Beer in Belgium

{{short description|none}}  {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2019}} [[File:Stella Artois.jpg|thumb|Stella Artois, a popular Belgian lager]] '''Beer in Belgium''' includes abbey beers, lambics, pilsners, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales, Wheat beers and others. As of 2024, there were 411 breweries in Belgium,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://brewersofeurope.org/|title=Welcome to the Brewers of Europe|first=The Brewers of|last=Europe|website=The Brewers of Europe}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/447354/belgium-number-beer-breweries/|work=statista.com|title=Number of active beer breweries in Belgium from 2009 to 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.inside.beer/news/detail/world-global-number-of-craft-breweries-increases-to-17732.html|work=inside.beer|title=World: Global number of craft breweries increases to 17,732|date=19 March 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-07 |title=Home - Belgian Brewers |url=https://belgianbrewers.be/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=belgianbrewers.be |language=nl-NL}}</ref> ranging from international companies, such as AB InBev to traditional breweries, like Trappist monasteries, to microbreweries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://users.telenet.be/label.service/brew.htm |title=B.E.S (Belgian Label Service) |publisher=Users.telenet.be |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> Correspondingly, the number of Belgian breweries continues to grow, with over 1,600 unique Belgian beers available.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2025-06-05 |title=Jaarverslag 2024 - Belgian Brewers |url=https://belgianbrewers.be/kenniscentrum-publiek/jaarverslag-2024/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=belgianbrewers.be |language=nl-NL}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Beer culture in Belgium - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/beer-culture-in-belgium-01062 |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=ich.unesco.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Toutes les bières belges: a-z |date=2015 |publisher=Stichting Kunstboek |isbn=978-90-5856-526-6 |location=Oostkamp (Belgique)}}</ref> On average, Belgians drink 68 litres of beer each year,<ref name="auto"/> down from around 200 each year in 1900.<ref name=beer2>{{cite news |title=Brewed force|url=https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2011/12/17/brewed-force|newspaper=The Economist|date=17 December 2011|access-date=10 March 2013}}</ref> In 2024, this amounts to a total consumption of approximately 6.4 million hectoliters, representing around 30% of Belgium’s total beer production.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-07 |title=Home - Belgian Brewers |url=https://belgianbrewers.be/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=belgianbrewers.be |language=nl-NL}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=mjgbob>''Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium'', Michael Jackson, {{ISBN|0-7624-0403-5}}</ref>

In 2016, UNESCO inscribed Belgian beer culture on their list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cheers as Belgian beer is added to Unesco cultural heritage list|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/30/cheers-belgian-beer-added-unesco-cultural-heritage-list|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 November 2016|access-date=15 June 2017}}</ref><ref>[https://ich.unesco.org/en/decisions/11.COM/10.B.5 Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 11.COM 10.B.5], UNESCO, Intangible Cultural Heritage, accessed 15 June 2017, quote: "Beer culture in Belgium combines know-how concerning nature, social practices and craft skills that constitute an integral part of daily and festive life. Regularly shared between practitioners, knowledge and skills are transmitted from masters to apprentices in breweries but also within families, in public spaces and through formal education. Beer culture in Belgium contributes to the economic and social viability at local level and the constitution of the social identity and continuity of its bearers and practitioners, who promote responsible production and consumption."</ref>

==History== In Belgium, beer was already produced in the Roman era, as evidenced by the excavation of a brewery and malthouse from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD at Ronchinne.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nelson |first=Max |title=The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |isbn=0-415-31121-7 |edition=1st |location=London & New York |pages=60}}</ref> During the Early and High Middle Ages, beer was produced with gruit, a mix of herbs and spices that was first mentioned in 974 when the bishop of Liège was granted the right to sell it at Fosses-la-Ville. From the 14th century onwards, gruit was replaced by hops, after the example of imported beers from northern Germany and Holland. After that, several Belgian towns developed their own types of beer for export to other regions, most notably the white beer of Leuven and Hoegaarden, the ''caves'' of Lier and the ''uitzet'' of Ghent. In recent years, the use of gruit has experienced a revival, particularly among homebrewers and eventually by commercial breweries. For instance, Gageleer brews a beer using sweet gale (''Myrica gale'') based on a medieval recipe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About us |url=https://www.gageleer.be/en/about-us/ |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=Gageleer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gageleer Original |url=https://www.gageleer.be/en/gageleer-original/ |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=Gageleer |language=en-US}}</ref>

Monasteries played only a small role in beer production and mostly brewed for their own consumption and that of their guests. Monastic brewing would only receive some renown from the late 19th century onwards, when the Trappists of Chimay produced a brown beer that was commercially available.

