Beer in Belgium includespale ales,lambics,Flemish red ales, sourbrown ales,strong ales andstouts. In 2018, there were 304 breweries in Belgium,[1][2][3] including international companies, such asAB InBev, and traditional breweries, such asTrappist monasteries.[4] On average, Belgians drink 68 litres of beer each year,[1] down from around 200 each year in 1900.[5] Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every beer has its own branded, sometimes uniquely shaped, glass.[6] In 2016,UNESCO inscribedBelgian beer culture on theirlist of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.[7][8]
In Belgium, beer was already produced in the Roman era, as evidenced by the excavation of a brewery and malthouse from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD atRonchinne.[9] During the Early and High Middle Ages, beer was produced withgruit, a mix of herbs and spices that was first mentioned in 974 when the bishop ofLiège was granted the right to sell it atFosses-la-Ville. From the 14th century onwards, gruit was replaced byhops, after the example of imported beers from northernGermany andHolland. After that, several Belgian towns developed their own types of beer for export to other regions, most notably thewhite beer ofLeuven andHoegaarden, thecaves ofLier and theuitzet ofGhent.
Monasteries played only a small role in beer production and mostly brewed for their own consumption and that of their guests. Monastic brewing would only receive some renown from the late 19th century onwards, when theTrappists ofChimay produced a brown beer that was commercially available.
In 1885, a change in legislation made brewing of German-style bottom-fermenting beers viable in Belgium, and it was only from then that large industrial-scale brewing in Belgium took off.[10] During the 20th century the number of breweries in Belgium declined from 3223 breweries in 1900 to only 106 breweries in 1993.[11] Yet, a number of traditional beer styles, such as white beer,lambic andFlemish old brown were preserved, while new local, top-fermented styles developed, such asspéciale belge,abbey beer andBelgian strong ale. In 1988, the country's two biggest breweries,Artois andPiedboeuf, formally merged to becomeInterbrew, then the world's 18th biggest brewer, which was to merge with AmBev in 2004 to become today'sAB InBev, the biggest beer producing company in the world.[12]
In Belgium, four types offermentation methods are used[13] for thebrewing of beer, which is unique in the world. However, for good understanding of labels of Belgian beer and reference works about Belgian beer often use different terms for the fermentation methods based on archaic or traditional jargon:
Belgian beers have a range of colours, brewing methods, and alcohol levels.
Beers brewed inTrappist monasteries are termed Trappist beers. For a beer to qualify for Trappist certification, the brewery must be in a monastery, the monks must play a role in its production and the policies and the profits from the sale must be used to support the monastery or social programs outside. Only ten monasteries currently meet these qualifications, five of which are in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Austria, one in Italy and one in the United Kingdom.[14] Trappist beer is acontrolled term of origin: it tells where the beers come from, it is not the name of a beer style. Beyond their being mostly warm fermented, Trappist beers have very little in common stylistically.
The current Belgian Trappist producers are:
In addition to the above, a lower-strength beer is sometimes brewed for consumption by the brothers (patersbier) or sold on site.
The designation "abbey beers" (Bières d'Abbaye orAbdijbier) originally applied to any monastic or monastic-style beer. After introduction of an officialTrappist beer designation by the International Trappist Association in 1997, it came to mean products similar in style or presentation to monastic beers.[16]In other words, an Abbey beer may be:
In 1999, the Union of Belgian Brewers introduced a "Certified Belgian Abbey Beer [nl;fr]" (Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier) logo[17]to indicate beers brewed under license to an existing or abandoned abbey,[18]as opposed to other abbey-branded beers which the trade markets using other implied religious connections, such as a local saint.[19][20] The requirements for registration under the logo include the monastery having control over certain aspects of the commercial operation, and a proportion of profits going to the abbey or to its designated charities. Monastic orders other than the Trappists can be and are included in this arrangement.The "Abbey beer" logo and quality label is no longer used for beers given the name of a fictitious abbey, a vaguely monastic branding or a saint name without mentioning a specific monastery. Some brewers may produce abbey-style beers such as dubbel or tripel, using such names but will refrain from using the term Abbey beer in their branding.
