bottles. Timing is important. Avoid the crowds and the staff has more time to be engaged in beer conversation, plus it isn't as loud. They are knowledgeable and always recommend some great beers. The simple... sausage menu with a pretzel or fries is very good. The mix of soccer with an interesting movie on the big screens is good. I try to avoid the all-out sports bars. Big community tables for a larger group, plus good cocktails via Bar-X for the non-beer part of the group. More

Love the ice bar in this place! My bottle stays cold. We didn't try the food but the beer selection and service was awesome.

Was recommended to try this place and I enjoyed it. Great selection of draft beers, helpful advice from staff, quirky interior design, unfussy and laid back. A place with character and individuality. I needed to visit this place after exploring downtown SLC..... thanks

We visited the Beer Bar during the afternoon and were probably there too early as it did not have much atmosphere. The beers on offer were good but the place did not really appeal to us.

I can't wait to go back. On a Sat afternoon it was very nice. Very casual. Endless beers. Great sausage selection. Tasty, crisp fries. I will be back soon.

Visited this bar on a Saturday night when in Salt Lake City. Was very impressed with the service and the amount of different beers on tap. There was food that some of our party really liked.

Beer bar has a good variety of beers; although, the menu boards are a little hard to read. Fairly expensive and has awkward seating due to long picnic tables. Hope to go back and try the food which looked really good. There are projectors for... sports events if you want to catch a game. More

Been here several times at lunch times. Staff are happy and friendly. Possibly the biggest selection of beer I've seen in a bar. They major on sausage (franks in the local lingo) . Being veggie sorts, those are the ones we've tried and they are... ace. Oh, and the fries are addictive, especially with mayo, mmmmm. They have an obvious door out to the smoking deck, whereas the actual exit is hidden in the dark next to it, so twice I've accidentally 'left' only to find myself on the deck and have to come back in, to 'leave properly' . Highly recommended More

This bar has an amazing array of beers to chose from...but I managed to select a great IPA...just can't remember which one!! My husband and I sat outside with a beer each...these were to welcome ourselves to SLC...our first visit here. We didn't try any... of the yummy looking sausages they had displayed...but we saw lots of other people eating them...so they must be good More

The Reuben fries were amazing a little salty but that's what the beer is for lol. The service was great the guys were friendly. The food was good and for the rest of us that didn't drink beer we went over to bar x which... was cool. More

beer bar trip

BEER BAR, Salt Lake City - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

  • Atmosphere: 4

beer bar trip

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8

Best Breweries and Bars to Visit in Belgium

Best Breweries and Bars to Visit in Belgium

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At the end of September, I joined a ten-day beer trip to Belgium led by Ryan and Rachel Evans, co-founders of Bruz Beers , and Peter and Frezi Bouckaert, co-founders of Purpose Brewing & Cellars .* Our mission? To visit the best breweries in Belgium.

I met Ryan during a visit to Denver for GABF in 2022. While hanging out with him and drinking his Belgian beers, he told me about how he fell in love with the culture and style during a backpacking trip in Europe.

While going up to Amsterdam, Ryan had a two-hour layover in Brussels. So he did what all good college students do: He found a pub.

“I walked in and said I’ll have a beer,” Ryan told me . “The bartender brought over a book, dropped it on the table, and walked away.” Perusing through all the beers, Ryan couldn’t find one he recognized. “The styles—dubbel, tripel, quad—I didn’t know any of it,” says Ryan, so he asked the bartender what to drink. “He said Tripel Karameliet,” Ryan reminisces. “I didn’t even know if he called me a bad word, but he brought this glass…and I’ll never forget it. I took that first sip. … ‘What is this?’ I never had anything like that in my life.” Ryan stayed for four or five more beers, walking crooked back to barely make his train.

That beer changed his life.

Now, he runs an entirely Belgian-focused brewery full-time and, every fall, leads a trip of about thirty to forty people to Belgium to share the culture and beers that influenced him.

Spending ten days traipsing around Belgium, visiting brewery after brewery and pub after pub, I can probably say this trip has changed my life, too.

Below, you’ll find our guide to the best breweries in Belgium. We’ve organized the guide loosely by city, along with a section on Trappist breweries and those off the beaten path. Feel free to jump ahead if you’d like or read the whole thing!

Trappist Breweries

Off the beaten path.

Look, this isn’t an exhaustive list. I’ve included most of the places we visited, plus a few recommended by others that we didn’t have time to get to on this trip. Are we missing one of your favorite breweries or bars in Belgium? DM us on Instagram ( @hopculturemag ), and we’ll add it to the list!

*Editor’s Note: The Bouckaerts recently entered a co-ownership with Ashley and James Lloyd, who now run day-to-day operations at Purpose Brewing.

Hop Culture’s Best Breweries to Visit in Belgium

masion dandoy waffle brussels belgium

The capital of Belgium and the site of the European Union, Brussels streets always hum, and beers flow freely.

You can walk down any of the many narrow cobblestone streets in the center and wander into a great bar (or grab a waffle to go).

Brewerywise, though, despite centuries of beermaking, the city in more recent times didn’t even have two operating breweries inside its borders until Brasserie de la Senne opened in 2010.

“We had a joke at the time [we opened],” Brasserie de la Senne Brewer and Owner Yvan De Beats told me. “We said that at once, we have doubled the number of breweries in Brussels. And the previous guy who did that was probably 1,000 years ago!”

Can you guess the only other brewery operating inside the city at the time?

We’ll give you a three-word hint: lambic and gueuze.

Although, if you only counted Cantillon and Brasserie de la Senne as the two operating breweries in Brussels in the early 2010s, count yourself lucky.

They’re both fantastic breweries—one the old guard, famous worldwide for reviving lambic, and the other the new guard, known citywide for a Belgian pale ale called Zinnebir and industry-wide for one called Taras Boubla .

But times are changing. The city now has somewhere between twenty to thirty breweries. In fact, a new €90 million —opened a couple of weeks before we visited. While I didn’t get a chance to go, others on our trip said to make time for a visit.

Some still call Brussels one of the best beer cities in the world.

Here’s why.

Brasserie Cantillon

Rue Gheude 56, 1070 Anderlecht, Belgium | +3225214928

brasserie cantillon classic gueuze brussels belgium

How do you introduce a now world-famous brewery single-handedly responsible for saving lambics and gueuzes from dying off? (Probably like that.)

Paul Cantillon and Marie Troch started Cantillon in 1900. But as a blender, not a brewer, Paul didn’t brew until his sons, Marcel and Robert, installed the second-hand equipment you now find in the brewery in 1939. Today, they still brew on the same equipment that survived World War II.

Cantillon specializes in lambic and gueuze, a style of beer that uses spontaneous fermentation (wild yeast) and that takes a minimum of one year but up to three to mature. By 1957, production ramped up for Cantillon, brewing up to a half-million litres. But the style fell out of favor in the mid-1900s as beers like Pilsner became popular and bigger breweries invested in making pure yeast beers that took only a couple of weeks to ferment instead of years.

One by one, the bigger breweries picked off the small lambic producers.

Except for Cantillon. Which is a bit of a small miracle because simultaneously, at the end of the ‘60s, the family had no one to take over the business. Until Jean Pierre van Roy stepped in. The husband of Marcel’s daughter, Claude, van Roy, trained in geography and worked in the music industry; he knew nothing about beer.

But again, Cantillon survived. And in the ’90s, foreign countries took a vested interest in lambic.

“Today, sixty percent of our production at Cantillon goes to export,” our tour guide, Senna Rees, shared.

Out of the hundreds of breweries operating in Brussels when first founded, Cantillon was the only operational brewery in the Belgian capital during the early aughts.

The brewery that lived persevered because they staunchly believe that the way they brew lambics is the one and true way.

Ninety-eight percent of their lambics start with sixty-five percent malted barley and thirty-five percent raw wheat grain. To get the optimal release of sugars in the raw wheat, Cantillon mash in at forty-eight degrees Celsius (~120 F) before raising to fifty-six degrees Celsius. “That’s already an hour or two just spent to make sure the wheat grain gives us the sugars and not trouble,” says Rees. However, the whole process takes four hours to ensure the wort has a wide range of different sugars and carbs to convert during spontaneous fermentation.

To walk through Cantillon is to walk through a piece of history. They’re still brewing on the original second- and third-hand equipment pieced together to work in their space. Poke your head into the mash tun, and you’ll see blades in pie-slice sections with numbers. After each mash, they’re taken out individually and rinsed; you must place them back in the same order. “It’s a puzzle to make it all fit together,” Rees explained. “It’s really specific to our brewery.”

Another three-hour boil with matured two-year hops like Saaz and Hallertau means you’ve hit seven hours before even getting to fermentation.

Only brewing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, van Roy and his son also need to fit their schedule into a four-month period. From November until March, the cold nights (below ten degrees Celsius but preferably zero to five) provide the optimal conditions for open fermentation.

Typically, in a given brew season, van Roy and his son brew between forty to fifty batches (officially forty-six last season).

And because the lambics go through spontaneous fermentation, Cantillon believes “what lives in the brewery is important to us,” says Rees. “We’re very careful about what we’re changing [if anything].”

So I’m not sure if it’s just in my head, but the whole coolship attic smelled like a cabin I lived in at summer camp. You know, the one you return to each year and somehow manages to smell the same.

To walk through Cantillon is to smell and touch a piece of history.

Walking down narrow steps from the attic to the cellar, you’ll find a room stuffed with barrels. You can’t walk a few paces without bumping into one, a resting place for young and aging lambic.

After fermenting for one night in the one coolship, the beer goes into second-use wine barrels. “We are not interested in the flavor of the wine or the wood,” says Rees. “You just want porous wood to help ferment the lambic.”

Look close, and you’ll notice white chalk markings—numbers and letters—like some sort of sudoku. As Rees explained, the letter signifies the current season—we’re in Z, which will turn to A next spring. Whereas X represents two seasons ago. “In the blink of an eye, you know what beer it is,” says Rees.

We all pause for a moment to drink in the lambic alive all around us.

A sign nailed to one of the posts sums up this room and, in many respects, Cantillon. “Le temps ne respecte pas ce qui se fait sans lui,” it reads. “Time does not respect what is done without it.”

People covet Cantillon’s lambics, gueuzes, krieks, framboises, etc., all over the world.

But you need to travel to Brussels, the place, the air, the land, and visit Cantillon to understand the hands, the minds, and the people that make them.

Rue Lambert Crickx 26, 1070 Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium

l ermitage belgium breweries

Part of the new-guard breweries leading a renaissance in Brussels, L’Ermitage opened in June of 2017 in an old cigarette factory not a block down the street from Cantillon.

Co-founder Nicolas De Smidt explains they got a good deal on building rent in a neighborhood considered sketchier at the time.

The first Saturday they opened, they ran out of beer. So they knew they were on to something.

Now brewing up to 2k hectoliters a year in 30-hec batches a week (“That’s why I’m so tired!” De Smidt told me), L’Ermitage focuses on wine hybrids and American IPAs, among other styles.

Although De Smidt shared, “The porter is my favorite.”

When we visited, tops among the group included a porter co-fermented with a three-year-old lambic from neighbor Cantillon on a cask engine! And a habanero-thyme sour ale called Holy Chili , made with products from a nearby BIGH aquaponic farm.

Personally, I enjoyed the Lanterne , a pale ale that had everything you want—slightly hoppy but swallowed easily with a refreshing touch of dryness at the end.

From pales to cask-engine sours, L’Ermitage showed us a new age of craft brewers in Brussels.

Brasserie de la Senne

Anna Bochdreef 19/21, 1000 Brussells, Belgium | +3224650751

brasserie de la senne

A new landmark as much a part of the fabric of Brussels as Cantillon, Brasserie de la Senne doubled the number of operating breweries in the city in 2010 when it opened.

But you won’t find gueuze and lambics here.

Instead, brewer and owner Yvan De Beats (about whom fellow traveler and Bruz Beers Head Brewer Dave Olson explained to me, “Dude’s a hero in Belgium.”) believes to his core that behind a good beer, there should be good values.

