The web shop, with its smart waiting room, is also only open for limited periods. Per month there will be no more than two sales moments. This is to prevent past abuse, in which economic considerations gained the upper hand. This meant that a foreign supermarket chain got hold of a large stock of Westvleteren 12, which – naturally without the permission of the Trappist monks – they sold for over five times the normal price.

Users must register online in order to prevent such situations being repeated. And the buyer must always register the number plate of the vehicle which will be used to collect the order from the abbey. Any abuse will lead to exclusion from the web shop.

The famous beer will certainly not cloud the minds of the Trappist monks in Westvleteren. They will continue to produce just enough for their own abbey community and for charity.

The post World-famous Westvleteren 12 beer to be bought only online appeared first on Brussels Express.

This is the third year in a row that Brussels Environnement has opened guingettes in parks across Brussels. Traditionally serving as restaurants or dance venues in the suburbs of French cities, the Brussels guingettes will offer food, drinks, yoga and dance classes to the capital’s residents and tourists, and will also host several rock and electro concerts over the coming summer season.

In addition, local residents and neighbourhood organisations will be invited to propose their own program of activities at their nearest guingettes. Farmers, too, will be encouraged to advance Brussels Environment’s ‘Good Food’ initiative by selling locally-served organic products to the guingettes’ kitchens.

The Mauritius guingette at Parc du Cinquanteraire will open its doors for the first time at noon on Wednesday, May 8. Following this, the Emile and Gisèle guingettes will open at Parc Duden and l’Abbaye de la Cambre respectively this Saturday, May 11th. Finally, the Henri and Fabiola guingettes will open at Parc George Henri and Parc Baudouin respectively on May 18th.

All of the guingettes will be open seven days a week, from 11 am to 10 pm.

The Parc de Forest’s guingette has already been open for several days due to the warm weather at the end of April, as has the royal guingette located in the Parc de Bruxelles. The Saint-Sebastien refreshment bar (‘buvette’) and the Laiterie at Parc Josaphat are open all year.

The post Guinguettes to open this week across five Brussels parks appeared first on Brussels Express.

The post The top ten craft-beer bars in Brussels according to The Guardian appeared first on Brussels Express.

Abbey beers are often brewed by monks, although they can also be licensed. They are part of Belgium’s cultural heritage and connoisseurs admire their high alcohol content, strong complex taste, and texture.

There has been a heated debate regarding the new non-alcoholic version of the beer but brewers have stood their ground stating that drinking attitudes are changing, mainly out of health concerns.

Abbey beers are somewhat similar to the Trappist beers, except they do not have the right to bear the label. One of the reasons is that part of the profits made by Trappist brewers must go to charity.

AB InBev will begin the distribution of its non-alcoholic Leffe beer early in 2019. Ab InBev has predicted that more than 15% of the world’s beer production will be non-alcoholic by the mid 2020’s.

The post A non-alcoholic abbey beer will be brewed in Belgium for the first time in 2019 appeared first on Brussels Express.

The post Europe’s biggest exporter of beer is… Belgium! appeared first on Brussels Express.

Following the OECD’s publishing of Panorama of Health 2017, the findings show that Belgians consume on average 12.6 litres of pure alcohol a year. Now that’s not to say Belgians just drink straight ethanol, this can be broken down to find the equivalent of each drink.

So to find the number of litres of Belgium’s favourite drink, beer, you multiply this number by 20 – giving 252 litres. For wine, multiply by 8 – giving a little over 100 litres.

These new results show that no one sinks suds quite like Belgium.

The post Belgians are world’s biggest alcohol consumers appeared first on Brussels Express.

To mark the fifth year in Brussels, the festival will give attention to two products of Belgian cuisine: beer and chocolate; pairing them together to give off some new dimensions that beer surprisingly brings out in chocolate. They’ll also show « Young Talents », who are supported by the City of Brussels and will show the promising new chocolate artisans of the city.

This year’s theme – Chocolate & Cocoa: the Great Adventure – as it travels from city to city, aims to show all the newest chocolate trends and the creativity within them. It will have chocolate producers from countries like Peru, which will show the nuances of the cocoa in it’s beginning state as well as showing the many stages of processing cocoa into chocolate; with a Callebaut reconstructed production line present in the Brussels exhibition.