In 1885, a change in legislation made brewing of German-style bottom-fermenting beers viable in Belgium, and it was only from then that large industrial-scale brewing in Belgium took off.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Poelmans |first1=Eline |last2=Taylor |first2=Jason E. |date=22 April 2019 |title=Belgium's historic beer diversity: should we raise a pint to institutions? |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutional-economics/article/belgiums-historic-beer-diversity-should-we-raise-a-pint-to-institutions/13EAB773C968405AEE9D95C6780A39EB |journal=Journal of Institutional Economics |volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=695–713 |doi=10.1017/S1744137419000080 |via=Cambridge|url-access=subscription }}</ref> During the 20th century the number of breweries in Belgium declined from 3223 breweries in 1900 to only 106 breweries in 1993.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mommens |first=Thierry E. |url=http://www.cageweb.be/catalog/cgw01:000834788 |title=De Belgische voedingsnijverheid tijdens de 19e eeuw : 1. De bier- en jeneverindustrie (1810-1913); 2. De margarineindustrie (1890-1913): reconstructie van de databank |publisher=Leuven : KUL. Centrum voor economische studiën |year=1993 |location=Leuven}}</ref> Yet, a number of traditional beer styles, such as white beer, lambic and Flemish old brown were preserved, while new local, top-fermented styles developed, such as ''spéciale belge'', abbey beer and Belgian strong ale. In 1988, the country's two biggest breweries, Artois and Piedboeuf, formally merged to become Interbrew, then the world's 18th biggest brewer, which was to merge with AmBev in 2004 to become today's AB InBev, the biggest beer producing company in the world.<ref>Roel Mulder, 'De Belgische biergeschiedenis in 10 lessen', in: ''Bier Magazine'' nrs. 39–48.</ref>

==Methods== {{Main|Brewing}} In Belgium, four types of fermentation methods are used<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.immaterieelerfgoed.be/Detail/wat/187 |title=Brewing methods Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage |access-date=10 September 2017 |archive-date=10 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910221233/http://www.immaterieelerfgoed.be/Detail/wat/187 |url-status=dead }}</ref> for the brewing of beer, which is unique in the world. However, for good understanding of labels of Belgian beer and reference works about Belgian beer often use different terms for the fermentation methods based on archaic or traditional jargon: #'''Spontaneous fermentation''' with beers that are unique in Europe: "lambic" and the derived faro, gueuze and kriek beers #'''Warm fermentation''' is referred to as '''top''' or '''high fermentation''' for Trappist beers, white beers, ale, most other special beers #'''Mixed fermentation''' for "old-brown" type beers #'''Cool fermentation''' is referred to as '''low fermentation''' for lager or pilsner, or bottom fermentation

== Belgian beer types == Belgian beers have a range of colours, brewing methods, and alcohol levels.

===Trappist beers=== {{Main|Trappist beer}}

thumb|Trappist beer bottles Beers brewed in Trappist monasteries are termed Trappist beers. For a beer to qualify for Trappist certification, the brewery must be in a monastery, the monks must play a role in its production and the policies and the profits from the sale must be used to support the monastery or social programs outside. Only ten monasteries currently meet these qualifications, five of which are in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Austria, one in Italy and one in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The International Trappist Association |url=https://www.trappist.be/en/about-ita/}}</ref> Trappist beer is a controlled term of origin: it tells where the beers come from, it is not the name of a beer style. Beyond their being mostly warm fermented, Trappist beers have very little in common stylistically.

The current Belgian Trappist producers are: * Chimay sells Red Label (dark, 7% ABV double), White Label (Blonde, ABV 8%, triple) and Blue Label (dark, 9% ABV, Christmas), Chimay dorée Gold cap (blonde, 4.8% ABV, enkel). * Orval sells a "unique"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/be/orval.htm |title=Tomp P Galvin on Orval |publisher=Tompgalvin.com |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524055134/http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/be/orval.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> dry-hopped 6.2% amber beer. * Rochefort sells three dark beers, "6" (7.5% ABV). "8" (9.2% ABV) and "10" (11.3% ABV) and one blonde beer "Triple Extra" (8.1% ABV) * Westmalle sells Dubbel (7% ABV) and Tripel (9.5% ABV), * Westvleteren sells Green Cap or "Blonde", (5.8% ABV), Blue Cap (dark, 8% ABV) or "8", and Yellow Cap (dark, 10.2% ABV) or "12".

