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New month of booze units from tomorrow and I have decided that the week ahead is Belgium Week 
cos a) have a fair bit of Belgium beer knocking about b) Belgium is responsible for what is now a life long love of beer and c) I also have a fair bit of cheese and charcuterie in!
cos a) have a fair bit of Belgium beer knocking about b) Belgium is responsible for what is now a life long love of beer and c) I also have a fair bit of cheese and charcuterie in!
This is from May 2015 on my first trip to Bruges where I had a list of places to visit thanks to @jsdurkin @andersfehon and so I trundled off to ‘t Brugs Beertje and happened to pick @dedollebrouwers Dulle Teve, one of my now all time favourite tipples.
First lunch in Bruges meant reaching for something I was familiar with which was this bananary sweet tipple. I still love it and thank @andersfehon for making me try it @BeerEmporium in Bristol - followed by an Oerbier which I wasn’t mentally ready for at the time!
And although I mainly started on the blondes and triples, I did eventually get into the darker Belgium beers. I’m a big fan of the westmalle dubbel now but I wouldn’t have got there without this obsession I still have of wanting to try it all!
This, was a mistake of gargantuan proportions ha ha. I just found it too sweet BUT I know so many people who love the Mongozo Coconut and actually, with a curry it is fab. As I said, I’ll try it all.
A trip to Bruges oldest pub Cafe Vlissinghe was also a chance to meet Freddie the jack russell. Loved the house beer which led me to @fortlapinbier who brewed it. Plus, awesome quiche, chocolate pudding. Outside toilet is a bit niche but hey, you’re pissed so you don’t care!
Bruges was the first place I tried the Orval. I struggled at first but within a year I found it a wonderful transitionary beer for getting into sours. I love it now.
Visited @dehalvemaan brewery, did the tour, drank a lot of the Bruges Zot and really enjoyed this wild Straffe Hendrik. Went back again a few years later and still adore the history of this brewery.
Finally on @jsdurkin recommendation, we searched and finally found Cafe De Garre. Found the triple of triples. What a place. Have been back so many times since and stay until Ravel’s Bolero plays to tell you they are closing for the night. Cannot wait to return.
So, this was my first Bruges trip and first big dive into Belgium beer and it absolutely lit a fire that took me to so many more places and educated me in different styles. I miss it so much. But, not bad for a first trip, eh?!
I should also add that these two books were amazing companions on all my trips. This and recommendations I found online from the sadly departed Michael Jackson.
So, trip two was October 2015. We drove over but did get a day trip to Ypres (beautiful) and briefly over to Lille in France (to pick up @andersfehon) but most evenings were spent in lovely Bruges where we went to the ‘tZwart huis. Always love that place. Back on the zot here.
where we went to the ‘tZwart huis. Always love that place. Back on the zot here.
Back into ‘t Bruges tbeertje because how could you not? Cannot wait to explore their beer menu again.
And I think most of you will recognise this chap. I last saw him in November 2019 at his new day cafe Huis de Cluuse. Pouring my favourite @dedollebrouwers triple again here.
But how many of you lucky folk got to try this house beer that @dedollebrouwers made for ‘t Brugs tbeertje? I was lucky to have it both in the May and October and loved it. Wish I’d bought some to take home!
Becoming acquainted with the massive beer supermarkets - where I purchased three crates (of mainly randos to try) but in those random bottles was the humble hommel bier (love it), lots of triples and a Winter Koninck which I really liked and never found again.
Got over to the cafe at monk central Westvleteren and I finally tried the 6/8/12 and you can see i’m getting a full flavour profile education by @andersfehon here. But little did we know, things are about to go up a notch...
Because we pop into @struise and I’m still in my beer infancy here so I pick up a load of their bottles, the wit, the blonde, the wonderful Tjeeses but their taps are stocking some seriously boozy stuff.
The chap on the right is one of the owners of @struise and I don’t know this at the time but I end up meeting him again in @caferosered in 2018 and I twigged that I’d seen him before. But the beer that gets poured here is insane.
The most intensely boozy beer I had ever tried up until this point (in fact I’m not sure I’ve beaten it!) In the words of @andersfehon “this is amazing but it’s too much!” It’s 2pm or something and we are absolutely pickled.