Spread over three days, The Salon du Chocolat will offer a complete program of activities; one such event is a Chocolate Fashion Show! Chocolatiers and fashion designers work together to showcase a 2018 collection of chocolate outfits; previewed during the Gala Evening on Thursday, 1st March and presented to the public every day after at 5:00 pm during the Salon.

There will also be live demonstrations by top chefs, where some of the best pastry chefs and chocolate masters will, every hour, appear on the Pastry Show podium to present their best chocolate recipes and share their tips and tricks with the public. Workshops: where visitors will be treated with brand new hands-on pastry workshops offered by Les secrets du Chef. Talks and tastings: visitors will perfect their knowledge about chocolate and cocoa during conferences held by experts and chocolate lovers; dedicated workshops in the Chocolate area with Institut Emile Gryzon, book signings and much more.

The post 5th Salon du Chocolat appeared first on Brussels Express.

Occupying an enviable position, just around the corner from the Grand Place, the city’s most famous landmark, this restaurant has also been a central part of Brussels’ restaurant scene for longer than most can remember.

Its ownership has now, amazingly, passed to the sixth generation of the same family. The hordes of tourists who join the loyal band of locals who flock here on a daily basis is all a far cry from its origins as a relatively humble friterie with five tables.

Nowadays, it is huge, seating over 400 people over several floors (plus a terrace). One of the biggest restaurants in Belgium, it also manages to be, at the same time, intimate and very cosy.

Indeed, one of the best reasons for visiting Chez Leon is to peruse the wonderful memorabilia which adorn the walls. They evoke a golden era in the city’s past as well as charting the glorious history of the restaurant itself.
One such example is a framed menu from the very early days, with quite a few of the dishes you will find on the card today (thought the prices, shown here in French francs) are rather different!

Having a good look round is a nice way to prepare for the very traditional food you will find on what is an extensive a la carte. Arguably the house speciality, the mussels, come in no less than 14 different preparations but there’s many other excellent choices including that good old Belgian favourite, stoemp.

In fact, there are some 120 different dishes on the card and the restaurant’s reputation for serving good, honest food was recently recognised when it was given a prestigious “Brusselicious” award. This is awarded only to those restaurants which are proven to be promoting Belgian cuisine and Belgian products.

As well as boasting a rich and varied wine list, look out for its very own Chez Leon speciality beer made by Brasserie Saint-Feuillien and based on a recipe by Jean Pagura.

This place is also ideal if you are considering somewhere for a special occasion. It has several rooms, seating up to 200 people which are ideal for groups, banquets and suchlike. Note that the prices for such occasions have not changed in four years! Not only that but children under 12 who are eating with their parents can eat free of charge.

Over the years, Chez Leon has played host to all manner of famous people, ranging from Jacques Brel and Eddy Merckx to Jimmy Carter and Johnny Hallyday. There is also a table, near the open kitchen, where the Vanlancker family (the owners) gather regularly to sit and reflect on the wonderfully evocative surroundings.

The head waiter still regularly takes his place at the same table with his wife for a meal too (there’s even a photo of the pair in the impressive menu). This terrific restaurant (there are also franchised versions in Tournai, London and even Taiwan) is celebrating a very special landmark this year – its 125th anniversary.

Judging by its continued success it will still be attracting diners by the bucket-load in another 125 years. Here’s one Brussels institution that, thankfully, shows no sign of vanishing.

The post Chez Leon: Belgian atmosphere for the entire family appeared first on Brussels Express.

According to RateBeer.com, the best beer spot in the World is indeed based in Belgium. That’s the good news. But it gets a little tricky when you see the location. Bruxellois’ can’t simply stroll from their flats to taste one of the 250 beers.

In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst café is situated in Eizeringen (Lennik, Flemish Brabant), which means it’s about a 30 minutes drive to get there. And it gets even more difficult and peculiar from there. This pub, quoted as having « perhaps the best range of lambic beers on the planet » by Good Beer Guide Belgium, is only open on Sundays, church holidays, funerals and Christmas day. With such a peculiar schedule, the pub must be pretty impressive for people on the few days it’s open, and it seems like it is, as it was elected best café in the World three times. So if you make the journey there, you surely won’t be disappointed.