Something Cantillon’s former head brewer, Jean-Pierre van Roy, taught him at nineteen years old. De Beats says in 1989, he met van Roy and, after a five-minute conversation, fell in love with beer.

“At the time, at least, those values were in danger,” says De Beats. “And he told me it’s worth fighting for those values.”

Although it would be another twenty years until De Beats opened his own place, the former social worker started pursuing his hobby on the side, working as a guide at Cantillon’s museum, tasting every beer and reading every brewing book he could, and volunteering at breweries for free.

“I was happy cleaning,” he told me.

All his knowledge culminates in de la Senne, which focuses on making beers that De Beats likes to drink. “It’s as simple as that,” he says. “I like to have a beer that is full of taste. … I like the approach to be simple but not simplistic, if that makes sense.”

And while things may appear simple at de la Senne, below the surface, they’re anything but (although the modest De Beats may protest differently).

For instance, De Beats designed his own fermentation vessel because he felt it treated the yeast better. The design mimics historical flat open tanks but in a vertical closed conical system. When I mentioned this seemed genius, something created from scratch, De Beats hedged. “I did nothing revolutionary; I was just inspired by what the old guys did,” he told me, noting that he has an immense respect for mixing ancient and new knowledge.

It’s why you’ll hear De Beats speak about yeast almost like it’s a god.

“We work with one of the most beautiful living beings that exists—yeast,” says De Beats. “And we cherish her. We respect her.”

Which means letting her tell him when the beer is ready, not any type of set schedule. “We always want to leave her the time to do a job without pushing anything,” he says.

Everything seems to be working.

Over the last ten-plus years, de la Senne’s Zinnebir has become a best-selling flagship in Belgium. Classified as a Belgian pale ale but technically a style De Beats calls Belgian special, Zinnebir is “sort of an English pale, but less hoppy and maltier,” he explains. They love hops at de la Senne, so De Beats made his version hoppier, drier, and bitter. “It’s the most balanced beer, and this is why it has been such a success,” De Beats says.

In Brussels, Zinnebir has reached cult status, with the Flemish media now calling places “where the cool people go Zinnebir cafes,” says De Beats. Everyone in Brussels appreciates this beer.

Meanwhile, everyone in the industry loves Taras Boulba. De Beats calls this Belgian blonde a “brewer’s beer,” he says. “It’s a beer that is simple; it’s bitter; it’s dry; it’s packed with Noble hops; it’s light in alcohol and normally everything a brewer likes.”

It’s no big surprise that De Beats first made this beer for himself and his brewers. But as friends stopped by the brewery and tried it, they went crazy for it. In stark contrast to the heavier, sweeter beer historically found in Belgium, Taras Boulba drinks light, refreshing, and quaffable. What started as a “beer never intended to leave the brewery,” says De Beats, has now become their second best-seller.

When we stopped by, we also tried Saison de la Senne, a spelt saison blended with Cantillon’s lambic (a batch De Beats handpicked himself) and aged for two years in wood.

At the end of the day, de la Senne may be a more modern brewery, but it also reflects old, cherished values. Or, as De Beats says, “I see beer as a noble product for everyone.”

Well, go forth and drink Belgian royalty.

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Molenstraat 47, 1651 Beersel, Belgium | +3223067103

3 fonteinen belgium breweries

About a thirty-minute drive from downtown Brussels, you’ll find another of Belgium’s most recognized lambic and gueuze breweries: 3 Fonteinen .

Where Cantillon sits in a historic, cramped building off a side street in Belgium, 3 Fonteinen sprawls out in a nice new complex in the country (they have cornhole out front, for gosh sake).

Both make lambic and gueuze. Both do it their way. And both believe their way is the best.

The good thing for you as the drinker means trying both and deciding for yourself.

At 3 Fonteinen, we popped some major bottles. And that’s the move, right? Because many fantastic spontaneously fermented beers abound.

The menus (I should call them scrolls) come printed on clipboards. Flip through the numerous pages of geuze (their spelling) and lambik (their spelling) offerings.

Whisper to your friend next to you that you’re getting a Cuvée Armand & Gaston Batch Blend No. 78 . Great!

They decide to pick a Prium Opal saison with Opal plums. Fantastic!

Another person mentioned they grabbed the Golden Blend and Mirabell . Wonderful!

While you’re deciding, someone else starts passing around a 1-litre jug of Oude Lambik. Amazing!

A sure sign that this brewery encourages sharing? After you settle on a bottle, the bartender will ask you how many glasses you’d like.

Head outside to the long picnic tables, where you’ll already find many bottles popped, people hopping from table to table to fill their glasses.

While I tried a lot, all very intricate and nuanced, I repeatedly gravitated back to my original choice. Kind of a classic, Cuvée Armand & Gaston will always blend one-, two-, and three-year-old traditional lambics. But every batch will be a little different; that’s the beauty of spontaneous fermentation.

The one I tried, Batch No. 78, poured a beautiful orange sunset, giving off peach, pear, and some passionfruit notes. A touch dry and wheaty on the backbone, a zippy pucker hit the back of your mouth on the way out.

Just what I wanted—nothing too crazy, but still chic and complex.

Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal

Caubergstraat 2, 3150 Haacht, Belgium | +32477515991

hof ten dormaal belgium breweries

On the last day of our trip, we took a short thirty-minute bike ride from Leuven, a suburb of Brussels, to this family-run farm brewery that mills its own grains on-site.

Literally out in a cornfield, Hof ten Dormaal harkens back to beer in simpler times. Owner André Janssens bought the 400-year-old family farm with his two sons, Dries and Jef Janssens, in 2009.

“The brewery started with the idea to make beer from grains on our own farm,” Dries Janssens, who considers himself a maltster, explained. They couldn’t find a malthouse willing to make such small batches, so they built their own three years ago. Now, they mill and malt mostly base malts. “I go until Vienna,” says Dries. “We’re never going to sell two tons of amber malt.”

Hof ten Dormaal also grows its own Magnum hops on almost one hectare. They used to pick them by hand every year, inviting volunteers to help with the promise of free beer and sausage. “But after two hours, we never picked our whole field,” laughs Dries. So they bought a sixty-two-year-old hop-picking machine.

“The ingredient that I start to miss in the U.S. is passion. And then you come here,” Purpose’s Peter Bouckaert told me during our visit. “It’s about passion in my eyes, but maybe I’m stupid!”

Passion abounds in bales at Hof ten Dormaal, where you’ll find beers like Witgoud , a tripel with witloof (Dutch for white leaf, aka chicory or what in the U.S. we would call endive), locally grown in the neighborhood. “No other beer like this in the world,” said the bartender, a mustachioed neighbor called Paul (or it could have been Pol) who just helps out at the brewery from time to time.

The beer comes from the 19.5-bbl brewhouse, watched over by Jef, Dries’ brother. Dirty blonde hair spilled out the back of Jef’s black trucker hat in mullet-like form. His mustard yellow Star Wars t-shirt and black denim shorts felt more in step at an American brewhouse than a family farm brewery in the cornfields of Leuven.

Chain-smoking Marlboro Reds, Jef lit each with a mini blue propane tank. After grilling our lunch, he sat with us, chilling for a second on the picnic tables next to their pond, sharing how he likes to brew.

When I asked him, “What beer do you sell the most?”

He responded with a whisper of a lisp, “Saison, which is great because I love saison the most. Tripel is easy and simple, but it’s everything I hate about a beer.”

Staunch in his views, Jef says, “I don’t read anymore,” preferring to talk about Star Wars, beer, and family.

As we sat finishing a few glasses of lambic from an earthenware urn, a couple of kids cycled by. “Those are my niece and nephew,” Jef said.

Soon, we packed up, too, hopping on our bikes to cycle back to the hotel. Our day may have wrapped up, but as we left, Jef told us, “I have to get back to work.”

Such is life on a tiny family-run farm.

Totally worth the trek, Hof ten Dormaal lets you travel back to a more peaceful time, encouraging you to take in all of the incredible ingredients around you in a glass of beer.

You won’t find a brewery or a family like this anywhere else.

Brussels Beer Project

3 Rue Antoine Dansaert 188, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

brussels beer project belgium breweries

In contrast to the rustic farm, the trendy Brussels Beer Project blasts you in the face with bright neon blues and yellows. A place you’ll most likely find yourself on a Friday or Saturday night, the garish taproom distracts you only briefly from the humongous stainless steel tap wall, sporting twenty-five beers.

The neon-lit menu projected onto the side of the wall shows you several different categories of beers—“All-Stars,” “Pop-Up,” “Guest,” “Brewer’s Edition (where brewers just want to have fun),” and “Dansaert Project,” the brewery’s mixed-ferm and fruited sour hall of fame.

But if a mouth-puckering Plum Saison isn’t your thing, for instance, try any number of IPAs—hazy, kviek session, sour NEIPA, Circular Bread IPA, saison IPA, and white IPA, to name a few.

I ordered a kveik lutra lager called Dark Lutra Lager . Crisp, clean, almost like a schwarzbier, this dark lager drank a little lighter in body with a roasted coffee finish.

A buzzy place to hang, Brussels Beer Project lets you see who’s who and try something new.

Fun Fact: Brussels Beer Project has a second location in Japan I’ve also been to this past year. Well, I should rephrase. I stood in line to get into one of the best udon places I’ve ever been to in front of the Tokyo Brussels Beer Project location. I could have popped in for a beer since it took over three hours to sit down, but worth it!

Poechenellekelder

Rue du Chêne 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium | +3225119262

poechenellekelder

Chances are, if you’re visiting Brussels, you’ll do the touristy thing and snap a selfie of yourself next to a little naked boy urinating into a fountain. Get your mind out of the gutter because Manneken Pis, first commissioned in 1388, is one of Brussels’ most famous sculptures.

Avert your eyes a little to the right, however, and you’ll see another striking sight: a tall, thin building with bicycles riding up and down the walls.

Interested? You should be because inside, Poechenellekelder gets even kookier.

The iconic beer hall’s name translates to “little marionette puppet.” Walk through the front door, and you’ll see why. Lifelike dolls with strings protrude from every corner and crevice, hanging from the ceiling next to an eclectic assortment of instruments.

Amidst the marionette mayhem, servers in crisp white button-ups and black aprons rush around in a rehearsed tango, expertly pouring bottles of beer into the proper glassware for you to enjoy.

The menu, as big as those paper ones at Buca di Beppo, shows you a selection of brunes, ambrées, Trappistes, blondes, gueuzes/lambics, and more. (Plus, Cantillon gets its own section.)

A bit overwhelmed, I admit, I stuck to what I knew first, ordering a Saison Dupont . Simply, it was amazing. Super fresh with a little bit of banana and estery character in the body and hay on the backbone, the beer presented elegantly and balanced.

Venturing a little further afield, I ordered a De Ranke XX Bitter for my second beer. Pouring a cloudy gold, the Belgian IPA drank with a stark forest floor bitterness and smooth finish.

And paired perfectly with the snacks we chose. Pro Tip: Don’t skip out on the food here!

Poechenellekelder specializes in super, super simple but just well-executed drinking food. You’ll find a selection of smaller plates and hot meals (like spaghetti—that’s a thing in Belgium), but I’d go for something listed under “Tartines De Fromages Belges” (roughly Belgian Cheese Toasts) or “Tartines De Charcuterie” (charcuterie toast).

Pick a cheese or meat, and you’ll get a big white plate served with a literal block of cheese (or cuts of meat), two slices of bread, a packet of butter, and a huge forked knife that looks big enough to cut a steak.

Rip a piece of bread, slather a smear of butter, carve off a hunk of cheese, move to your mouth, and repeat, stopping only for a sip of Saison Dupont or whatever beer you order.

A transcendiary experience, visiting Poechenellekelder felt simultaneously like simplicity and complexity at its best.

Moeder Lambic

Rue de Savoie 68, 1060 Saint-Gilles, Belgium

moeder lambic

I didn’t personally have time to stop at Moeder Lambic , which has two locations in Brussels, but many others in our group did. The well-known beer hall focuses on lambic and gueuze but also has a host of other Belgian beers on draft and in bottle.

bruge belgium

When you think of a quintessential European town—cobblestone streets, winding narrow alleyways, a big open square where commerce commences, a huge clocktower in said square—that’s Bruges.