What connoisseurs now recognize asTrappist breweries began operations in 1838. Several monasteries, however, maintained "working" breweries for 500+ years before theFrench regime disrupted religious life (1795–1799). Even then, some Abbey beers such asAffligem Abbey,[20] whose name now appears on beers made by theHeineken-ownedAffligem Brewery,[21] resumed brewing from "working" monasteries until the occupation of most of Belgium inWorld War I. Commercial Abbey beers first appeared during Belgium's World War I recovery.
Although Abbey beers do not conform to rigid brewing styles, most tend to include the most recognizable and distinctiveTrappist styles of brune (Belgianbrown ale, akadubbel),strong pale ale ortripel, andblonde ale or blond.[16][20] Modern abbey breweries range frommicrobreweries to international giants, but at least one beer writer warns against assuming that closeness of connection with a real monastery confirms a product's quality.[22]
As of 2011[update], 18 certified Abbey beers[23] existed:
Other non-certified Abbey beers include:-
This style makes up the bulk of beer production and consumption in Belgium. BelgianPilsners are not particularly distinctive or renowned by connoisseurs.[27][28][29] The top brands include Jupiler (within Belgium) and Stella Artois (both brewed byInbev), Maes pils and Cristal (both brewed by theAlken Maes branch ofHeineken). Stella Artois, originating in Belgium, is distributed globally.[citation needed]
The Pilsnerbeer is which is popularly called "pintje" (in Flemish, from English "pint" but in volume only 0.25 cl or roughly 1/2 pint) or "choppe" (in French) in Belgium, was the basis of the "fluitjesbier" distributed during the German occupation in WWII and under rationing. This "fluitjesbier" was watered down to about 0.8° (compared to fruitjuice which can have up to 1.5° due to natural fermentation).[30]
Bock is a strong lager ofGerman origin. Some Belgian brewers have produced bock-style beers what makes it a style applicable to Belgium.[citation needed]
This type of beer, commonly calledwitbier in Dutch,bière blanche in French andwheat beer in English, originated in the Flemish part of Belgium in the Middle Ages. Traditionally, it is made with a mixture of wheat and barley. Beforehops became widely available in Europe, beers were flavoured with a mixture of herbs calledgruit. In the later years of the Middle Ages, hops were added to the gruit. That mixture continues today in most Belgian white beers.
The production of this type of beer in Belgium had nearly ended by the late 1950s. In the town ofHoegaarden, the lastwitbier brewery, Tomsin, closed its doors in 1955. However, ten years later, a young farmer by the name ofPierre Celis in the same village decided to try reviving the beer. In 1966, Celis began brewing a "witbier" in his farmhouse. Ultimately, his beer took the name of the village and became very successful and famous.[citation needed]
Some notable current examples are Celis White, Blanche de Namur and Watou's Wit. Their alcohol strength is about 5–6 percent ABV, and these beers can be quite refreshing, especially during the warm summer months. The herb mixture traditionally includes coriander and bitter orange peel,[31] among other herbs. White beers also have a moderate light grain sweetness from the wheat used. In recent times, brewers have been making fruit flavoured wheat beers.
These are a light variation onpale ale, often made withpilsnermalt.[22] Some beer writers regard blonde and golden ales as distinct styles, while others do not.Duvel is the archetypal Belgian blonde ale, and one of the most popular bottled beers in the country[32] as well as being well known internationally.[33] Its name means "Devil" and some other blonde beers follow the theme—Satan, Lucifer and Judas for example. The style is popular with Walloon brewers, the slightly hazy Moinette being the best-known example. Chouffe can be considered a spiced version (with coriander).
A few Belgian beers are pale and assertively hopped.De Ranke [nl]'sXX Bitter [nl] has a British-style name. Arabier from De Dolle Brouwers.Brouwerij Van Eecke [nl]'sPoperings Hommelbier [nl], another example, hails from Belgium's hop-growing district.