Although this bar offers dozens of beers, it is mainly specialized in gueuze, lambic and kriek; so it could be worth tasting some of them. Last but not least, if you’re traveling to this location just for the pub, it may pay to have a look around the town and see if they’re hiding any other gems.

The post Belgium pub voted best place for beer on the planet appeared first on Brussels Express.

Now there’s good news, and then there’s great news. The good news is that it’s all true, the better news is that every 2 years the artisanal Geuzerijen/Geuzeries that make Lambic beers open their doors to the public, thereby creating a scavenger hunt of Belgian craft beers, and the great news is that this biennial celebration of Geuze is taking place on May 6th and 7th of this year.

Lambic is an ale that ferments spontaneously due to the yeast in the air in the Pajottenland, the region around Brussels on the Senne. This Sour base ale is then mixed with other beers to make some of Belgium’s most famous beers. If you’ve ever ordered a Kriek you can rest assured that it was made in the Senne valley. Other Lambic beers include Faro, and Geuze.

Geuze is a non-carbonated sour ale. Its rich and complex flavor profile can be off-putting to some, but it has lead many to covet Geuze beers. Simply put, the flavor of Geuze is like nothing else in the world.

The Toer De Gueze

The Toer takes place the weekend of May 6th. People from all over the world descend on this little region, and brewery hop in the Pajottenland. You can navigate the breweries yourself, or opt to take a guided bus tour. I personally like to bike to each location. The breweries offer tours, little tasting cups and sell fresh food. Two years ago some of the breweries roasted a whole pig on a spit, and that really steps up the feeling of being a pirate in the 17th century, which is why I primarily do anything really.

It may be hard to choose which breweries to visit so I’ll give you the four I visited two years ago.

Oud Beersel

This Geuzerij is in… Beersel. Their beers tend to the traditional but they also experiment with some fruits you don’t see so often. The location is Prachtig as they say in Flemish, and the room with the barrels feels like a scene from a Disney movie. The journey began with a tinge of nervousness that disappeared within seconds of entering their cave and sipping on a sour ale.

Hanssens Artisanaal

Hanssens is as traditional as they come, in the sense that they make very little effort to cater to the more mainstream flavors. A Hanssens Geuze is complex, and leaves an almost sulfuric mineral aftertaste. The brewery is housed in an old wood lodge. There are two large rooms and a dirt courtyard with a decent handful of food options. It was raining pretty hard at this point, and the rooms smelled like crowds of wet people… but I was okay with it, it really added to the atmosphere.

Drie Fonteinen

Drie Fonteinen is generally regarded as the best tasting geuze. I can’t say I remember that much about the brewery, but that is very likely due to the fact that I had been drinking since 10 in the morning by the time I got there. I will say that Drie Fonteinen does, in my opinion, perfect the geuze. I bought some bottles and drank them later, so I can say with confidence that it was delicious. They also have a nice restaurant, or so I’m told.

Boon

Boon makes excellent Kriek. It’s my favorite because their new Kriek is not too sweet like a Bellevue or a Lindemans. I’ll be completely honest, by the time we got here I was just happy to be standing upright. I drink Kriek Boon if I see it on a menu. As for the brewery, I have no opinion either way. I remember having a great time, but I probably couldn’t have tied my shoes by that point.

Honorable Mention: Lindemans

For those less adventurous among us there is always Lindemans. Where other Geuze beers challenge the palate, Lindemans gives you what you want. The tour at Lindemans was amazing. They are a major brewery and they have the resources to put on a show. They get the machines going and show you the process step by step. You can literally stick your head in a 100,000 litre vat of yeast and water. Lindemans is big, there is a lot of really good food, activities for the whole family and everybody gets a free beer at the end.

The Toer de geuze is a quintessential Belgian experience. It gives you the opportunity to experience Belgian quality and craft in that typically unassuming manner. I don’t doubt that wherever you end up, and however you choose to get there you’ll have a good time, just make sure you get back safe. Lastly, The big Geuzerijen get together and mix their unique yeasts every two years and make a “Mega Blend” to mark the occasion of the Tour De geuze. Last editions megablend received a 99 out of 100.

Info about the bus tour.

The post Toer de Geuze: the event of the year for Beer Enthusiasts appeared first on Brussels Express.