Almost like a mini Amsterdam, the city’s streets interweave with bridges over canals. Alleyways lined with every kind of shop imaginable—chocolate, of course. But also books, cheese, Flemish lace, Christmas ornaments, and even comic books. And, of course, beer a plenty.

Brasserie De Garre

De Garre 1, 8000 Bruges, Belgium | +3250341029

de garre bruge belgium breweries

By far, one of my favorite places I went the entire trip, De Garre , might be Belgium’s best-hidden gem, literally.

Half the fun is finding the tavern tucked into one of the smallest streets in Bruges (hint: look for a rusted wrought iron gate with a “De Garre” street sign above it). But once you do, you’re initiated into a secret society.

Well, actually, once you’ve downed one of their tantalizing tripels…you’re truly a De Garre denizen.

de garre belgium breweries

Served in a bulbous glass, the tripel comes with stiff-peaked foam, super creamy and fragrant.

Drink, digging underneath the whitecaps to find a slightly honied, estery tripel.

Will you come up for air with a foam mustache? Probably. But that’s half the fun.

The smoothness of this 10% ABV makes it dangerous enough to warrant serving each glass with a little dish of cubed cheese.

Drink one slowly if you can, waiting before you order another because this one will hit you fast. We admit it’s hard, but try your best.

You can always leave and come back later that night, as our group found ourselves doing multiple times. Pretty much at the end of every day during our three-day stay!

If you don’t drink here, I’m not sure you’ve been drinking in Belgium.

’t Brugs Beertje

Kemelstraat 5, 8000 Bruges, Belgium | +3250339616

t brugs beertje

The beer bar that no one could pronounce became a common conversation topic.

Where did you end up last night?

“Beer cha.” “Beer ta jee.” “That one with beer and the letters “tje” in the name.”

For reference, it’s pronounced beer che .

The oldest bar in Bruges knows how to draw a crowd despite the fact foreigners can’t say the name.

Packed when we walked in, even at around ten at night, ‘t Brugs Beertje hits with locals and tourists alike.

Lucky for us, they showed us to a quiet private room in the back all our own. Perks of riding in on the coattails of one of our trip leaders Peter Bouckaert, whose time brewing at Rodenbach and New Belgium preceded him.

The menu will set you back a minute, equally packed to the brim with around 300 beers. But take the time to look through it, and you’ll find some real rarities like I did.

Okay, I lied; as with most places we stopped, I asked Bruz Beers Head Brewer Dave Olson to help me pick out a beer. But the La Vermontoise , a saison collab with Brasserie de Blaugies and Hill Farmstead, proved one of my favorites of the trip.

’t Brugs Beertje is just the kind of place to sit and find (or ask your new friend to find) your favorite beer.

Brouwerij De Halve Maan

Walplein 26, 8000 Bruges, Belgium | +32050444222

de halve maan belgium breweries

If you visit Bruges, you probably shouldn’t leave without checking out De Halve Maan .

Although I personally enjoyed other breweries and their beers more on our trip, the sixth-generation De Halve Maan still warrants an afternoon stop.

Started in 1856, De Halve Maan is the last authentic family-run brewery in Bruges.

Best known for beers like Bruges Zot , a Belgian blonde, and Bruges Zot Dubbel , De Halve Maan focuses mostly on iconic Belgian styles.

Le Trappiste

Kuipersstraat 33, 8000 Bruges, Belgium

la trappiste westmalle extra

Here’s the thing about Le Trappiste , the beer bar with a beer bible longer than the Old Testament: It has a beer bible longer than the Old Testament.

But that also means it’s a popular place.

If you go on a Friday or Saturday when the bar stays open until 1 a.m., expect to be packed into an old dugout cellar shoulder to shoulder with many other humans. Be warned: The crowd made the below-ground tavern a good ten degrees warmer (and made me relive my grubby bar-hopping college days).

Having said that, you can certainly go during an off time for a much quieter experience. You might want to, because all orders happen at the bar, and you’ll need to snag one of the mammoth laminated books lying around to figure out what you want.

Giving yourself the time and peace to pursue the pages helps you discover many treasures. For instance, the tripel Fourchette , Deus Brut Des Flanders , a brut-style Belgian beer that mimics champagne, and all forms of Westmalle and Rochefort Trappist beers, to name a few.

Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

Roeselarestraat 12b, 8600 Diksmuide, Belgium | +32474421273

de dolle belgium breweries

Located a good forty minutes southwest of Bruges in Esen, De Dolle is worth the trek.

We rode about ten miles by bike through the countryside, cycling past gorgeous fields and farms. Fitting because the brewery gets its name from a bicycle club called ‘De Dolle Dravers,” translating to mad or crazy drivers.

You’ll probably just drive. But either way, at the end of your journey, you’ll find a pot of gold and brown beer.

And while the ride to De Dolle may have you asking, ‘Where the heck am I?’ (we got lost on our bike ride a few times), you can’t miss the brewery’s smiling yellow face with a red bowtie plastered above the brick brewery.

de dolle belgium breweries

An auspicious sign, the happy, quirky piece of art seems to say welcome all who come inside; good and crazy times ahead!

Because as we line up the pieces from the translation above, De Dolle Brouwers means mad or crazy brewers.

Which you might think about the gray-haired, soft-spoken man wandering around in a bright yellow suit jacket. That’s Kris Herteleer, the current owner and brewer of De Dolle, who started the brewery with his brother Jo Herteleer in 1980.

Not only avid cyclists but beer drinkers, the brothers Herteleer started homebrewing. “We tried to make beer, but in the beginning, it was not beer, so we threw it away,” laughed Kris as he showed us around. “But we improved, and after twenty-three times during three years, we have, in our eyes, better beer than in the bars.”

So on November 15, 1980, De Dolle released its first beer, Oerbier , a Belgian strong dark ale that translates to “from the source.”

A special day because, according to Kris, Sierra Nevada also brewed its first beer on November 15, 1980. “Years ago, I wrote a letter. … In fact, I said we have beaten you because the sun turns that way,” joked Kris. “And I have never had a response, so probably the internet does not work in the States.”

Much like Sierra Nevada grew from the popularity of its Pale Ale , De Dolle built its reputation on Oerbier.

But hook a right once you walk inside the brewery into the small pub, and you’ll find three to four other beers on tap.

Like Arabier , an 8% ABV Belgian strong golden ale made with Nugget hops from the famous Poperinge region of Belgium.

Special Extra Export Stout , an old-fashioned export stout.

And some purchased bottles of Still Nacht , the brewery’s coveted Belgian strong golden ale brewed for Christmas.

And if you stick around with Kris long enough, he’ll probably get excited enough to pull out some dusty old bottles from the cellar. Like the brewery’s fourteenth anniversary ale or an oud bruin from 1998, poured from a bottle caked with fifteen years of dust but tasting like refined prune juice and balsamic vinegar.

The third city on our countrywide tour, Ghent, felt similar to Bruges but with a slightly different demographic. A college town, Ghent has a vibrant nightlife if you know where to look. Overall, fewer tourists and more locals.

For instance, at one of the city’s little Jenever pubs, we all shared a shot of Jenever, a juniper-flavored liquor that gets a dose of any variety of fruit syrups.

Probably wouldn’t catch me doing that anywhere else. But when in Ghent!

Brouwerij Liefmans

Aalststraat 200, 9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium | +3238609400

liefmans belgium breweries

Technically, half an hour outside of Ghent in Oudenaarde, the more than 300-year-old Liefmans is also worth a little side trek.

Here, along the banks of the Scheldt River, you’ll find history. One that’s slowly dwindling with current owner Marc Coesens, son of master brewer and the first official female brewmaster in Belgium, Rosa Merckx, expected to retire soon.

For forty-six years, Mrs. Rosa, as she was affectionately known, pioneered Liefmans during a time when brewing remained a man’s world.

“She involved herself in the production of the beers,” shares our tour guide Eric, whose family owns a pub in town and began working at Liefmans cleaning cherries over the summer as a kid. (“I never drank at the brewery,” he teased. “I only did quality control.”) “Why [shouldn’t] we try other hops, why shouldn’t we try other temperatures, why shouldn’t we try other bottles, et cetera?”

Although Mrs. Rosa passed away in May of this year, her legend lives on everywhere in Liefmans, from murals and displays of her legacy on the wall to her signature on every Liefmans bottle.

“Mrs. Rosa is really a monument to the world all over,” explains Eric.

Known for its oud bruin, an East Flanders brown sour ale, Liefmans beers, such as Goudenband under Mrs. Rosa’s direction, caught the attention of everyone from the minister of Belgium to the famous English beer journalist Michael Jackson.

“Surely it’s the best brown ale in the world,” says Eric. “Called the ‘Champagne of Dark Beers,’ to the world of brewers, it’s a really great beer,” winning gold at the 2014 Brussels Beer Challenge and named Best Belgian Beer.

And surely my favorite beer, with a beautiful sparkling effervescence, notes of almost Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda, and a slight almost treacle sweetness.

Very unique to Liefmans’ oud bruin, the beer ferments in open-top fermenters, opening windows painted blue to repel insects to let in the naturally occurring yeast.

“This is history, and this happens now,” explains Eric. “You can make dark beer all over the world, but only here can you make Liefmans.”

As the beer ferments, a crust of yeast forms on the top. “This is heavenly; this is Liefmans. This is our secret, but it is no secret. The secret is already in use for practically one hundred years. You can smell it now.”

Because Liefmans harvest that yeast off the top, skimming it off to vats below for repitching.

“The yeast comes from the harvest from the week before, the week before, and the week before [all the way back] to 1930,” says Eric.

And although those vats are a helluva job to clean, according to Eric, he says, “This is Liefmans.”

Eric actually shows us the vessels that collect the leftover yeast; it’s a place no one is supposed to be able to go. “We didn’t come in here,” he said with a wink. Alive and kicking, we even tasted a few drops—poetry in perfect pitch.

Much like the rest of Liefmans, a three-century-old brewery continuing to make just a few beer styles their way.

At the end of the day, “Oud bruin is the basis of everything,” says Eric.

Pro Tip: Stop by the restaurant on-site. Although run by a separate group from Liefmans, the food is utterly fantastic, especially enjoyed alongside Liefmans beers.

Heilig Hart Brouwerij

Brusselsesteenweg 85 A, 9230 Wetteren, Belgium | +32488137878

heilig hart brouwerij tripel belgium breweries

You must go here. Just take a fifteen-minute drive southeast of Ghent.

A sort of impromptu visit on our trip turned out to be one of the top surprise stops in Belgium.

Located in an abandoned church that founder Hans Dusslier bought for $300k in 2016, Heilig Hart does things differently, going the extra mile in every direction.

“We wanted to brew weird beers, some with spontaneous fermentation,” Dusslier told us as he showed us around. “I don’t want to make the same beer all the time.

The former engineer also had the eccentric idea to open a brewery in a church. So he tracked down twenty churches within twenty-five kilometers of Ghent for sale, visiting thirteen.

“When I came here, I thought this is the place,” says Dusslier, who told us people thought he was crazy.

But he had faith, building a three-hectolitre brewery above the old church’s altar “to amuse me on the weekends,” he said. Although Dusslier preserved the original altar, he says, “I believe more in my altar than the one below!”

Everything at Heilig Hart has a purpose Dusslier has thought through once, twice, seven times (how many drawings Dusslier made of his plans for the brewing system and how many times he writes a recipe. “I’m a beer recipe purist,” he admits. “I want to predict what my beer will taste like in the end”).

“Brewing is like soup,” he waxes. “Everyone can do it, but making a great one … is difficult.”

That’s just how his analytical mind works. Although Dusslier admits he also trusts in nature.

Around the building, Dusslier says he found eight different hops growing, including Styrian Golding, Strisselspalt, and Hallertau. “We still have to harvest the vine in front,” he muses.

And he went to great lengths to create conditions for spontaneous fermentation, punching out holes to let Helilig Hart’s lambic-style beers (he refuses to call them lambics because they’re not in the Senne Valley) attract yeast from the world around the church’s walls.