In addition to the above, a lower-strength beer is sometimes brewed for consumption by the brothers (''patersbier'') or sold on site. For example, ''l’Orval Vert'' (or ''Petit Orval'', also known as "Green Orval" or "Small Orval") is served to the monks and guests of the Orval Abbey and can only be consumed on tap in the nearby ''À l’Ange Gardien'' abbey café.<ref>{{Cite web |title=À l’Ange Gardien |url=https://www.orval.be/en/page/457-a-l-ange-gardien |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Orval |language=en}}</ref>

===Abbey beers=== [[File:Augustijn.jpg|thumb|{{Interlanguage link|Augustijn|nl|3=Augustijn (bier)}} and Augustijn Grand Cru, brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge]]

The designation "abbey beers" (''Bières d'Abbaye'' or ''Abdijbier'') originally applied to any monastic or monastic-style beer. After introduction of an official Trappist beer designation by the International Trappist Association in 1997, it came to mean products similar in style or presentation to monastic beers.<ref name=Best> {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SHh-4M_QxEsC&q=Abbey+beers&pg=PA38 |title=World's Best Beers: One Thousand Craft Brews from Cask to Glass|author=Ben McFarland |page=38 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|year= 2009|isbn=978-1-4027-6694-7 |access-date=13 January 2011 }} </ref> In other words, an Abbey beer may be: * produced by a non-Trappist monastery—e.g. Benedictine; or * produced by a commercial brewery under commercial arrangement with an extant monastery; or * branded with the name of a defunct abbey by a commercial brewer;

In 1999, the Union of Belgian Brewers introduced a "{{ill|Certified Belgian Abbey Beer|nl|Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier|fr|Bière belge d'Abbaye reconnue}}" ({{lang|nl|Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier}}) logo<ref>[http://www.beerparadise.be/emc.asp?pageId=294 Beer Paradise on "Recognised Abbey Beer" (Dutch Language)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818023642/http://www.beerparadise.be/emc.asp?pageId=294 |date=18 August 2007 }}</ref> to indicate beers brewed under license to an existing or abandoned abbey,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beer.made.in/Belgium/abbey.htm |title=Beer made in Belgium: Abbey beer |publisher=beer.made.in |access-date=13 January 2011 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510225741/http://beer.made.in/Belgium/abbey.htm |archive-date=10 May 2008 }}</ref> as opposed to other abbey-branded beers which the trade markets using other implied religious connections, such as a local saint.<ref> {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tV4aRexWMygC&q=Abbey+beers&pg=PA77 |title=Memorable Customer Experiences: A Research Anthology|author1=Adam Lindgreen |author2=Joëlle Vanhamme |author3=Michael B. Beverland |page=77 |publisher=Gower Publishing, Ltd.|year= 2009|isbn= 978-0-566-08868-1 |access-date=13 January 2011 }} </ref><ref name=JacksonAbbey> {{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000222.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Belgium's Great Beers |publisher=Beerhunter.com |access-date=13 January 2011 }} </ref> The requirements for registration under the logo include the monastery having control over certain aspects of the commercial operation, and a proportion of profits going to the abbey or to its designated charities. Monastic orders other than the Trappists can be and are included in this arrangement. The "Abbey beer" logo and quality label is no longer used for beers given the name of a fictitious abbey, a vaguely monastic branding or a saint name without mentioning a specific monastery. Some brewers may produce abbey-style beers such as dubbel or tripel, using such names but will refrain from using the term Abbey beer in their branding.

What connoisseurs now recognize as Trappist breweries began operations in 1838. Several monasteries, however, maintained "working" breweries for 500+ years before the French regime disrupted religious life (1795–1799). Even then, some Abbey beers such as Affligem Abbey,<ref name=JacksonAbbey /> whose name now appears on beers made by the Heineken-owned Affligem Brewery,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.affligembeer.be/ |title=AFFLIGEM |publisher=Affligembeer.be |access-date=13 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228070921/http://www.affligembeer.be/ |archive-date=28 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> resumed brewing from "working" monasteries until the occupation of most of Belgium in World War I. Commercial Abbey beers first appeared during Belgium's World War I recovery.

Although Abbey beers do not conform to rigid brewing styles, most tend to include the most recognizable and distinctive Trappist styles of brune (Belgian brown ale, aka dubbel), strong pale ale or tripel, and blonde ale or blond.<ref name=Best /><ref name=JacksonAbbey /> Modern abbey breweries range from microbreweries to international giants, but at least one beer writer warns against assuming that closeness of connection with a real monastery confirms a product's quality.<ref name=webb81>Tim Webb. ''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', 6th edition, p 81.</ref>