But of course we don’t stop there, it’s a trip over to @dedollebrouwers next where I meet Kris - I adore this place and feel so lucky to have been more than once. A happy, warming place.
Where we meet up with Louis and Louis who my pals met on their previous visit and who have since popped over to the uk to see the Bristol craft beer festival. Also, brilliant contacts to have when you want a box of Stille Nacht at Christmas!
And we end the day at my second visit to @caferosered (now one of my favourite spots in Bruges) where we do a vertical tasting of the Orval. Well, I say we, but as you can see I’m proper boozed out so back on the Zot!
Third trip to lovely Bruges was March 2016. I love this little family run hotel Ter Bruge, always had a great experience there. Always stay very central so that I can have a mid-afternoon nap 
On this trip we discovered @trappistebrugge which I believe is run by a couple of British chaps. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric bar and great for paddles when you’re still in the height of exploring EVERYTHING.
Such as... the St Feuillien Blonde, the Brugges triple winter, Troubador Magma, straffe hendrick quad, and amazingly @drinkmoorbeer Fusion old ale. A gentle way to start the afternoon 
And we then popped along to @caferosered for a lovely selection of beer. I do think this is my favourite spot to day time drink in Bruges these days. Here we have the Redor Pils, Avec Les Bon Vœux (a fave), @struise black damnation blackberry Albert (insane!) & Steenulike.
Also had the Deus - which I bloody love but I know it’s not for everybody. Gets you a little pickled though 
Back in @trappistebrugge the next day and still working my way through the Huyghe brewery selection as you can see. I know that they are huge but I still like them and will always keep trying new brews!
Back to Herberg Vlissinghe for quiche and cake and the wonderful house beer. The atmosphere in this place is always so lovely and sitting at long tables, squished together, means inevitable conversation with other travellers and beer lovers, swapping notes and recommendations.
Another evening pit stop in Le Trappiste and I’m definitely coping with the sours a little more now as this slightly sour Orval 2016 is a “luverley drop gud 4 pryce” as the Supermarket Craft Beer Forum would say.
Back to De Garre for the end of this trip where I would have undoubtedly had a couple of the house beers, a Kossaat, and this which I thought was quite similar to the westmalle dubbel. Third trip complete.
May 2016 now and as part of a wider trip (seven countries in seven days) with my friends, we did a pit stop in Brussels on the way home where I got to visit #cantillon for the first time. Excuse the really shit photo! I bought a starter pack :)
Prior to the trip, I’d been swotting up @Readingbeerfest and picked up the Good Beer Guide for Belgium which is my beer bible! I’m enjoying a good planning my beers session here
After Brussels we still ended up back in Bruges 
because you know, it was an absolute obsession. Stayed at the hostel / hotel that is the Grand Passage - was lovely actually and the food is always decent there. On the Carolus here.
because you know, it was an absolute obsession. Stayed at the hostel / hotel that is the Grand Passage - was lovely actually and the food is always decent there. On the Carolus here.
And then of course it was back to De Garre for the final beers of the trip. The drive back the next day was LONG and I had the holiday blues for about a week after!
September 2016 and it’s a road trip to Belgium this time in a VW transporter with @bpme @andersfehon @jsdurkin and Brother Jason (who’s sat behind me). True Story: like true Alan Partridge’s we listened to the James Bond theme tunes compilation on the drive out. What wankers!
A nice gentle start to the first evening at Ribs and Beer and a Chimay Cinq Cents - the boys are planning for an evening of geuze and hoping to find @3Fonteinen golden blend
They found the Golden Blend and will now die happy.
I’m in my infancy with sours and lambics here but the next day we head back to Brussels and Cantillon where I have an afternoon trying loads of them and then immediately need some Gaviscon!
This time at Cantillon we have a bit more time, so we do the tour and it was very enjoyable. And I have my first glass of lambic bio at the end of the tour.
Having a good old nose about here 
I don’t know it yet, but this beer in particular will be one of my favourites in the future. And something else I will come to cherish is simply being sat in Cantillon with a slab of Comte and these wonderfully crafted beers in the heart of Brussels.
I remember @bpme (designated driver on this occasion and actually, the whole trip!) being absolutely knackered and nearly nodding off in here while we all sat around him boozing - how cruel!
Back in little bear and debriefing for the evening. The following day we go to the beer supermarkets again and load up.
Bought a few bottles.