Lagers ferment for one to two years in one of sixteen amphorae, large clay or terra cotta cylindrical vessels historically used in ancient winemaking. Dusslier considers himself a bit of an amphora aficionado, testing out ones from different countries and materials to find what works best. “To be honest, I’ve been brewing with them since 2019, and I will be happy when I retire to give some answers when I retire,” he posited. “[But for now] Catalonia, to me, makes the best amphoras.”

In the end, Heilig Hart divides its beers into three sections—”In the Name of the Father” (representative of Belgian beer culture), “In the Name of the Son” (crazy, future, experimental beers), and “In the Name of the Holy Spirit” (spontaneously fermented beers because they need a bit of spiritual luck).

We tried the Tripel , representative of the first, Custodia , part of the second, and Epiclese , in the third.

Custodia struck me. Dusslier started with the idea for an oud bruin, kettle-souring it with 1,000 liters of yogurt. After boiling, he fermented Custodia with a family sourdough culture. “My wife makes bread with it, and I make beer with it,” he said.

They made the beer twice, putting the first batch in foeders for sixteen months and the second in amphoras for four months.

The version we tried blended the two batches.

As we sipped, Dusslier’s son picked hops straight off the vine before the altar.

“Does the organ still work?” some from the group piped.

“Everybody asks that,” Dusslier said with a little smile. Apparently, it did, but the fire department declared the motor a hazard, so they needed to remove it.

No doubt that, if he still could, Dusslier would be playing music from that instrument every day. He lets his brewing philosophy and beers sing a holy gospel for now.

For our part, we’re just basking in the glow, rapt with every word.

Forelstraat 27, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

stroom belgium breweries

An American and a Belgian met in Kyrgyzstan—not how every brewery story starts. But at Stroom , in Ghent, Belgium, it’s true. Colorado brewer Farrell Styers teamed up with Ghent native and entrepreneur Carl Uytterhaegen to start Stroom, a one-hundred percent renewable energy brewery making unfiltered, unpasteurized beer.

For instance, Waltz #2 , a Vienna lager, Forel , an American wheat with sweet orange, and Yak , a farmhouse ale with Sichuan peppercorn and kveik yeast.

This wasn’t a Trappist-focused trip, so we didn’t get to all of the most famous monastery breweries. However, any must-visit Belgian brewery list wouldn’t be complete without including them.

Brouwerij De Sint-Sixtusadbdij van Westvleteren

Donkerstraat 12, 8640 Vleteren, Belgium | +3257400376

westvleteren trappist belgian breweries

I’m not sure we need to say a lot about his brewery. Westvleteren makes one of the rarest beers in the world. Getting to visit there? Even rarer.

So, of course, during my trip, we couldn’t visit the brewery. But one of the tour leaders broke off to pick up fresh bottles for everyone to share on the bus.

So at 9 a.m. (no joke, this is a true story), I clinked my bus chalice with several others in the back of the bus and said, “Cheers!” drinking my first sip of Westy 12, as it’s affectionately known, as the bus chugged along to Rodenbach.

“Pours a Coca-Cola molasses color,” I wrote in my notes. “Smooth as black velvet or the surface of a lake in the morning, Westvleteren 12 had great notes of chocolate cherry and almost no hint of booze despite hitting a 10.2% ABV. One of the best beers I’ve ever tried!”

Brewed by The Trappist monks of the St. Sixtus Abbey in Vleteren, Belgium, in such small quantities, this Belgian quad rose to rare fandom on the sheer absence of production.

The monks brew Westy 12 once a week as a way to make money for their abbey. Sold only once a month either at the door of the monastery or a no-nonsense tavern across the street, Westy 12 vaulted to the top of any craft beer connoisseur’s bucket list simply because of the laundry list of steps and a dash of luck you’d need to try a sip from these unadorned bottles.

You won’t be able to visit the brewery because it’s not open to the public. But, if you go, you can stop by the visitors center and cafeteria called In de Vrede, where you can drink and buy beer in small quantities.

Brasserie d’Orval

Orval 2, 6823 Florenville, Belgium | +3261311261

orval brewmaster anne-francoise pypaert bottling line

While the brewery at Abbaye d’Orval, called Brasserie d’Orval , isn’t open to the public either, Brewmaster Anne-Françoise Pypaert gave us a special tour.

The first female Belgian brewmaster at a Trappist brewery, Pypaert, started at Orval in 1992 as the director of quality control. “At this time, there was no woman in the brewery, only men,” Pypaert told me. “But there was a change of manager. Before, it was a monk, and, at this moment, the new director was not a monk and was open to having a woman in the brewery.”

Over twenty years later, when now-former Orval Brewmaster Jean-Marie Rock retired, Pypaert took the reins.

Some of the changes Pypaert made included building a new fermentation hall, installing a bottling line that, incredibly, cranks through 40,000 bottles an hour, and changing the fermentation time of Orval to six days instead of five.

“[Previously,] we brewed Monday and transferred the beer on Saturday, but we wanted to take off the work day on the weekend,” explains Pypaert, noting the team now brews on Tuesday and, on the Monday after, transfers the beer to lagering. “The brewers are happier now that they have a weekend!”

But Pypaert quickly points out that the extra day of fermentation also helps better attenuate the beer.

Known for an addition of Brettanomyces, the Belgian pale ale Orval was first brewed at the Abbaye d’Orval in 1931.

Pypaert says the Brett addition was a “happy contamination” probably thanks to aging the beer in wood tanks during the ‘40s and ‘50s, but really ‘it’s a mystery,” she says.

Whatever the reason, the naturally occurring yeast gives Orval a distinct funkiness. Paired with some Aramis and American Tomahawk on the hot side and German Hallertau and French Strisselspalt for dry-hopping, Orval drinks with a pleasant bitterness, which some find off-putting at first.

“Your first Orval is very difficult,” shares Pypaert, who tried Orval for the first time a couple of days before her interview at the Trappist brewery. “You have to taste the second or third; after that, you like it very much or not [at all].”

Of course, if you’ve traveled to Florenville, you probably like Orval and will want to drink a few while visiting. You can do this in the abbey’s restaurant, L’Ange Gardien, in one of four ways:

Young and fresh Young and cellar temperature Old and fresh Old and cellar temperature

You will get different flavors based on which combination you choose. I recommend pairing up with a friend and taste-testing the pairings side by side.

But you can absolutely not leave Orval without drinking Orval Vert , aka Orval Green, or the monk’s beer. Brewed specifically for the monks at a lower alcohol content (4.5% ABV vs Orval’s 6.2% ABV), Orval Vert is only offered on draft on-site (although they do bottle the beer for the monks or people who visit on retreats, welcoming those visitors with a bottle, according to Pypaert).

The Brett-less beer starts with the same wort as Orval but dry hops with Strisselspalt and Mosaic, switching things up to make the beer more special. “We tried it with Galaxy. … But one year, it was very difficult to find, so our supplier proposed we test Mosaic, and it was a success!” says Pypaert.

After a meal and a few beers, stroll around the abbey grounds. While the brewery only began in 1931, the monastery’s life goes back to 1132. Legend has it Countess Matilde of Tuscany, freshly widowed and grieved, stopped by a fountain where her wedding ring accidentally fell in. She prayed for its return, and a trout crested the surface with the golden ring in its mouth. Matilde exclaimed, “Truly, this place is a Val d’Or,” or valley of gold. Today, you’ll still find that trout and ring symbol representing Orval.

Much like Matilde, Orval has a history of survival, resurrecting itself after multiple wars and periods of destruction. In fact, today, you can even walk amongst the ruins of the old abbey bombed during the French Revolution.

All in all, Orval is a pretty special place.

Pro Tip: Orval, like several other Belgian monasteries, also has a cheese production facility. Pypaert also oversees all of the cheese production. You can try the dish in L’Ange Gardien or pick up a honking (and we mean honking) hunk to split with friends in the gift shop.

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle

Antwerpsesteenweg 496, 2390 Westmalle, Belgium | +3233129222

westmalle dubbel belgium trappist breweries

Best known for making the first Belgian tripel in the 1930s, Westmalle should also be a must-stop on your list.

We didn’t get a chance to venture into the village of West Malle in the Province of Antwerp, but I’ll keep Westmalle on my list for next time.

The Westmalle Dubbel , first brewed for sale in 1836, and the Westmalle Tripel , which hit the market in 1934, are considered paradigms of their respective styles.

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy (Trappistes Rochefort)

5580 Rochefort, Belgium | +3284220140

rochefort belgian trappist breweries

Founded in 1230, the Abbey of St. Remy or Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy monks started brewing around 1595. Like Orval, the monastery survived several periods of destruction and a series of wars like the French Revolution and World War II.

Today, Rochefort’s lineup, including Rochert 6, Rochefort 8, and Rochefort 10, contain water from the Tridaine spring, one kilometer away, house yeast, special pale, and caramel malts, Hallertau and Styrian Golding hops, white and brown sugar, and a ‘secret herb.’

Towering eighty by thirty meters, the Rochefort brewhouse gained acclaim as one of the most beautiful and peculiar in Belgium. Although, you won’t be able to see it because it’s not open to the public. And you also can’t enjoy any food or beer on site. Instead, check out the town of Rochefort, where plenty of local spots carry Rochefort beers.

The breweries in this category don’t necessarily fall close to any particularly big city. But, good news for you: Belgium is a pretty small country. So, if you’re up for a little drive here and there, consider mapping out days to get to these breweries.

Brasserie Inter-Pol

Mont 34A, 6661 Houffalize, Belgium | +32476369639

brasserie inter-pol belgium breweries

We’d forgive you for missing the signs to Belgium’s smallest brewery (luckily we didn’t because we had an excellent bus driver!), Inter-Pol , because you’re not looking for a typical taproom. You’re literally trying to find Owner Pol Ghekiere’s basement in the village of Mont, in the Ardennes.

Inside, you’ll find a built-in pub and thirteen-square-meter brewery where Ghekiere can make eighty-litre batches.

Ghekiere built everything himself, digging out the foundation with his brother. All across the property, you’ll find quirky touches. An old merry-go-round turned sitting space, rugs on the ceiling, a boar’s head.

Sporting a striped blue shirt and John Lennon-like glasses, the craggy-faced Ghekiere stoically slings beers behind a lampshade of salt and pepper hair.

Stay long enough, and he’ll lead you in the brewery’s official song, written on parchment paper that he can unroll from an open doorway behind the bar.

The beers range, including Ghekeire’s stable, the Witte Pol, which pours a cloudy, pale, wet-sand dark gold, smelling like spiced lemon peel or lemon verbena balm. Very light, the Witte Pol falls heavier on the more-spiced-than-citrus spectrum with a dash of mild saltine cracker.

If you can only drink one, I recommend the Peated Pol, which seemed to be our group’s favorite for its heavy smoke aromas yet super light body.

Visiting Inter-Pol is like drinking in your best friend’s basement. Oh, wait. You almost are.

Brasserie d’Achouffe

Achouffe 32, 6666 Houffalize, Belgium | +3261288147

brasserie d'achouffe

From the basement to the big dogs. If you weren’t convinced to visit Inter-Pol, consider this: You get a twofer here. There’s a dirt path that winds down from Pol’s house to the well-recognized gnome-obsessed Brasserie d’Achouffe .

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of d’Achouffe’s beers, but I’m only one person.

You can still have fun hanging out in the pub (with gnomes). If you do go, I recommend the Houblon Chouffe , a fairly hoppy, sturdy-bodied Belgian IPA.

Brasserie Dupont

Rue Basse 5, 7904 Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium | +3269225639

saison dupont is a perfect beer

If you love saison, you should probably visit the godfather of this farmhouse style.

Started in 1844 as the Rimaux-Deridder farm brewery, Alfred Dupont bought the brewery in 1920. Today, a fourth generation of the family runs the brewery known worldwide for making one of the epochal versions of saison.

Historically brewed for farms as a refreshment during the summer, saison started as a lower-ABV beer.

Today’s versions push much higher, with Saison Dupont cresting 6.5% ABV.