{{As of | 2011}}, 18 certified Abbey beers<ref>(Dutch Language) [http://www.brabantsbier.eu/belhist/defabdij.html List of Certified Abbey Beers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116190542/http://www.brabantsbier.eu/belhist/defabdij.html |date=16 November 2011 }}</ref> existed: * Achel sells Achel 5 Blonde (5% ABV, draught only), Achel 5 Brune (5% ABV, draught only), Achel 8 Blonde (8% ABV, tripel), Achel 8 Brune (8% ABV, dubbel), Extra Blonde (9.5% ABV.tripel), Extra Brune (9.5% ABV, dubbel). * Abbaye de Cambron, brewed in Silly by Brasserie de Silly. # Abbaye de Bonne Espérance, previously brewed by Lefebvre Brewery, since 2015 more locally by La Binchoise.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonneesperance.be/fr/la-biere |title=Abbaye de Bonne Espérance website |access-date=2017-06-20 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018171334/http://www.bonneesperance.be/fr/la-biere |url-status=dead }}</ref> * Abdij Dendermonde, brewed in Merchtem by {{Interlanguage link|Brouwerij De Block|nl}} * Abbaye de Saint-Martin, historically referenced to 1096, is brewed near Tournai by Brasserie Brunehaut. * Affligem, produced for Affligem Abbey by a Heineken-owned brewery. * {{Interlanguage link|Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu|nl|3=Brouwerij Val-Dieu}} is located on the grounds of a former abbey. * Bornem is brewed in East Flanders by Brouwerij Van Steenberge * Ename is brewed in East Flanders by Brouwerij Roman. * Floreffe is brewed to fund a school housed in a former monastery. * Grimbergen, made by the large Alken Maes brewery for an extant Norbertine abbey. * Keizersberg is brewed in East Flanders by Brouwerij Van Steenberge. * Leffe, the Abbey brand of Stella Artois, itself part of the multinational Inbev corporation, is brewed under licence from an extant brewery. It is thought to be the first such arrangement. Leffe has global distribution.{{cn|date=March 2025}} * Maredsous, the Abbey brand of Duvel Moortgat, Belgium's second largest brewer, licensed from Maredsous Abbey. * Postel is brewed in Opwijk by {{Interlanguage link|Brouwerij De Smedt|nl}}. * Ramée is brewed in Purnode by Brasserie du Bocq. * St. Feuillien is a small independent brewery. * Steenbrugge is brewed in Brugge by {{Interlanguage link|Brouwerij De Gouden Boom|nl}}. * Tongerlo is brewed in Boortmeerbeek by {{Interlanguage link|Brouwerij Haacht|nl}}.

Other non-certified Abbey beers include:- * Abbaye des Rocs, made by a farmers' co-operative and named after a local ruined abbey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://belgianbeershrimper.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/67-abbaye-des-rocs-brune/ |title=Belgian Beer Shrimper |publisher=Belgianbeershrimper.wordpress.com |date=2010-01-10 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> * Corsendonk, abbey beer brewed by a brewery in the name of the Corsendonk priory (monastery) in Oud-Turnhout * Kasteelbier, monastic style beers brewed in a castle. * St. Bernardus brewery, based on Watou originally brewed under contract for the abbey of St Sixtus at Westvleteren, but continues on an independent basis, in parallel with production at the monastery itself. Their range is considered a close match in recipe and style to the St Sixtus beers, which can be hard to obtain outside the area. * Tripel Karmeliet, with a three-grain recipe, is produced by Bosteels Brewery, who also make ''Pauwel Kwak''. Bosteels, and Tripel Karmeliet, are now part of AB InBev after a not-so-popular take-over in 2016. * Averbode. * Braxatorium Parcensis. * Abdij van 't Park, an Aldi house brand abbey beer, made by Brouwerij Haacht Brasserie.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABDIJ VAN 'T PARK® Bière d'abbaye blonde, 4 pcs |url=https://www.aldi.be/fr/produits/assortiment/boissons-alcoolisees/biere/biere-d-abbaye-blonde-4-pcs-3422-1-0.article.html |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Aldi Belgique |language=fr-BE}}</ref> Named after the abbey in Heverlee, Leuven. * Florival, a Delhaize house brand abbey beer, made by Brouwerij Affligem. Named after the abandoned abbey of Florival, in the rural municipal of Grez-Doiceau.

=== Pils or pale lager === {{Main|Pilsner}}

This style makes up the bulk of beer production and consumption in Belgium. Belgian Pilsners are not particularly distinctive or renowned by connoisseurs.<ref>''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', 6th edition, p70, Tim Webb</ref><ref>''The Complete Handbook of Beers and Brewing'' p 124, Brian Glover.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000213.html |title=The great beers of Belgium are not its lagers – Michael Jackson |publisher=Beerhunter.com |date=1999-07-30 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> The top brands include Jupiler (within Belgium) and Stella Artois (both brewed by Inbev), Maes pils and Cristal (both brewed by the Alken Maes branch of Heineken). Stella Artois, originating in Leuven, Belgium; is distributed globally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stella Artois {{!}} Horecasupport |url=https://www.horecasupport.be/nl/merken/stella-artois/ |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=www.horecasupport.be |language=nl}}</ref>

The Pilsnerbeer is which is popularly called "''pintje''" (in Flemish, from English "pint" but in volume only 0.25 cl or roughly 1/2 pint) or "''choppe''" (in French) in Belgium, was the basis of the "''fluitjesbier''" distributed during the German occupation in WWII and under rationing. This "''fluitjesbier''" was watered down to about 0.8° (compared to fruitjuice which can have up to 1.5° due to natural fermentation).<ref>Herwig Jacquemyns; ''België in de Tweede Wereldoorlog'', Deel 2: Een bezet land (in dutch); DNB/Uitgeverij Peckmans, Kapellen 1984 (vijfde druk)</ref>

