Brewery in Brugges

I found it a mildly interesting diversion when I had several hours to kill. It's more or less just a working museum, because the company brews the bulk of their beer at a modern facility outside of the old town. What you see on the tour is mostly just for show.

Must see? No. Enjoyable touristy facility and tour, yes. Would I go again when in Brugge? Probably.

No I haven't been there, but you must see it for yourself and report back to us as soon as possible. Have more than one. Any brewery or distillery is a must do.

A.Must.Do. The tour was interesting, but pretty strenuous (climbing steep metal ladders, etc.). But the real star is the beer! Try ALL of it ;-) even (maybe especially if) you're a Bud Light drinker. Read about the brewery's history on their website. All of the food I've eaten there was very good, too. When I spotted Straffe Hendrik on the shelf of a store in my hometown, the sight rendered me speechless! That's rare; ask my husband. I was reduced to physically pointing it out to him... ;-). There's always some in my beer fridge...and methinks there's about to be one less... If you, or anyone in your party, are a Belgian beer aficionado, send me a PM :-D

Thanks for all the responses! While our trip isn't until fall 2013, I'll be sure to write a review.

I thought it was interesting. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of stairs and they also talk about some of the history of brewing in Belgium and what makes Belgian beer different than German beer. On my particular tour, the guide had quite a good sense of humor. I enjoyed it, although I'm not sure I'd call it a "must see". I was in Bruges for 3 days, so had plenty of time to see things.

"...It's more or less just a working museum, because the company brews the bulk of their beer at a modern facility outside of the old town...." The beer is made at the old brewery, but bottled at a modern facility in an industrial park just outside the city. When you go to the roof the guide will point you to where it is. Back to the original question....it's a must see site located in a beautiful corner of the old city.

Eileen - your response cracked me up. I think I'm about to go grab a Spotted Cow from my refrigerator now. Heather- My friends and I are planning a trip to Germany and Benelux in Fall 2013 too. Glad I'm not the only one planning this far ahead! :-D

I went and loved it! Great view from the top of the brewery (yes, there are lots of stairs). The beer is delicious as well!

Reviewing the Dutch Wikipedia article on the company (http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brouwerij_De_Halve_Maan), I would say the claim is a half-truth at best. They might prepare part of the wort at the old brewery, but most of the fermentation probably occurs at the "bottling facility". Describing the facility in the industrial area of Waggelwater: "Ook werden zeven grote nieuwe tanks geplaatst, die samen 320.000 liter bier kunnen opslaan." Translation: "Also, seven large new tanks were installed, that together can store 320,000 liters of beer." I'm not a brewer, but from what I know about the process, you don't store beer that's ready to drink, you store it until the fermentation process has completed.

We did this one rainy day in Brugges and it was a lot of fun. Our guide was informative and funny, and there's beer. It wasn't something we'd ordinarily do but I'm very glad we did.

(Sorry; haven't been able to get links to work the last hour or so...) http://www.halvemaan.be/index.php?id=55&L=2 If they're lyin', they're dyin'. Who knows - that stuff changes with the wind. Especially with contract brewing, it's hard to follow the 'paper trail' sometimes. Great guys, now I'm thirsty again...Cheers, J! Heather, It's a Must Take Eileen With You...and her Husband...and In-Laws...Yep, that should do it. We're really easy to get along with. Really. We'll buy your beers ;-)

If you're going to be in Brugges, then it's definitely worth it. We had a very entertaining guide, and the beer was good too.

Nice link Eileen. I did notice all that modern equipment during my visit last year.

Join the party Eileen! The more the better! A nicely brewed Belgian beer sounds so good on these unbearable hot summer days.