Made with Pilsen barley malt, Golding hops, Saison Dupont carbonates in the bottle for a super effervescent, bubbly start. Pouring a cloudy copper with a whipped cream-like head, Saison Dupon fizzes with scents of Lemonheads, lemonade, freshly baked bread, and pepper.

This is rustic beer at its best, making the trip to Tourpes in Western Hainaut, Belgium, a treat.

Brasserie à Vapeur

Rue du Maréchal 1, 7904 Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium | +3269662047

brasserie a vapeur founder and brewer jean-louis dits

I believe we were supposed to visit here, but the brewery team got COVID, so we swiveled and ended up in Heilig Hart’s church, literally.

Still, I want to list this brewery here if you have better luck because it’s supposed to be a pretty special experience.

Just know that you need to plan to get here.

This unique steam-powered brewery (the last in Belgium), Brasserie á Vapeur , opens the last Saturday of every month.

On that day, owner Jean-Louis Dits suits up in his blacksmith-looking apron to make beer using a slide valve Watt twelve-horsepower steam engine.

In addition to beer, Dits hosts a banquet in the farmhouse next door during the brew day, that can include things like bread from a wood-fired oven, slow-cooked ham, and cheese. Nearly all made with Dits’’ beer.

Sounds like this would have been an incredible addition to our trip, so hopefully, you have a chance to go!

Brouwerij De Ranke

Rue du Petit-Tourcoing 1a, 7711 Mouscron, Belgium | +3256588008

de ranke xx bitter

Founded by friends Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos, De Ranke gained a reputation for making some of Belgium’s best small-batch specialty beer in West Flanders.

Also some of Belgium’s hoppiest beers.

Like the aforementioned XX Bitter that I had at Poechenellekelder and XXX-Bitter , which get their distinct hoppiness from Hallertau and Brewer’s Gold hops.

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5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

That stretch of time from late spring into autumn is the best time to pack up the car and hit the road to explore the vast and beautiful place that is the good ol’ US of A. This year, skip the traditional asphalt crawl and turn your travels into ultimate craft beer road trips.

There are a ton of great places in America to find independent beer, so where do you start? We mapped out five routes that connect some of the liveliest beer communities in the country. The trips aren’t meant to be done in a day. Instead, sit back and soak in the scenery that makes each of these beer road trips so memorable.

Let’s break out the map, hit the road (responsibly, of course!) and fill this season with great independent beer.

( BEER TRAVEL: Milwaukee Beercation | Reno Beercation | San Diego Beercation )

Road Trip: San Diego to Santa Rosa

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips - California

If you’re simply flying in and out of this craft beer destination, you’re doing it wrong. Instead, pack up the car and cruise the wildflower-lined Pacific Coast Highway up to the breweries tucked into the lush, green vineyards of wine country. Carve out at least a week for this one. There are so many exceptional breweries to visit and sunsets to see, you’ll want to take your time.

Must Visit Breweries

There are so many along this route, it’d be hard to make stops at them all. But be sure not to miss out on a trip to Green Flash Brewing Co.’s lively tasting room in the Mira Mesa neighborhood. And kill two birds with one stone with a stop at the Port Brewing Co. & Lost Abbey Brewing Joint Tasting Room that features 40+ taps from both breweries. A stop at Stone Brewing Co.’s gorgeous Escondido headquarters and restaurant is a must, because — Stone — and bucket lists.

And don’t forget about the up-and-coming breweries. Before leaving San Diego, be sure to visit Societe Brewing Company . This young brewery is refreshingly true to themselves, and they make some darn tasty barrel-aged beers. And make the most of limited time in the city by heading straight to Ocean Beach where you’ll find a mouth-watering Peanut Butter Milk Stout at Belching Beaver Brewery , three giant tasters for $3 at Culture Brewing Company’s tasting room, and a killer rooftop view of the Ocean Beach pier at the Ocean Beach Brewery .

As you make your way north through Los Angeles, veer off the beaten path and head to The Bruery for all of the delicious barrel-aged brews. And a trip up the West Coast wouldn’t be complete without stops at Firestone Walker Brewing Co. and Russian River Brewing Co. Geek out at the mini empire Firestone Walker has created in Paso Robles and load up your car full of Pliny at Russian River .

Road Trip ProTip

To safely explore San Diego’s craft beer scene, book a ride on the Brew Hop Tour — a five-hour custom guided Connoisseur Tour that make stops at three to four breweries, includes beer samples, brewery tours, and luxury transportation with a driver for $169 per person.

(MORE: Bed & Brew: 20 U.S. Breweries with Beer Hotels )

Road Trip: Portland to Bend

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

Start with a beer and a burger at Oregon’s oldest craft brewery, the Bridgeport Brewery and Brewpub. Thoughtful beer and food pairings and a top-notch happy hour is what you’ll find at Burnside Brewing Company. At The Commons Brewery , enjoy classic European styles and some of the best mac ’n cheese in town.

For a truly unique Portland experience, pull up a stool at Old Town Pizza & Brewing , the city’s well-known haunted brewpub located just around the corner from the start of many of the city’s ghost tours. Taste your way through Breakside Brewery’s vast draft lineup that includes fresh pours of rotating offerings from the brewery’s 100+ unique recipes at their recently opened Portland location.

When you arrive in Bend, make your first stop the Crux Fermentation Project . This family-friendly joint has an excellent outdoor patio with delicious food trucks, but people are flocking to this place for the clean, flavorful, interesting beers coming out of the brewery.

A stop in Bend wouldn’t be complete without checking out Deschutes Brewery’s beautiful production facility. This beloved Oregon brewery also serves up free samples and a huge selection of bottles of specialty brews. If hopped-up big beers are your style, you’ll find them at Boneyard Brewing , a tiny hidden gem in downtown Bend. And don’t miss out on the chance to visit Worthy Brewing’s newly opened Hopservatory — the first observatory operating inside of a brewery.

For a beer-themed place to rest your head in Bend, book a room at the Bunk + Brew Historic Lucas House , a unique lodging option within walking distance of the majority of the breweries in Bend. They even have a cold beer waiting for you when you check in.

Road Trip: Denver to Albuquerque

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

Great Divide Brewing Company recently opened The Great Divide Barrel Room in the heart of Denver’s growing RiNo district, and the shiny, new facility is filled with mouth-watering barrel-aged brews. Also in RiNO, you can embrace traditional German lagers at the Bierstadt Lagerhaus , and post up for a wood-fired pizza, live music and a refreshing Red IPA at Blackshirt Brewing Co. Fan of sours? Visit Crooked Stave Artisan Ales’ location at The Source. And for excellent views of Denver’s skyline from one of the most inviting outdoor patios in town, pull up a chair at Denver Beer Co.

Break up your road trip with a visit to Bristol Brewing Company ’s historic school house-turned-brewery in Colorado Springs. Directly en route to Albuquerque, the delicious Nut Brown Ale at Santa Fe Brewing Co. is worth a pit stop. For award-winning pub fare and handcrafted beers in Albuquerque, be sure to visit Boxing Bear Brewing Co. —the 2016 Great American Beer Festival Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year winner. Grab a handcrafted beer at Red Door Brewing Company’s lively downtown taproom. And don’t forget to schedule stops at ABQ’s popular longtime breweries, Marble Brewery , La Cumbre Brewing Co.  and Nexus Brewery .

Only an hour out from ABQ resides Santa Fe’s acclaimed contemporary art installation, Meow Wolf . There you will find works from 100 artists across several disciplines including painting, architecture, sculpture, video production, audio engineering, writing and more.

( READ: 7 Offbeat Places to Drink Craft Beer )

Road Trip: Nashville to Asheville

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

Nashville’s beer scene has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade, and is now home to a large selection of excellent breweries worthy of seeking out during your travels. For a delicious meal and a pint, head to Tennessee Brew Works , located just outside of Nashville’s vibrant downtown area. For a visit to one of the most happening taprooms in the city, make your way to Jackalope Brewing Company . Marvel at the amount of clean and flavorful brews made in Czann’s Brewing Company’s small brewery and cozy taproom. For an excellent brewery tour (with complimentary tasters!) and the scoop on Nashville’s craft beer history, head to Yazoo Brewing Co.

While traversing the southern heat on your way to Asheville, be sure spend a day exploring Chattanooga. Stops at Big Frog Brewing Co. , Big River Grille & Brewing Works and the Chattanooga Brewing Co. are a must.

Once you arrive in Asheville, head to the Asheville Brewing Company where you can catch a movie and grab beer and pizza, too. Post up on the outdoor patio at Burial Beer Company for refreshing Honey Saison. Try a Gaelic Ale, a Daycation IPA or a Black Mocha Stout at Highland Brewing Co. , and don’t miss out on the funky goodness at longtime Asheville watering hole — Green Man Brewery (Green Man’s new building is stunningly gorgeous, with a great view – particularly in the fall.) And if you’re looking for more great views, make the 15 minutes drive from downtown to Pisgah Brewing , a brewery that doubles as a music venue, attracting up-and-coming acts and big names alike.

Perfectly positioned along your route is Blackberry Farms in Walland, Tennessee. Book a night in one of the farm’s charming cottages and finally taste what all of the buzz is about at this boutique brewery.

Road Trip: New York City to Burlington, VT

5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

To truly begin an epic road trip in NYC, head to Brooklyn Brewery . This legendary brewery offers Small Batch Tours for an all-access guided tasting of four Brooklyn Brewery beers. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the brewery’s “Before You Visit” instructions to stay-up-to-date on the tasting room’s limited hours throughout the week, and guidelines for touring this popular NYC craft brewery.

Continue exploring Brooklyn with a stop at the Keg & Lantern Brewing Co. where you’ll find a long list of a variety of ales and lagers on draft, and a visit to Other Half Brewing Company —a hop-forward brewery revered for creative and exciting beers and brewery collaborations. Pull up one of the many bar stools at Threes Brewing for a classic German lager or a traditional Belgian farmhouse ale before traveling back over the bridge to the Chelsea Craft Brewing Company —the oldest brewery in Manhattan.

(READ: New England Brewery Brews Beer with Fire and Hot Rocks )

As you make your way out of the city to the beautiful state of Vermont, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t plan a visit to The Alchemist — one of the biggest cult breweries in the country. Pick up cans of Heady Topper IPA and taste for yourself why this beer is always at the top of best beers lists. Tradition and a focus on local ingredients is what you’ll find at the Burlington Beer Company . Enjoy a Q-shaped pretzel, cool atmosphere, and tasty beers and Queen City Brewery , and sunshine and unfiltered ales and lagers on the patio at The Tap Room at Switchback Brewing Company . And don’t miss out on a trip to Hill Farmstead Brewery , one of the most buzzed about breweries in the country. This community-driven place is offering up weekly specialty bottle releases that you’ll definitely want to plan your visit around.

The state of New York’s brewery count has exploded over recent years. One way to discover some real gems of the Empire State on your road trip is to lean heavily the brewers guild’s state beer trail.

beer bar trip

Tyra Sutak is a freelance writer sharing stories about her favorite things: travel, food, music, craft beer and entertainment. Based out of Boulder, Colo., Tyra gathers inspiration by exploring the world by foot, bike, train, car, plane, greyhound bus, and any other form of travel that will lead to a new adventure. Whether it's climbing 14er's under a blue ColoRADo sky, sailing on a boat in Costa Rica, living out childhood dreams on Wrigley Field, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the everyday adventures that can be found at home, the open road calls—and Tyra's bag is always packed.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.

Everything You Need to Plan Your Belgium Beercation

Everything You Need to Plan Your Belgium Beercation

words: Cat Wolinski

photography: Cat Wolinski and Patrick Phillips

“In Italy, being a gondolier is a family tradition. In Belgium it’s brewing beer.”

Such is the introduction on the website for Belgian Family Brewers, a non-profit association representing small Belgian beer makers.

If you love beer, you already know you’re destined for a trip to Belgium. The country’s beautifully distinct brews, scented with yeast-driven spice and aromas of clove, pepper, and banana, are a huge source of inspiration for contemporary American craft brewing. Wherever your Belgium travels take you, there will be delicious beer to drink. Flanked by France and the Netherlands, the less-than-12,000-square-mile nation has more than 200 breweries, many of which date back centuries .