===Bock=== {{Main|Bock}}

Bock is a strong lager of German origin. Some Belgian brewers have produced bock-style beers what makes it a style applicable to Belgium.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===White or wheat beer=== {{Main|Wheat beer}}

This type of beer, commonly called ''witbier'' in Dutch, ''bière blanche'' in French and ''wheat beer'' in English, originated in the Flemish part of Belgium in the Middle Ages. Traditionally, it is made with a mixture of wheat and barley. Before hops became widely available in Europe, beers were flavoured with a mixture of herbs called gruit. In the later years of the Middle Ages, hops were added to the gruit. That mixture continues today in most Belgian white beers.

The production of this type of beer in Belgium had nearly ended by the late 1950s. In the town of Hoegaarden, the last ''witbier'' brewery, Tomsin, closed its doors in 1955. However, ten years later, a young farmer by the name of Pierre Celis in the same village decided to try reviving the beer. In 1966, Celis began brewing a "witbier" in his farmhouse. Ultimately, the Hoegaarden brewery took the name of the village and became successful, gaining international prominence. For instance, in 2018, only 8% of the 1.3 million hectoliters of beer produced annually were intended for the Belgian market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michiels |first=Filip |date=2018-05-16 |title=Hoegaarden verhuist deel productie witbier naar China |url=https://www.standaard.be/nieuws/hoegaarden-verhuist-deel-productie-witbier-naar-china/48001756.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=De Standaard |language=nl}}</ref>

Some notable current examples are Celis White, Blanche de Namur and Watou's Wit. Their alcohol strength is about 5–6 percent ABV, and these beers can be quite refreshing, especially during the warm summer months. The herb mixture traditionally includes coriander and bitter orange peel,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hoegaarden.com/en-be/ingredients_brewing/authentic_natural_ingredients.html |title=ingredients |publisher=Hoegaarden |access-date=2013-09-18 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> among other herbs. White beers also have a moderate light grain sweetness from the wheat used. In recent times, brewers have been making fruit flavoured wheat beers.

===Blonde or golden ale=== [[File:Cineybieren.jpg|thumb|Two Ciney beers: a blonde (left) and brown (right)]]These are a light variation on pale ale, often made with pilsner malt.<ref name="webb81"/> Some beer writers regard blonde and golden ales as distinct styles, while others do not. Duvel is the archetypal Belgian blonde ale, and one of the most popular bottled beers in the country<ref>''The Complete Handbook of Beers and Brewing'' Brian Glover</ref> as well as being well known internationally.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303499204576389473593410488 |journal=The Wall Street Journal|title= Belgian Brewer Finds Crafty Success |date=6 July 2011 |last1=Miller |first1=John W. }}</ref> Its name means "Devil" and some other blonde beers follow the theme—Satan, Lucifer and Judas for example. The style is popular with Walloon brewers, the slightly hazy Moinette being the best-known example. Chouffe can be considered a spiced version (with coriander).

===Hop-accentuated beers and India pale ale=== A few Belgian beers are pale and assertively hopped. {{ill|Brouwerij De Ranke|lt=De Ranke|nl}}'s {{Interlanguage link|XX Bitter|nl}} has a British-style name. Arabier from De Dolle Brouwers.{{Interlanguage link|Brouwerij Van Eecke|nl}}'s {{Interlanguage link|Poperings Hommelbier|nl}}, another example, hails from Belgium's hop-growing district.

===Lambic beers (including gueuze and fruit lambics)=== {{Main|Lambic}} thumb|Duvel, a typical blond Belgian ale '''Lambic''' is a wheat beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels) by spontaneous fermentation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://booksaboutbeer.com/lambicland.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329063703/http://www.booksaboutbeer.com/lambicland.html|archive-date=29 March 2008|title=Lambicland – The World's Most Complex Beers and Simplest Cafes|publisher=booksaboutbeer.com|access-date=30 June 2008}} </ref> Most modern beers are fermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts; Lambic's fermentation, however, is produced by exposure to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the Zenne valley, in which Brussels lies. The beer then undergoes a long aging period ranging from three to six months (considered "young") to two or three years for mature. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000214.html|title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter – Belgium's Great Beers|publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=30 June 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080717045208/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000214.html| archive-date= 17 July 2008 |url-status = live}}</ref>

From Lambic four kinds of beer are produced: Lambic, Gueuze, Fruit Lambic, and Faro. * The first of these, Lambic, is the unblended basic brew (young) or the refermented basic brew (old). Lambic is a draught beer which is rarely bottled, and thus only available in its area of production and a few cafes in and around Brussels. * The youngest of the Lambic brews, Faro, which is lambic just after the first fermentation is sometimes served with sugar or caramel added to make it palatable for consumption. * Gueuze blends old and young brews to stimulate a final fermentation, sometimes from three consecutive years (cfr sherry-method). Gueuze is the finished product, the beer that is commercialised. Top quality Geuze is bottled in large bottles (75cl) with a champagne-like cork, that require delicate handling, and controlled environmental conditions much like wine. * Fruit beers are made by adding fruit or fruit concentrate to Lambic or a mixture of Lambic brews before the final refermenting stage. The most common type is Kriek, made with sour cherries.