Lambic is awheat beer brewed in thePajottenland region of Belgium (southwest ofBrussels) by spontaneous fermentation.[34] Most modern beers arefermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer'syeasts; Lambic's fermentation, however, is produced by exposure to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to theZenne valley, in which Brussels lies. The beer then undergoes a long aging period ranging from three to six months (considered "young") to two or three years for mature. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry,vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.[35]
From Lambic four kinds of beer are produced: Lambic,Gueuze,Fruit Lambic, andFaro.
These are beers similar to the traditionalpale ales of England, although less bitterly hopped.[36] A notable example is the 5% ABVDe Koninck brand, with its distinctive half-spherical glasses (called 'bollekes'). It is popular in its native city ofAntwerp. Another isPalm Speciale. Some, such asVieux Temps [nl], were based on British styles to please troops stationed in Belgium during World War I.[37] Others were introduced by the UK-born brewer George Maw Johnson in the late 19th century.[36] A very strongambrée is brewed by "Bush" (Dubuisson), another brewery influenced by British styles.
Walloon amber orambrée ale, such aGauloise Ambrée [nl], is considered to be somewhat distinct by some beer writers, and to be influenced by theFrench version of theambrée style.[38]
Tripel is a term used originally by brewers in theLow Countries to describe astrong pale ale, and became associated withWestmalle Tripel.[39] The style of Westmalle'sTripel and the name was widely copied by the breweries of Belgium,[40] then the term spread to the US and other countries.[41]Gulden Draak was awarded the best-tasting beer in the world in 1998 by theAmerican Tasting Institute (nowChefsBest).[42][43]
Dubbel (double) has a characteristic brown colour. It is one of the classic Abbey/Trappist types, having been developed in the 19th century at the Trappist monastery in Westmalle. Today, some commercial brewers using abbey names call their strong brown beers "Dubbel". Typically, a dubbel is between 6 and 8% abv. In addition to the dubbels made by most Trappist breweries, examples includeSt. Bernardus Pater,Adelardus Dubbel,Maredsous 8 andWitkap Dubbel.
Dubbels are characteristicallybottle conditioned.
Typified byRodenbach, the eponymous brand that started this type over a century ago, this beer's distinguishing features from a technical viewpoint are a specially roasted malt, fermentation by a mixture of several 'ordinary' top-fermenting yeasts and a lactobacillus culture (the same type of bacteria yoghurt is made with) and maturation in oak. The result is a mildly strong 'drinking' beer with a deep reddish-brown colour and a distinctly acidic, sour yet fruity and mouthy taste. This style is closely related toOud bruin.
This style, aged in wooden casks, is a cousin to the sour "Flemish Red" style. Examples include Rodenbach, Goudenband and Petrus.
Regular bruin or brune beers such asGrottenbier [nl] are darker than amber ales, less sour thanFlemish brown ale, and less strong thandubbel.
These sweet, heavy-bodied brown ales represent a style which originated in the British Isles. The Caledonian theme is usually heavily emphasized with tartan and thistles appearing on labels. Examples include Gordon's, Scotch de Silly and La Chouffe Mc Chouffe.
Belgianstouts subdivide into sweeter and drier, and stronger and weaker versions.Examples include Callewaerts and Ellezelloise Hercule. The sweeter versions resemble the almost-defunct British style "milk stout", while the stronger ones are sometimes described asImperial stouts.[44]
Champagne style beers are generally ales that are finished "à la méthode originale" for champagne. Examples include Grottenbier,DeuS andMalheur Bière Brut [nl]. They receive a second fermentation much likeChampagne does and are stored for several months "sûr lie" while the fermentation lasts. This creates the smaller, softer bubbles that we know from Champagne, but maintains the beer flavour and style.
In Belgium "Grand Cru" is more often used than "Quadrupel", these beers are a mostly a blend of brews, which is often refermented as a blend.
Saison (French for "season") is the name originally given to refreshing, low-alcohol beers brewed seasonally inWallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. First seen in early 19th centuryLiège, saisons gained notoriety as a luxury beer in 20th centuryHainaut brewed by city and countryside brewers alike. By the 1980s, they were only produced on the countryside. Modern-day saisons are also brewed in other countries, particularly USA, and are generallybottle conditioned, with an average range of 5 to 8% ABV,[45] though saisons at the more traditional 3.5% strength can still be found.