At last count , Belgium was home to 224 breweries, up from 160 in 2013. One hundred years ago there were close to 3,500 .

Driven by families, farmers, and Flemish monks during the Middle Ages , Belgium’s brewing culture is rooted in tradition yet still exciting. Here, we highlight a handful of our favorite places to eat, drink, and be Belge in Antwerp, Brussels, and Poperinge. From modern bars like Moeder Lambic to preserved public houses dating to the 1700s, each estaminet (as bars in Brussels are called ) you visit is well worth your time.

Look out for language swaps between French ( brasserie, bière, fromage ) and Dutch ( brouwerij, bier, kaas ), and a penchant for puppets, statues, and dolls.

In this ancient city, religious customs and beer customs intertwine.

Fall travelers might want to kick off at the Modeste Bier Festival held at Brouwerij De Koninck each year. Currently scheduled for Oct. 6-7, 2018, the festival highlights only small, independently owned Belgian brewers. After De Koninck, you won’t have to go far to hit Antwerp’s best beer spots.

Cafe Kathedraal, Antwerp, Belgium

Kathedraal Cafe (Cathedral Cafe)

A bar and restaurant that takes its name — and decor inspiration — from the towering Cathedral of Our Lady, a Roman Catholic church constructed between 1352 and 1521. Along with its astounding floor-to-high-ceiling collection of religious statues, Kathedraal offers a traditional menu of strong Belgian ales and hearty plates spanning spare ribs to spaghetti Bolognese (a Belgian staple, to our delight).

Blauwmoezelstraat 11, 2000 Antwerpen

Abby No. 8 Antwerp (Belgian Beers & Brews)

Steps away from the Kathedraal is this charming, curated shop with beer selections, including standbys like Duvel (but this time, it’s brewed a few miles away!) and rare finds like one-offs from Fantome. Don’t be shy about asking the proprietor for advice; he speaks English and can help you find just what you need.

Handschoenmarkt 8, 2000 Antwerpen

Do not leave Antwerp without going to Kulminator. You will not experience magic like this anywhere else. In this organized mess, an elderly couple has amassed a lifetime of rare, old, and discontinued Belgian beers. While Mister crunches numbers behind a towering pile of papers (using a magnifying glass!), Missus takes your order on a coaster covered in scribbles, and yet, somehow, they’ll still descend into their dusty cellar to procure that 1987 lambic you picked out from a brewery that no longer exists. There aren’t many places on this earth you can drink a beer as old, or older, than you.

Vleminckveld 32, 2000 Antwerpen

The bustling capital is as gritty as it is magical.

Arguably the most adored brewery in the world, and at least the producer of many of the most highly regarded lambic, gueuze, faro, and kriek anywhere, Brasserie Cantillon is a pilgrimage point for beer geeks the world over. The family-owned business is literally a museum to gueuze, where the Van Roy-Cantillon family still uses the same equipment their ancestors have been using since 1900. Take a self-guided tour within its wooden walls, copper equipment (and famous coolship), and rows of sleeping, insect-encrusted barrels.

Rue Gheude 56, 1070 Anderlecht

Moeder Lambic

Yes, there are many places that serve great beer in Brussels, but none are quite like Moeder Lambic. Opened in 2006, Moeder Lambic became a fast favorite among those who are serious about their beer — which, in Belgium, is a lot of people — but still like to party, Brussels-beer-bar-style. That means great local beers, proper glassware, and cheese and meat plates. Rather than pretzels or peanuts, the complimentary bar snacks are little bowls of malted barley. Très Belgique.

Original location: Rue de Savoie (Savoiestraat) 68, 1060 Saint-Gilles;  Second location: Place Fontainas 8, 1000 Bruxelles

Fancy yourself a slow-cooked bowl of ramen, crispy gyoza, and streetside views of the historic Brussels city center? You can do that and have your Belgian beer, too, at Umamido. The Japanese ramen shop has multiple locations in Brussels and Antwerp, each with a menu that’s intentionally short and sweet. Shoyu ramen, miso tonkotsu ramen, and even a vegetarian option source products from Japan as well as local Belgian farms.

Rue Henri Maus 33-47

Brasserie de la Senne

Yvan De Baets, brewmaster, is famous among beer industry followers for his attention to detail and delicately expressed beers (Zinnebir, a golden blonde ale , is a popular pick; we’re also partial to the even lighter blonde, Taras Boubla).

This brewery is definitely off the beaten path — in fact, you might get some funny looks when you arrive — but don’t let that dissuade you. Servers are sweet, the beers are exciting, and you may even get a taste of something that’s not in regular rotation — something as rare, perhaps, as your presence there.

Chaussée de Gand 565, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

Bier Circus!

This wacky yet classy circus-themed bar and restaurant combines a silly theme with a serious beer list. Like peoples’ affinity for clowns, the beers in the cellar here are rare, old, and alluring (10-year-old Orval? Yes, please). Adding to the impressive selection of Trappist, farmhouse, and myriad other Belgian ales (which will each be poured exquisitely in their appropriately branded glassware, mind you) is the food menu. Go Bolognese or go home.

Rue de l’Enseignement 57, 1000 Bruxelles

Poechenellekelder (The Puppet Cellar)

A popular spot for tourists due to its proximity to Manneken Pis (a famous statue of a peeing boy and a Belgian icon that people crowd to photograph like it’s the Mona Lisa), this quirky destination is worth a visit. Traditional, authentic, and definitely Belgian (they love stuffing bars with weird human figures and kitschy paraphernalia!), you won’t mind the din in this friendly estaminet. The sense of humor pairs nicely with a nightcap (or midday booster), and a selection of Belgian cheeses and meats (and did we mention Bolognese?) will tide you over until your next Belgian waffle.

Rue du Chêne 5, 1000 Bruxelles

BrewDog Brussels

Looking for a place to plug in? BrewDog has a huge, sleek space steps from Bruxelles Central train station (Gare de Bruxelles-Central, near the Grand Place). Here, you’re as likely to see stylish locals sunken into loveseats on their laptops as you are the after-work crowd pounding a few pints on the deck looking out over the city. With 40 taps featuring BrewDog beers along with local favorites, and bar snacks like, yes, more cheese, it’s an easy place to unwind and figure out your next move.

Putterie 20, 1000 Bruxelles

Delirium Cafe, Brussels, Belgium

Delirium Cafe

Best enjoyed in a delirious state, this hot spot should definitely be on your bucket list, but doesn’t necessitate a long stay — unless you’re with a rowdy crew. While not necessarily psychosis-inducing, the bustling mix of Belgian and foreign crowds fighting their way to the bar can be dizzying. But the sheer experience of earning that next pint, your body wedged within the collage of friends, breweriana, and Delirium’s signature pink elephants — not to mention thousands of beers (at last count: 3,162 ) — makes it interesting. There are several Delirium Village locations, but this one’s spot on a cramped cobblestone passage makes it extra inviting.

Impasse de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Bruxelles

3 Fonteinen, Beersel, Belgium

3 Fonteinen

Adventurous travelers should consider a day trip to Beersel, where beer geek favorite, 3 Fonteinen (affectionately called “drie”) sits in a quiet suburb and makes some of the best gueuze in the world. Recently rebuilt, the brewery offers a tasting room, shop, and tours every day except Wednesday. Reserve in advance.

For the real experience, though, go to the restaurant . Preciously unpretentious (on a typical afternoon, your dining companions will be well into their 70s, and we dare you to keep up with their drinking), you’ll pair a glistening pork chop or plump salmon steak with the waiter’s recommended gueuze, and you’ll never forget it.

Herman Teirlinckplein 3, 1650 Beersel 

Poperinge is the capital of hops in Belgium.

It’s home to the country’s hop fields, annual hop parade, and Saint Sixtus Abbey, maker of the world-renowned Westvleteren beers. In Watou, a village on the border of the Flemish-French countryside, head to Saint Bernardus, whose monk-adorned brews you’ve likely seen if you’ve set foot in any Belgian-themed bar stateside. From there, a stroll into town is worth the magnificent views, cow sightings, stunning sunsets, and silence like you’ve never felt (save for the occasional potato truck). Bars in the town square seem stuck in time, but you’ll be fed with the friendly, albeit standoffish hospitality of an old Dutch gasthaus .

Hopmuseum Poperinge

An entire museum devoted to hops! If you’re one to geek out over these flavor flowers, visit this historical building where Belgian hops were born. Audio tours explore hops’ history in the region and how Poperinge’s fertile soil and hop-loving monks shaped the city and Belgian culture as a whole. Look up — you’ll meet the Hop Devil himself, in wicker form, devilish male organs included. Downstairs, you can see and sniff hops in dizzying varieties.

Gasthuisstraat 71, B-8970 Poperinge

Struise Brouwers, Poperinge, Belgium

Struise Brouwers

The juxtaposition of this badass brewery’s skull-adorned brand and schoolhouse locale is unique, to say the least. So, too, are its brutal brews, which span the famous Pannepot, a strong ale sought for its many vintages, plus stouts so strong they’re technically illegal in the U.S. De Struise beers — and its brewery, once voted the best in the world — aren’t easy to find, so head here for the novelty and stay for the quirky personality of its founder, Carlo Grootaert, who might be the one tugging the taps.

Kasteelstraat 50, 8640, Oostvleteren

Abbey de St. Sixtus / In de Vrede Cafe

Beer pilgrims flock here to get their hands on Westvleteren 12, considered by many critics the best beer in the world. Don’t expect to bring any home with you, though, unless you’ve made an appointment well in advance (find the phone number and a detailed explanation  here ) and have a car prepped ahead of time. Brewery tours aren’t an option, either. Still, you can wrap your lips around the good stuff in de vrede (“in peace”) in the public cafe, located in the abbey’s modern courtyard situated beside a stunning cornfield stretching off to the horizon.

Donkerstraat 13, 8640 Vleteren

St. Bernardus 

Westvleteren seekers might consider skipping St. Sixtus for a more immersive experience at St. Bernardus, the nearby, non-Trappist brewery that brewed Westvleteren for St. Sixtus for 30 years until the contract ended, for Trappist reasons, in 1992. (And basically still makes the same beer.) It’s not a Trappist brewery, so any monks you see on beers here are pure marketing.

Legendary in its own right, St. Bernardus is open to the public with tours and tastings. It also houses B&B Brouwershuis, a beautifully romantic and welcoming bed and breakfast (“brewers house”) in a remote landscape that is difficult to describe. Creepy dolls in the room? You bet.

Trappistenweg 23, 8978, Watou

Published: July 23, 2018

  • Everything You Need to Plan Your Belgium Beercation | VinePair
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  • wbs_cat Beer, wbs_type Belgian Ale, wbs_type Gueuze, wbs_type Lambic, wbs_brand 3 Fonteinen, wbs_brand Cantillon, wbs_brand De La Senne, wbs_brand Delirium, wbs_brand St. Bernardus, wbs_brand Struise Brouwers, beer, beer travel, belgium, Travel
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Red stamp with Belgium in the middle and "next stop" in big black letters on top

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Would you like to go on an Antwerp beer tour? 

You came to the right spot! Beer in Belgium is not just a beverage, but also a huge part of my country’s culture.

That’s why beer tours are a popular item on visitors’ itineraries and since you came across this post, I’m pretty sure this includes you too!

Now, let’s take a closer look at the best Antwerp beer tours and I’ll also add in some helpful beer-tasting tips you can use during your visit! 

By the way, I lived in Antwerp for nearly 8 years, so it’s like a second home to me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Beer Tours in Brussels

ANTWERP BEERWALK

⭐ 5.0 | ⌛ 3h 5 tasting sessions in Antwerp’s most legendary beer bars

The best Antwerp Beer Tour 

1.  antwerp beerwalk with english guide.

Beer Tours in Brussels

What makes the beer in Antwerp special?   

Antwerp has a long beer brewing tradition that dates back centuries, but it doesn’t really stand out among the other Belgian cities.