===Amber ales=== These are beers similar to the traditional pale ales of England, although less bitterly hopped.<ref name=webb84>Tim Webb. ''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', 6th edition, p 84.</ref> A notable example is the 5% ABV De Koninck brand, with its distinctive half-spherical glasses (called 'bollekes'). It is popular in its native city of Antwerp. Another is Palm Speciale. Some, such as {{Interlanguage link|Vieux Temps|nl}}, were based on British styles to please troops stationed in Belgium during World War I.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000218.html |title=Michael Jackson, Beer Hunter |publisher=Beerhunter.com |date=1999-07-30 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> Others were introduced by the UK-born brewer George Maw Johnson in the late 19th century.<ref name=webb84 /> A very strong ''ambrée'' is brewed by "Bush" (''Dubuisson''), another brewery influenced by British styles.

Walloon amber or ''ambrée'' ale, such a {{Interlanguage link|Gauloise Ambrée|nl|3=Gauloise#De bieren}}, is considered to be somewhat distinct by some beer writers, and to be influenced by the French version of the ''ambrée'' style.<ref>Tim Webb. ''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', 6th edition, p 86.</ref>

===Tripel=== {{Main|Tripel}}

Tripel is a term used originally by brewers in the Low Countries to describe a strong pale ale, and became associated with ''Westmalle Tripel''.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/styles/tripel.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter – Beer Styles: Tripel |publisher=Beerhunter.com |access-date=11 July 2009 }} </ref> The style of Westmalle's ''Tripel'' and the name was widely copied by the breweries of Belgium,<ref>''The Great Beers of Belgium'', Michael Jackson, MMC, 1997, page 226</ref> then the term spread to the US and other countries.<ref>''Belgian Ale'', Pierre Rajotte, Brewers publications, 1992, pages 31–34</ref> ''Gulden Draak'' was awarded the best-tasting beer in the world in 1998 by the ''American Tasting Institute'' (now ChefsBest).<ref name=VSB>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vansteenberge.com/htm/1nl/11300nl.htm|title=Van Steenberge - Gulden Draak|date=18 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518095744/http://www.vansteenberge.com/htm/1nl/11300nl.htm |archive-date=18 May 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Linden"> {{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000791.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter – Down on your knees to bless monks' top ale |publisher=Beerhunter.com |access-date=11 July 2009 }} </ref>

===Dubbel=== {{Main|Dubbel}}

Dubbel (''double'') has a characteristic brown colour. It is one of the classic Abbey/Trappist types, having been developed in the 19th century at the Trappist monastery in Westmalle. Today, some commercial brewers using abbey names call their strong brown beers "Dubbel". Typically, a dubbel is between 6 and 8% abv. In addition to the dubbels made by most Trappist breweries, examples include St. Bernardus Pater, Adelardus Dubbel, Maredsous 8 and Witkap Dubbel.

Dubbels are characteristically bottle conditioned.

===Flemish Red=== {{Main|Flanders red ale}}

Typified by Rodenbach, the eponymous brand that started this type over a century ago, this beer's distinguishing features from a technical viewpoint are a specially roasted malt, fermentation by a mixture of several 'ordinary' top-fermenting yeasts and a lactobacillus culture (the same type of bacteria yoghurt is made with) and maturation in oak. The result is a mildly strong 'drinking' beer with a deep reddish-brown colour and a distinctly acidic, sour yet fruity and mouthy taste. This style is closely related to Oud bruin.

===Oud bruin, or Flemish sour brown ale=== {{Main|Oud bruin}}

This style, aged in wooden casks, is a cousin to the sour "Flemish Red" style. Examples include Rodenbach, Goudenband and Petrus.

===Brown ale=== Regular bruin or brune beers such as {{ill|Grottenbier|nl}} are darker than amber ales, less sour than Flemish brown ale, and less strong than dubbel.

===Scotch ales=== {{See also|Scotch Ale}} thumb|A thistle-shaped glass complements Belgian "scotch" beers. These sweet, heavy-bodied brown ales represent a style which originated in the British Isles. The Caledonian theme is usually heavily emphasized with tartan and thistles appearing on labels. Examples include Gordon's, Scotch de Silly and La Chouffe Mc Chouffe.