Although saison has been described as an endangered style,[46] there has been a rise in interest in this style in recent years, withSaison Dupont being named "the Best Beer in the World" by the magazineMen's Journal in July 2005.[47]
A related style known as agrisette was brewed with a lower ABV and with wheat added.
Many breweries produce special beers during December. Most contain more alcohol than the brewery's other types of beer and may also contain spicing. An annual beer festival inEssen near Antwerp focuses on this type of beer with over 190 beers available for tasting in 2014.[48]
Some brewers that are not Lambic-brewers make fruit beers in a similar process as the Fruit Lambic beers.
All brewers of this style make fruit lambic. Many brewers of top fermentation beers such as Belgian golden ales, ambers and Flemish old brown beers, that produce beers that usually go through a multiple stage fermentation process, are catching on to the trend to make fruit beers. The process starts after the first fermentation of thewort, when sometimes sugar is added to referment the beer on wooden casks. To make fruit beer the fruit, juice or syrup is added (instead of sugar) to the first brew and refermented, these may be termed fruit lambics or fruit beers, depending on the type of first brew.[49]
Beer that has fruit syrup or fruit lemonade added after (the final stage of) fermentation, in other words as a flavouring, are termed "Radlers" ("Shandy" in the UK) definitely not fruit beer.
Beers above 7%, such astripels or strongdubbels, are referred to in some sources as Belgianstrong ale,[50] although this is not a name used by Belgian brewers.[51]
Table beer (tafelbier, bière de table) is a low-alcohol (typically not over 1.5%) brew sold in large bottles to be enjoyed with meals. It has gradually lost popularity due to the growing consumption ofsoft drinks and bottledwater. It comes in blonde or brown versions. Table beer used to be served in school refectories until the 1980s; in the early 21st century, several organizations made proposals to reinstate this custom as table beer is considered more healthy than soft drinks. Some bars serve a glass of draft lager with a small amount of table beer added, to take away the fizziness and act as a sweetener, in Limburg it is referred to as a "half om".[52][53]
These include[54]
Belgian "special" beers (stronger or bottled beers) are often served in elaborate brandedbeer glassware. Unless the bar is out of the specific glass that goes with that beer it is more often than not served in its own glass. Most bartenders or waitresses will apologize if the beer comes in a different glass.
One of the more common types is the tulip glass.A tulip glass not only helps trap the aroma, but also aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation. The body is bulbous, but the top flares out to form a lip which helps head retention.
A vessel similar to achampagne flute is the preferred serving vessel for Belgianlambics andfruit beers. The narrow shape helps maintain carbonation, while providing a strong aromatic front. Flute glasses display the lively carbonation, sparkling colour, and soft lacing of this distinct style.
Chalices andgoblets are large, stemmed, bowl-shaped glasses mainly associated with Trappist and Abbey ales. The distinction between goblet and chalice is typically in the glass thickness. Goblets tend to be more delicate and thin, while the chalice is heavy and thick walled. Some chalices are even etched on the bottom to nucleate a stream of bubbles for maintaining a nice head.[citation needed]
In addition to the profusion of glasses provided by brewers, some Belgian beer cafés serve beer in their own "house" glassware. An example isLa Lunette inBrussels.[60]
![Gilladeken [nl], a Spéciale belge [nl] with bottle and glass](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGilladebier.JPG)
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The majority of Belgian beer brands are sold in bottles.[citation needed]Draught beers tend mostly to bepale lagers, wheat beers, regional favourites such askriek in Brussels orDe Koninck in Antwerp; and the occasional one-off.[citation needed] Customers who purchase a bottled beer (often called a "special" beer) can expect the beers to be served ceremoniously, often with a free snack.[citation needed]
These days, Belgian beers are sold in brown- (or sometimes dark green-) tinted glass bottles (to avoid negative effects of light on the beverage) and sealed with acork, a metalcrown cap, or sometimes both. Some beers arebottle conditioned, meaning reseeded withyeast so that an additionalfermentation may take place. Different bottle sizes exist: 25 cl, 33 cl, 37.5 cl, 75 cl and multiples of 75. (8, 12, 24 or multiples of 24fl. oz.) The 37.5 cl size is usually for lambics. Other beers are generally bottled in 25 or 33 cl format (depending on brands). The bigger bottles (75 cl) are sold almost in every food shop but customers do not always have an extensive choice. Bottles larger than 75 cl are named following the terminology used forchampagne and are limited in quantity. In Belgian cafés, when someone orders ademi (English: "half"), he receives a 50 cl (half litre) glass (with beer from the tap, or from 2 bottles of 25 cl).[citation needed]
Virtually every Belgian beer has a branded glass imprinted with a logo or name.