All beer produced in Belgium is special due to the distinct characteristics of its beers, as well as the use of high-quality ingredients, such as top-notch malts, hops, and yeast. 

On top of that, Belgian brewers apply traditional methods and innovative techniques to produce top-quality brews.  

How much is a pint of beer in Antwerp?   

The price of a draft pils such as Jupiler or Stella Artois is about €4 for a glass (25cl). White beer, Trappist or speciality beers will be more expensive. Count on a minimum of €5-6 for a glass (25cl) or bottle.

What is the most famous beer in Antwerp? 

De Koninck, also known as “Bolleke,” is one of the most famous beers in Antwerp. 

Best Antwerp Beer Bars  

🍻 paters vaetje  .

This incredible place is ideal if you’re looking for a wide selection of classic Belgian beer .

It is located next to the Cathedral ( find the location on a map here ) and has a cosy and relaxing ambience. They also offer small plates of food if you would like to eat something. 

The friendly staff is very accommodating, and they’re open throughout the entire week from 11:00 a.m. It comes with a nice outdoor seating too.

Different glasses of beer.

🍻 Kulminator   

A legendary beer bar in Antwerp to try vintage Belgian beers . The place also offers beers from other countries and has an 81-page menu collection. 

Though not the most picturesque in Antwerp , when it comes to aged beers, you can’t find one better than Kulminator.  

This cluttered yet cosy bar, perfect for Belgian beer lovers, is situated in the historical centre, just behind the botanical garden . You can find the location on a map here .  

They’re open from 11:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday-Saturday ) and offer outdoor seating for their customers. 

🍻 Beerlovers Bars  

Beerlovers Bar has a menu of more than 150 beers , including blonde, IPA, stout, vintage, and even gluten-free options.  

They have bartenders who can help you choose the perfect beer . Just tell them your preferred colour and taste, and they’ll provide expert advice to find the right one for you! 

This bar can be found close to Antwerp’s Central Station (you can find the location on a map here ). It’s open from 15:00 to 2:00 every day except Tuesdays . 

skyline of Antwerp under a clear blue sky

🍻 Billie’s Bier Kaféteria  

Billie’s Bier Kaféteria is a nice bar located in the centre of Antwerp. It’s the best place to find special beers as they have a selection of about 180 different ones (mostly Belgian ones) including 11 draught beers.

The place has a relaxing ambience , and they also serve different kinds of typical Belgian food (including various vegetarian options). 

In addition to that, the bar provides board games for you to enjoy while you’re there. Billie’s Bier Kaféteria is also an excellent choice for dinner and late-night outings.  

The bar is open from 16:00 to 00:00 every day except Tuesdays . During the weekend, Billie’s Beer Bar opens a bit earlier (at 14:00) and on Friday and Saturday nights you get to hang out a little longer (until 01:00).

You can find this bar mere steps away from Antwerp’s heart, the Groenplaats. You can find it on a map here . 

🍻 Oud Arsenaal  

This bar is worth visiting not only because of its variety of beer offerings but also because of its interior. It showcases lots of vintage beer signs, antique wallpaper, and framed portraits . 

This little bar offers a wide selection of beer options, including over 30 lambic beers. With outdoor seating , it’s a great choice for groups, and they provide free Wi-Fi. 

Oud Arsenaal can be found on the Theaterplein, a charming square where you can find a pretty nice market during the weekends. Find the location on a map here .

It’s open 5 days a week, closed only on Monday and Tuesday . From Wednesdays to Fridays, you can get a beer from 10:00 to 22:00, while during the weekend, you can hop in from 7:30 to 19:30.

Antwerp Beer Festivals

✨ modeste bierfestival (september 30 – october 1, 2024).

The Modeste Beer Festival is held at the historic De Koninck Brewery, a popular spot for beer lovers in Antwerp. The brewery not only serves as a venue for the festival but also provides a unique and authentic setting for visitors to learn about the brewing process and history of Belgian beers.

To enter the festival, there is a nominal fee of 5 euros. However, this includes a degustation glass that you can use to taste all the different beers available. This glass is yours to keep as a souvenir of the event.

The festival offers different kinds of beers from various breweries, with most of them priced at €1,5. Some special or rare beers may cost up to €2,5.

✨ Billie’s Craft Beer Fest (November 10 + 11, 2024)

Billie’s Craft Beer Fest in Antwerp is held at Waagnatie Expo & Events, a large venue that provides the perfect space for craft beer lovers to gather and try out some of the best beers in the world. The festival offers an all-in-one ticket formula.

This ticket includes entry into the festival, a BCBF tasting glass, and unlimited beer tasting. With around 400 different beers available, you will have plenty of beers to try.

Bruges beer tours

✨ BEER PASSION WEEKEND (June 24 – 26, 2024)

Held annually in June at the Groenplaats square, with over 200 different types of beers to try. Local brewers set up their stands and offer samples of their unique brews, giving visitors a chance to experience Belgian beer culture firsthand.

Entrance is free, and every consumption costs €3.

Antwerp Beer Tasting Tips   

📌 Ask Questions and Be Curious: Don’t be shy to chat with the guides and brewmasters. They love talking about beers, brewing, and the history of the brewery!  It’s a great way to learn more and have fun! 

📌 Pace Yourself: Take your time with each beer tasting. Enjoy the flavours, smells, and unique characteristics of each brew. No rush, just maximize the experience! 

📌 Try Different Beer Styles: Antwerp has a wide variety of beers to offer. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new! You might discover some exciting and delicious options! 

📌 Pair Beer with Food: Some tours come with food that perfectly complements the beers. So, try to experiment with how flavours work together! 

📌 Take Notes: If you find a beer you really love, jot down its name or take a quick pic! This way, you won’t forget your favourites, and you can try them again soon! 

view on Antwerp Central Station from one of the best hotels in Antwerp

📌 Socialize and Enjoy the Company: Beer brings people together! Talk to fellow enthusiasts, share your thoughts, and make new friends during the tour. 

📌 Drink Responsibly: It’s all about enjoying the experience, so remember to know your limits when you drink! 

📌 Support Local Breweries: Show some love to the local brewers. Try their beers, buy their cool merch, and support their craft. It’s a win-win for everyone! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is belgium so good at beer .

Belgium’s brewing heritage, high-quality ingredients, skilled craftsmanship, and cultural tradition contribute to its excellence in beer production. 

What is the most expensive beer in Belgium? 

Westvleteren XII is one of the most expensive beers in Belgium due to its limited availability and high demand. A crate (24 bottles of 33cl) costs €52.

Is Belgian beer strong? 

Yes, Belgian beers are known for their strength, often having higher alcohol content compared to beers from other regions. 

Should Belgian beer be refrigerated? 

Refrigeration is suitable for most Belgian ales and lagers, while certain specialty beers only need cellar-like storage. 

Wrapping Up: Antwerp Beer Tour 

Are you ready to go for an Antwerp beer tour? It’s indeed worth the try! 

Which tour do you prefer? Which of the best bars in Antwerp do you want to visit? Let us know in the comments! 

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BELGIUM TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE  

🧳 What to pack when visiting Belgium?

Check out our Ultimate Belgium Packing List and FREE Checklist , where you can find all the information you need before leaving for Belgium!

🛤️ What’s the best way to get around in Belgium?  

The best and most convenient way would be to rent a car. We always use Discover cars , they compare all the rental companies and give you the best rates. Of course, public transportation is also a great option, book your train and bus tickets here , to explore every corner in Belgium.

🖺 Do I need travel insurance in Belgium?  

Yes – Starting at US$45 per month, get the assurance and security you need with a policy from  SafetyWing – a renowned provider of travel insurance.

🚰 Is it ok to drink tap water in Belgium?  

Definitely YES! Unless there’s a sign that it’s not drinkable. While it is safe to drink tap water in Belgium, if you prefer the taste of mineral water, you can easily fill up a LifeStraw Bottle with tap water and take it with you wherever you go.

🎫 Where can I book my Belgium accommodations?  

If you are looking online for accommodations, make your bookings for hotels in Belgium using Booking.com .

🔌 Can I use my electrical devices (such as phone chargers) in Belgium?  

The standard voltage and frequency of power outlets in Belgium are 230V and 50 Hz. If you want to use an appliance that runs on less than 230 volts, you should bring a separate voltage converter with you.

✈️ Can I get a direct flight to Belgium?  

YES – Because Belgium is home to two large international airports, Brussels Airport (BRU) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL). You can check prices and book your flight with WayAway .

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Babs Rodrigus is a travel addict at heart and loves to explore her home country Belgium and the rest of the world – preferably with her wife and kids. She’s all about showing you the most mesmerising spots in this tiny European country and making you see how great it truly is.

When she’s not travelling, Babs loves to read, write, eat chocolate (hey, Belgian remember) and sing Frozen songs with her daughter.

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Lisbon's Best Craft Beers and Where to Find Them

Lisbons craft beer scene has blossomed

Emerging in the 2010s from decades of two-beer domination (Sagres and Super Bock), Lisbon is finally embracing the Hop Revolution. Dois Corvos co-owner and head brewer Scott Steffens gives us the lowdown on the city’s best craft taps.

For most of the 20th century and beyond, Portuguese beer meant Sagres and Super Bock – two industrialised lagers that do little to quench the thirst of more sophisticated beer palettes. By 2014, the taps opened with the arrival of Cerveteca Lisboa , the city’s first craft beer bar, followed a year later by Dois Corvos , Portugal’s best microbrewery and first tap room. With the help of the latter’s co-owner and head brewer Scott Steffens, Culture Trip surveys Lisbon’s distinct, ever-changing cerveja artisanal landscape.

“ Lisbon ‘s scene is unique for two primary reasons – Portuguese breweries have a lot of great barrels to choose from for ageing and developing complex flavours in Port, Moscatel, Abafado and other local barrels,” says Steffens, who brews some of the country’s best and most experimental brews. “The second reason is the atmosphere – it’s so laid-back, and the people that comprise the local beer community are genuine.”

1. Dois Corvos Tap Room

Bar, Craft Ale Bar, Pub, Beer, Pub Grub

1. Dois Corvos Tap Room

The 18-draught tap room at Dois Corvos – Portugal’s most dynamic and experimental microbrewery – started as a humble, neatly makeshift spot to drink the brewery’s fresh, hop-heavy IPAs and barrel-aged stouts and porters. A few years in, it remains unpretentious but has evolved into an artsy, bohemian-leaning hop haven that’s worth the trek to Marvila some five kilometres (three miles) northeast of the city centre. “Dois Corvos was the first tap room in the country, and we opened it in 2015 with the goal of helping to build the fledgling beer community in Lisbon,” says Steffens, who brews with a team of Portuguese, Polish and multinational transient brewers. “It’s where beer lovers and home brewers and the mechanics next door all come to meet for a beer or a quick growler-fill.”

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3. Flor de Lúpulo

Flor de Lupolo

The little craft beer bar that could – Flor de Lúpulo has more taps (10) than seats at their tiny bar just 300m from Arroios metro station. Though the slightly jarring American-diner-style decor and a punk rock soundtrack may not please all palettes, their meticulously curated tap list should. “This is my local hangout run by a wonderful staff,” says Steffens. “A mix of local brews and beers made from faraway places. It’s a local crowd here, away from the tourist centre, with some light meals including vegetarian plates.”

4. Duque Brewpub

Bar, Pub, Craft Ale Bar, Beer, Wine

Lisbon’s debut brewpub sits midway along an atmospheric staircase, perfectly positioned to offer a cold pint to both beer lovers and those simply tired of pounding the city’s up and down pavements. “There’s no better sidewalk in Portugal,” reports Steffens. “I love sitting in their esplanada and watching the crowds walk up and down the wide walkway which connects Bairro Alto above to Rossio below.” Twelve taps deliver Portuguese-only beer, several of which are brewed in-house, and there are good tostas (Portuguese toasted sandwiches) to soak up the hops.