===Stout=== Belgian stouts subdivide into sweeter and drier, and stronger and weaker versions. Examples include Callewaerts and Ellezelloise Hercule. The sweeter versions resemble the almost-defunct British style "milk stout", while the stronger ones are sometimes described as Imperial stouts.<ref>Tim Webb. ''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', 6th edition, p 90.</ref>

===Champagne beers=== Champagne style beers are generally ales that are finished "à la méthode originale" for champagne. Examples include Grottenbier, DeuS and {{Interlanguage link|Malheur Bière Brut|nl|3=Malheur (bier)}}. They receive a second fermentation much like Champagne does and are stored for several months "sûr lie" while the fermentation lasts. This creates the smaller, softer bubbles that we know from Champagne, but maintains the beer flavour and style.

===Quadrupel or Grand Cru=== {{Main|Quadrupel}}

In Belgium "Grand Cru" is more often used than "Quadrupel", these beers are a mostly a blend of brews, which is often refermented as a blend.

===Saison=== {{Main|Saison}}

Saison (French for "season") is the name originally given to refreshing, low-alcohol beers brewed seasonally in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. First seen in early 19th century Liège, saisons gained notoriety as a luxury beer in 20th century Hainaut brewed by city and countryside brewers alike. By the 1980s, they were only produced on the countryside. Modern-day saisons are also brewed in other countries, particularly USA, and are generally bottle conditioned, with an average range of 5 to 8% ABV,<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/styles/saison.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter – Beer Styles: Saison |publisher=Beerhunter.com |access-date=6 July 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080725034724/http://www.beerhunter.com/styles/saison.html| archive-date= 25 July 2008 |url-status = live}} </ref> though saisons at the more traditional 3.5% strength can still be found.

Although saison has been described as an endangered style,<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.belgianexperts.com/dupont2.php |title=Brasserie Dupont |publisher=belgianexperts.com |access-date=6 July 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080703154808/http://www.belgianexperts.com/dupont2.php| archive-date= 3 July 2008 |url-status = live}} </ref> there has been a rise in interest in this style in recent years, with Saison Dupont being named "the Best Beer in the World" by the magazine ''Men's Journal'' in July 2005.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0507/bestBeer_world.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080707034243/http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0507/bestBeer_world.html |archive-date=7 July 2008 |title=MJ FEATURE: Best Beers in the World |publisher=mensjournal.com |access-date=6 July 2008 }} </ref>

A related style known as a grisette was brewed with a lower ABV and with wheat added.

===Winter or Christmas beers=== Many breweries produce special beers during December. Most contain more alcohol than the brewery's other types of beer and may also contain spicing. An annual beer festival in Essen near Antwerp focuses on this type of beer with over 190 beers available for tasting in 2014.<ref>''[http://www.kerstbierfestival.be/lijst.htm Essen Christmas Beer Festival List]{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} retrieved 16 June 2015''</ref>

===Fruit beers (non-Lambic)=== {{See also|Fruit beer}} Some brewers that are not Lambic-brewers make fruit beers in a similar process as the Fruit Lambic beers.

All brewers of this style make fruit lambic. Many brewers of top fermentation beers such as Belgian golden ales, ambers and Flemish old brown beers, that produce beers that usually go through a multiple stage fermentation process, are catching on to the trend to make fruit beers. The process starts after the first fermentation of the wort, when sometimes sugar is added to referment the beer on wooden casks. To make fruit beer the fruit, juice or syrup is added (instead of sugar) to the first brew and refermented, these may be termed fruit lambics or fruit beers, depending on the type of first brew.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fruitbier.be/ |title=Fruitbier.be |access-date=13 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803215203/http://fruitbier.be/ |archive-date=3 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beer that has fruit syrup or fruit lemonade added after (the final stage of) fermentation, in other words as a flavouring, are termed "Radlers" ("Shandy" in the UK) definitely not fruit beer.

===Strong ale=== Beers above 7%, such as tripels or strong dubbels, are referred to in some sources as Belgian strong ale,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Companion to Beer |author=Garret Oliver |date=9 September 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYVLHMmplRcC&pg=PA3|page=3 |isbn=9780195367133 }}</ref> although this is not a name used by Belgian brewers.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Tim Webb|date=29 May 2005|title=A beer lover's guide to Brussels|journal=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2005/may/29/brussels.belgium.travelfoodanddrink}}</ref>

