Beer in Belgium

I've never seen licorice flavored beer in Belgium. That may have been just a temporary novelty.

What do you mean by "different flavored?" One of the joys of beer in Belgium is that nearly every beer has a unique flavor. But if you meant "different flavored" by flavors we don't often associate with beer in North America, look for a "lambic". These are naturally sour beers balanced with fruit flavors, like cherry ("kriek"), raspberry ("frambozen"), peach or pear. Hoegaarden also makes some refreshing lemon and raspberry beers based on their popular witbier, but I've only seen these in supermarkets. Most decent restaurants have at least one or two lambics on the menu.

It must be Kriek you're talking about and Kriek should come with an Aspirin right away. ;-) A really good, smooth blonde ale is Grimbergen followed by the more popular (less exclusive yet still good) Leffé Blonde (both are available as brown ale as well)...

The best way to find different flavoured beer in Belgium is to go into any establishment selling beer and ask what they have. Often the smaller, local places have the most interesting beers.

You should have no trouble finding interesting stuff.

'De Hopduvel' must be the Ghent Beer Walhalla ;-) with over 700 Belgian beers.
http://www.dehopduvel.be/engels/index.html

I'm not sure Belgium is your "go to" European destination if you're interested in "flavored" beers.

Maybe you should cross the border first, to try the imports Trader Joe's has to offer?

IMO,... Lambic is fruit pop. The red fruit additive is there to obscure the distractingly vinegary taste that top-fermented "grog" can have.

Since those Medieval times, the monks have gotten better at creating a more balanced, fermented brew.

Here in California, the local wholesaler/purveyors can get anything I've tasted while on vacation.

Ask your nearest distributor to find something for you. It's a lot cheaper than a brewery tour across the pond.

Bill,

Across the border we also have foreign beer imports. I have indeed tried them.

Thank you for your input.

On the whole, Bill's suggestion of trying some imports is generally a good one. Find a local store that has a good selection (I happen to live 10 minutes away from one here in Seattle) and separates by region. That will give you a good idea of where to look once you're in Europe.

I suspect you might not be able to stream through Hulu from Canada, so I quickly looked up the Belgium episode. He says the brewery in Bruges is called Strofehedrick (spelling?).

Oh, MD (my young Grasshopper), the things I could teach you...;-)

The brewery tour is indeed at De Halve Maan (follow George's link). I've taken it; I thought it was interesting - if you have any physical limitations, I would seriously consider the wisdom in going on the tour. There is a section or two that involve very vertical ladders, etc. - they were a little scary, and I'm in good shape. But, you are rewarded at the end with a choice of beer; I suggest the Straffe Hendrik. And their food is good, too, anytime of the day. I suggest many breaks...

I actually watched the "Belgium: Bruges and Brussels" episode just for you - the sacrifices I make...The licorice is one of MANY flavors in Belgian (and other) beers - also, corriander, ginger, juniper berries, honey, etc. So, there isn't a 'licorice-flavored' beer, per se. Kind of like putting a little cinnamon in a sauce - it's there, but you don't necessarily pick it out.

"...the best way to go about finding different flavored beer in Belgium?" Simply cross the border into Belgium! (seriously) They take their beer culture very seriously - there are great selections most places you go. AVOID JUPILER! Unless, you traveled to Belgium for Bud...

Do you know where you're going to be in Belgium?

Bill, San Diego - my friend, you got ahold of some of that "fruit pop", and for that, I'm sorry! There's Rice Krispies Treats, then there's a magnificent creme brulee...you've had Rice Krispies Treats :-( There are plenty of creme brulees that await you...

Andreas (Frankfurt am Main), my man, next time I'm in the region we'll meet for some Belgians. I'll even bring you a big bottle of American Bayer aspirin [ ;-) x2 ]. And it should always be Grimbergen Dubbel...

And to reiterate what Andreas said about "smooth blonde ales", do be aware that while most North American-type beers typically run around 4.0%-5.0% ABV, the Belgians are typically more in the 6.0%-9.5% ABV, and 10.0%-12.0% isn't unheard of...8-P

I think that the brewery tour was at the modern day De Halve Maan in Bruges. They have an interesting website: http://www.halvemaan.be/

De Halve Maan's chief product is Brugse Zot (Bruges Fool or Idiot), which is about an average Belgian ale. I've never seen their other brew, Straffe Hendrick, sold anywhere...

Just returned from Belgium. Found a great place in Brussels...a "pub" with 24 beers on tap and a menu that explains the flavoring in each of them. It is on a side alley off Rue de Bouchers just behind the Grand Place...called Delerium...has a website you can google for exact directions.

I have been to Belgium and the beer is fantastic. Ditto with Munich. Augustiner Dunkel is great tasting.

http://www.augustiner-braeu.de/augustiners/html/en/Sortiment.html

Pubs in Belgium have really stepped up in the last decade and are really serving a wide range of Belgium beers. In the old days, and still in many bars, it is common to only have one or two company beers on tap with a few more bottles. Now as you can see above, in the larger cities and tourist areas, you can find bars with dozens of beers on tap.

Another point to not overlook though, is if you have access to a refrigerator, grocery stores and little shops can be great places to pick up bottles for a fraction of the price of being served in a bar.