5. Fábrica MUSA

Bar, Craft Ale Bar, Pub, Pub Grub, Beer

5. Fábrica MUSA

This upstart brewery, also located in Marvila (which means it pairs nicely with Dois Corvos on a brewery crawl), specialises in safe, true-to-style beers with clever, rock-and-roll-pun names like Born in the IPA and Mick Lager. The industrial-hip space features two floors and often hosts live music and DJ sets. A second, more food-focused space opened in more central Bica in 2019 with 15 taps and a chef from Michelin-star Feitoria at the stove. Either location is a perfect spot that serves as an easy-drinking gateway between Portugal’s industrialised lagers and its more experimental-driven craft scene.

6. Outro Lado

Bar, Pub, Craft Ale Bar, Beer, Pub Grub

Alfama-adjacent Outro Lado is this storied Moorish quarter ’s one surefire drinking den for connoisseurs of craft, sitting somewhat clandestinely in the back alleys near Sé Cathedral. Here an Egyptian-Polish couple acquired and made over the formerly lackluster LisBeer in 2018, giving it new life with lounge-style furniture and, more importantly, a European- and North American-heavy, 200+ bottle list that sees appearances from breweries unseen elsewhere in town (as well as 15 taps). “This hidden gem has a great, curated tap list with hard to find beers from all over the world, knowledgeable and friendly staff on a quiet corner of a historical neighbourhood,” says Steffens.

7. Chimera Brewpub

7. Chimera Brewpub

American F&B ace Adam Heller, along with his amicable Brazilian sidekick, Raquel Nicoletti, are the glorified homebrewers at Chimera’s cinematic space, set inside the stone-walled 18th-century carriageway that once led horses to the Palácio das Necessidades in Alcântara . American-style bar food such as Reuben sandwiches and kimchi brats are often chased with barrel-aged sours, the ever-popular NAFIPA (Not Another Fucking IPA!) and other evolving concoctions brewed in the basement below (the 12 taps are shared with other Lisbon brews).

8. 8ª Colina Taproom

With a postcard-perfect view of São Jorge Castle from its bar stool-lined window in Graça, Oitava Colina boasts big city drinking views in a small-town space. The brewery is well known for producing one of Portugal’s workhorse IPAs (Urraca Vendaval), and their one-off brews often feature Lisbon-centric themes. International pub grub is served in the intimate space as well – think pulled pork, banh mi sandwiches and the like.

9. Crafty Corner

9. Crafty Corner

True to its name, Crafty Corner occupies a well-positioned corner in Lisbon’s liveliest nightlife district, Cais do Sodré . But unlike the surrounding, tourist-driven watering holes, this beautifully designed loft-style space offers 10 taps dedicated to Portuguese craft only. The Irish owners are longstanding bar hounds in Lisbon, having successfully operated an Irish pub nearby for decades. “Crafty Corner has great service and a Portuguese-only beer selection,” says Steffens. “An unbeatable location and a huge wall of windows that open up, so you feel like you’re hanging out outside.”

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Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar | 2024 PR Brewery Running Series

5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar | 2024 PR Brewery Running Series

Join the 5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar, part of the 2024 PR Brewery Running Series, at the scenic Cocoloba Beach Bar in Borinquen, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Lace up your running shoes and embark on a 5k-ish course that starts and finishes at this amazing taproom. Whether you prefer running, walking, or jogging, this event is suitable for all fitness levels. Take in the beautiful surroundings as you traverse the picturesque routes. As you cross the finish line, reward yourself with a well-deserved craft beer from Cocoloba Beach Bar. Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment accompanied by the refreshing taste of a locally-made brew. Don't miss out on this fun-filled day of running, beer, and good vibes. Gather your friends and mark your calendars for June 1st. This event is part of the 2024 PR Brewery Running Series Season, and participants will receive a craft brew at the finish line, a collector's swag item, and a chance to win exciting prizes. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to local organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico. Registration is limited, so sign up today! Important details: This is an untimed, fun-run, open course event. Participants must adhere to traffic laws and regulations. Please bring a valid ID or driver's license, and remember to drink responsibly. Dogs and strollers are welcome with caution. Check with the brewery for their policies. Keep an eye on your inbox for final event details. Cheers to beers! See you at Cocoloba Beach Bar in Borinquen!

Provided by Nereida | Published Mar 6, 2024

Are you interested in 5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar | 2024 PR Brewery Running Series?

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Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Draft & Vessel owner plans to open a new bar in Walker's Point near his beer garden concept

Draft & Vessel owner Nathaniel Davauer is making plans for a new Walker's Point bar near the corner of South Second Street and West National Avenue, about two blocks away from his beer garden concept that is in the works.

The new bar, at 723 S. Second St., will be similar to other Draft & Vessel bars in the area, with a lineup of craft beer, and a limited selection of wine, draft cocktails and THC drinks.

Whether the new bar will be named or Draft & Vessel or something else has not yet been decided, Davauer told the Journal Sentinel.

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The new spot came along while Davauer was working on his other Walker's Point project, Giving Tree Garage at 902 S. Second St., which will be a craft beer garden where beers are poured out of vintage vehicles with tap lines.

"We were working on the mobile tap truck operation and a building came up for sale about a block away," he said. "It worked out spontaneously in December. It's just really well suited. It's the right scale and right size."

He said he is excited to have another offering in Walker's Point.

"It's a great scene of food operations going on down there, so it's nice to be in a neighborhood like that," he said. "There's no plans for us to have a kitchen, so that will be great with all the different restaurants nearby."

Davauer said he hopes to open both the new bar and the beer garden in May, after a long delay on the beer garden, which he said was due to licensing issues around the unique tap car concept.

He wants both to be fully open and operating for Milwaukee's pride parade in June at the latest. The parade goes down South Second Street past both properties.

Draft and Vessel has two current locations, the original at 4417 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood and 7479 Harwood Ave., Wauwatosa. Its tap beer truck also has seasonal operations at the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Draft & Vessel owner plans to open a new bar in Walker's Point near his beer garden concept

Draft & Vessel's Shorewood location is pictured on April 8, 2020. Owner Nat Davauer plans to open a new bar in Walker's Point this spring.

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    Trip's Beer Excursions. Turnkey Beer travel experiences. Trips that are experiential, educational, and fun. Beer Trip themes that tie in with your latest beer styles. Small group sizes for a more intimate experience. 14-20 people; A Great value; An annual, or even a bi-annual, event opportunity (more trip options available in 2025)

  8. Weekend Trips for the Beer Lover

    Portland, Oregon. Oregon is a major player in the nation's craft beer scene, with almost 200 breweries across the state. There are at least 60 in Portland alone, earning its "beervana" nickname and (unofficial) title as beer capital of the world. Widmer Brothers Brewing was among the first on the scene in 1984. Award-winning Deschutes ...

  9. The 10 Best Places to Drink Craft Beer in Paris

    Le Bouillon Belge. Le Bouillon Belge. This unassuming bar situated in a sleepy stretch of northeastern Paris is one of the neighborhood's best-kept secrets. For beer connoisseurs who appreciate the complexity of a good Belgian-style brew, Le Bouillon Belge is an ideal stop on a craft-beer bar crawl in the capital.

  10. BEER PARK, Las Vegas

    Location and contact. 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S Street Side of Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV 89109-4345. The Strip. 0.1 miles from The Strip. Website. Email. +1 702-444-4500.

  11. Beer Trips Full Trip List

    The Great Beers of Belgium with Brassigaume Festival. November 7 - 19, 2024 | $3499. Barcelona! Tapas, History & Craft Beer in Catalonia. December 29, 2024 - January 5, 2025 | $2,899.

  12. The Beer Mapping Project

    Beer Routes. Or if you want to plan a door to door trip, you can get started creating a Beer Route. Beer Routes

  13. Brewtopia Beer Trips

    INSIDER NEW ORLEANS BEER & FOOD TOUR - February 21-25, 2024 - SOLD OUT. $1795 per person (double occupancy) - add $399 for a single room. Experience the best of the city's breweries, pubs and food! Owen has visited New Orleans almost 50 times and knows all the best spots and hidden gems!

  14. 11 Great Places for Craft Beer in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona

    The Whining Pig is part of a small local Phoenix area chain of craft beer & wine bars. In addition to a huge beer selection, they also serve grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as meat & cheese plates. Address: 201 E Washington St #104, Phoenix, AZ 85004 . What are your favorite places for craft beer in downtown Phoenix?

  15. The World's Top 10 Beer Destinations for 2024

    10. Johannesburg, South Africa Credit: Mad Giant Brewery / Simon Hurry. Defined by decades of mass production, craft brewing in South Africa is still relatively nascent, with the first craft ...

  16. Belgian Beer: 11 Best Craft Beer Bars & Experiences in Brussels

    Brussels has a great Belgian beer scene with a whole host of quirky beers bars and beer experiences on offer. Read on to discover the 11 best craft beer bars and experiences in Brussels: 1. Moeder Lambic. Moeder Lambic has two popular craft beer bars in Brussels; the Original and Fontainas. Both are highly rated and offer a huge selection of ...

  17. BEER BAR, Salt Lake City

    49 reviews #226 of 754 Restaurants in Salt Lake City $$ - $$$ American Bar Pub. 161 E 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1508 +1 801-355-2287 Website. Open now : 12:00 PM - 02:00 AM. Improve this listing. See all (7)

  18. Best Breweries and Bars to Visit in Belgium • Hop Culture

    The beer bar that no one could pronounce became a common conversation topic. ... This is rustic beer at its best, making the trip to Tourpes in Western Hainaut, Belgium, a treat. Learn more. Brasserie à Vapeur. Rue du Maréchal 1, 7904 Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium | +3269662047.

  19. 5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips

    Road Trip ProTip. To safely explore San Diego's craft beer scene, book a ride on the Brew Hop Tour — a five-hour custom guided Connoisseur Tour that make stops at three to four breweries, includes beer samples, brewery tours, and luxury transportation with a driver for $169 per person.

  20. The Best 10 Beer Bar near The Strip, Las Vegas, NV

    Best Beer Bar in The Strip, Las Vegas, NV - Beer Park, Beerhaus, Beer Zombies Draft Room and Bottle Shop, The Silver Stamp, BrewDog-Las Vegas, Flight, Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas, Taps & Barrels, Servehzah Bottle Shop and Tap Room, Drinkd.

  21. Everything You Need to Plan Your Belgium Beercation

    Planning a beer trip to Belgium can be overwhelming. Here are our favorite places to visit in Antwerp, Brussels, and Poperinge! ... From modern bars like Moeder Lambic to preserved public houses ...

  22. 3x Fun on an Antwerp Beer Tour (2024): The Best Tours, Bars and Beer

    The bar is open from 16:00 to 00:00 every day except Tuesdays. During the weekend, Billie's Beer Bar opens a bit earlier (at 14:00) and on Friday and Saturday nights you get to hang out a little longer (until 01:00). You can find this bar mere steps away from Antwerp's heart, the Groenplaats. You can find it on a map here.

  23. Lisbon's Best Craft Beers and Where to Find Them

    By 2014, the taps opened with the arrival of Cerveteca Lisboa, the city's first craft beer bar, followed a year later by Dois Corvos, Portugal's best microbrewery and first tap room. With the help of the latter's co-owner and head brewer Scott Steffens, Culture Trip surveys Lisbon's distinct, ever-changing cerveja artisanal landscape.

  24. 5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar

    Searching for information and tickets regarding 5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar | 2024 PR Brewery Running Series taking place in Aguadilla on Jun 1, 2024 (UTC-4)? Trip.com has you covered. Check the dates, itineraries, and other information about 5k Beer Run x Cocoloba Beach Bar | 2024 PR Brewery Running Series now! Trip.com has also prepared more similar exciting activities and discounted ...

  25. Beer Routes

    Find beer or brewery locations along your path where you can try good beer. Please make sure you have a Designated Driver. ... Beer Bar Beer Store ... Adjust Route. × Save Beer Route. Add details and save this Beer Trip with any waypoints to your account. If you were logged in, you could save your Beer Route. NOTE: copy the url before creating ...

  26. Draft & Vessel owner plans to open a new bar in Walker's Point ...

    Draft & Vessel owner Nathaniel Davauer is making plans for a new Walker's Point bar near the corner of South Second Street and West National Avenue, about two blocks away from his beer garden ...