Belgium contains thousands of cafés that offer a wide selection of beers, ranging from perhaps 10 (including bottles) in a neighborhood café, to over 1000 in a specialist beer café. Among the most famous are "Beer Circus," "Chez Moeder Lambic," and "Delirium Café" inBrussels; "Billie's Bier Kafétaria", "de Kulminator" and "Oud Arsenaal" inAntwerp, "Barnabeer" inNamur, "De Garre" and "'t Brugs Beertje" inBruges, "Het Botteltje" inOstend, "Het Hemelrijk" inHasselt, "Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant", "De Dulle Griet" and "Trappistenhuis" inGhent, "De Blauwe Kater" inLeuven, the Vaudrées inLiège and the "Stillen Genieter" inMechelen. Although many major brands of beer are available at most supermarkets, off-licences located throughout the country generally offer a far wider selection, albeit at somewhat higher prices.
Belgium exports almost 80% of its beer.[61][62] Some draught-beer brands produced byAB InBev –Stella Artois,Hoegaarden andLeffe – are available in several European countries. Aside from these, mostly bottled beer is exported across Europe. Cafés, exclusively or primarily offering Belgian beers, exist beyond Belgium in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, amongst others. Some beer festivals outside Belgium have a Belgian beer bar as an alternative to local products. In North America, a growing number of draught Belgian beer brands have started to become available, often at "Belgian Bars". Such brands includeBrasserie Brunehaut, Karmeliet, Kwak,Maredsous, Mont Saint-Aubert, Delirium,Palm,Rodenbach and St. Feuillien.[63]
Belgium has a number ofbeer festivals including:
A number of traditionalBelgian dishes use beer as an ingredient. One iscarbonade (French) orstoverij orstoofvlees (Dutch), a stew of beef cooked in beer, similar toBoeuf bourguignon. The beer used is typically the regional speciality—lambic in Brussels,De Koninck in Antwerp, and so on—so that the taste of the dish varies. Another is rabbit ingueuze.In't Spinnekopke, Brussels, andDen Dyver,Bruges are famed for their beer cookery. In 1998Anheuser-Busch InBev started a worldwide chain of bars/restaurants,Belgian Beer Cafe, serving typical Belgian dishes combined with Belgian Beer.
The varied nature of Belgian beers makes it possible to match them against each course of a meal, for instance:
Beer Passion is a magazine, which also organizes a beer festival.[67]"Zythos" is the name of the main consumer's organization, successor to the earlier OBP (Objectieve Bierproevers).[68]The Belgian Brewers' Association[69] represents breweries. It organizes beer festivals and an open breweries day.The Knighthood of the Mashstaff honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to brewing, and pays tribute toGambrinus andSaint Arnold.[70]
Beer writers who have written extensively on Belgian beer include BelgiansPeter Crombeq, Gert van Lierde and Erik Verdonck, and BritonsMichael Jackson and Tim Webb.
On 1 December 2016, in the eleventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, as an appreciation towards the beer culture in Belgium, it was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The following list contains beers that are brewed in Belgium. Not to be confused with "Belgian style" beers that are produced in other countries, and may or may not resemble a style that is specific to Belgium.
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