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Belgian Drinks
Beer is without a doubt the most popular drink in Belgium. It comes in various colours and tastes. There's the sparkling Geuze, also called the champagne of Brussels, Faro with its sweet taste of caramel, Kriek as Belgium's most popular fruit beer and Red beer, which is more acidic and sour than other kinds. Especially famous are the so-called Trappist beers, produced by monks in their monasteries according to formulas dating back to the 11th Century. Jenever is an example of the stronger Belgian alcohols. It’s a Flemish version of gin produced around Hasselt, in the Flemish province of Limburg.
The name of this traditional Belgian wheat beer, also called Witbier or Bière Blanche, comes from its bright, straw-like, colour. The best-known white beer comes from Hoegaarden, a little town lying in a wheat-growing region between Brussels and...
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Lambic is an internationally famous draft beer that is originally made from non-malted wheat and naturally fermented by wild yeast. Coming from the Brussels area, it is the oldest style of beer in the world. Its name derives from the small town of...
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Gueuze is made by blending two Lambic beers, a young and an old one. Afterwards the mixture is put through another round of fermentation, thanks to the leftovers of fermentable sugar from the young Lambic. Because of the second fermentation, Gueuze...
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Faro is another variety of typical Belgian Lambic, which has a distinctive sweet taste of caramel that comes with the addition of brown sugar. This beer undergoes three years of fermentation and is originally sold draught, not bottled. Originating...
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Kriek, Belgium’s most popular fruit beer was originally known as 'Schaarbeekse krieken'. Its name derives from a rare Belgian sour cherry variety, which can be found only in the Brussels area. It is produced in the process of further fermentation of...
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Traditional Oud Bruin beer is also known as Flanders Brown, which comes from its place of origin. The name, literally meaning ‘old brown’, refers to its long maturation time. Even after the second fermentation is completed, it is left in the bottles...
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This typically Belgian sort of beer gets its name and colour from red barley, which is also responsible for the light fruity taste. Traditionally maturing in oak barrels, it is more acidic and sour than traditional brown beers. The most popular red...
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The name Enkel, which means ‘single’, originally referrs to the weakest of the well-known Trappist beers, produced by an abbey in Belgium. It is ever-present on all beer festivals that are held throughout the country. The best known breweries...
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