===Table beer=== ''Table beer'' (tafelbier, bière de table) is a low-alcohol (typically not over 1.5%) brew sold in large bottles to be consumed with meals. It has gradually lost popularity to soft drinks and bottled water. It comes in blonde or brown versions. Table beer used to be served in school refectories until the 1980s; in the early 21st century, several organizations made proposals to reinstate this custom based on the belief that table beer is more healthy than soft drinks. Some bars serve a glass of draft lager with a small amount of table beer added, to take away the fizziness and act as a sweetener.<ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,510202,00.html Guardian article] retrieved 27 March 2007''</ref><ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20070915132854/http://www.lbt.be/node/24 Dutch article] retrieved 27 March 2007''</ref>

==Archaic styles== These include:<ref>{{cite book |url=http://chestofbooks.com/food/beverages/Drinks-Of-The-World/Belgian-Beer.html |author=James Mew |title=Drinks of the World |year=1892 |publisher=Scribner & Welford}}</ref> * ''Arge'': A sour beer from Antwerp * ''Faro'': A beer that was drunk sweetened. Not necessarily the same as the modern Faro. * ''Grisette'' ("little gray"): A lower-alcohol Saison drunk originally by miners in Hainaut.<ref>{{cite web|last=Alworth |first=Jeff |url=http://beervana.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/my-grisette-and-breaksides.html |title=A US microbrerwey recreates Grisette |publisher=Beervana.blogspot.co.uk |date=2011-07-25 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> * ''Happe'': A predecessor of wheat beer, made with wheat and oats. * ''Hoppe'': An early hopped beer, from the mid-1500s when gruit was widely used.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/new-belgium-1554-a-95397/index2.html |title=Alexandre Henne and Alphonse Wauters, ''Histoire de la ville de Bruxelles'', quoted on Hombrewtalk.com |date=31 December 2008 |publisher=Homebrewtalk.com |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> * ''Kuyte'': also called Cuyte, a strong beer originating in 16th century France, as ''Quente'', before becoming established in Belgium. Popular with the upper classes.<ref>{{cite book|author=Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat|title=A History of Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QmevzbQ0AsIC&pg=PA169|year=2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4443-0514-2|page=169}}</ref> * ''Pecce'': A cheap beer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/beveragespastan04emergoog/beveragespastan04emergoog_djvu.txt |title=Beverages Past and Present. E.R Emerson, 1856 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> * ''Roedbier'': Literally, red beer. It is not clear if this was a single style. * ''Uitzet'': A sour beer. * ''Walgbaert'' or ''Waegebaert'':<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tiac.net/~tjd/bier/boon.html |title=The Fran Book brewery |publisher=Tiac.net |date=1995-08-16 |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927205627/http://www.tiac.net/~tjd/bier/boon.html |archive-date=27 September 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Similar to Happe. * ''Zwaartbier'': Literally, black beer. It is not clear whether this was a single style.

==Glassware== Belgian beers have a wide range of styles and brewing methods and are almost always served in unique, branded glassware. Each glass is designed to enhance the beer’s taste and aroma, often featuring the brewery’s logo or a beer-specific design.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mirabito |first=Adrian |last2=Oliphant |first2=Markus |last3=Van Doorn |first3=George |last4=Watson |first4=Shaun |last5=Spence |first5=Charles |date=2017-12-01 |title=Glass shape influences the flavour of beer |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329317301192 |journal=Food Quality and Preference |volume=62 |pages=257–261 |doi=10.1016/j.foodqual.2017.05.009 |issn=0950-3293|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bierglazen |url=https://vlaamsebrouwers.be/bierglazen/ |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Vlaamse Brouwers |language=nl}}</ref> Belgian "heavy" or "special" beers (stronger or bottled beers) are usually served in more elaborate branded beer glassware. Some glasses are etched on the bottom; typically with the brewery’s logo, to nucleate a stream of bubbles for maintaining a nice head.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Secret Of Perfect Beer: Exploring the World of Nucleated Glasses |url=https://www.glasswareonly.com.au/blog/the-secret-of-perfect-beer-exploring-the-world-of-nucleated-glasses.htm |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251207052809/https://www.glasswareonly.com.au/blog/the-secret-of-perfect-beer-exploring-the-world-of-nucleated-glasses.htm |archive-date=2025-12-07 |access-date=2026-01-25 |work=Glassware Only}}</ref> Unless the bar is out of the specific glass that goes with that beer it is usually served in its own glass. Most bartenders or waitresses will apologize if the beer comes in a different glass.

Pils (pilsner) or pale lager, remains the most widely produced and consumed beer style in Belgium.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-06-23 |title=Belg verkiest speciaalbieren boven pils |url=https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/voeding-drank/Belg-verkiest-speciaalbieren-boven-pils/9907215 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230129223106/https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/voeding-drank/Belg-verkiest-speciaalbieren-boven-pils/9907215 |archive-date=2023-01-29 |access-date=2026-02-09 |work=De Tijd |language=nl}}</ref> One of the most typical Belgian pilsner glasses is the ribbed glass, often referred to as the ''ribbelke'' or ''ribbelglas''.<ref name=":0" /> This continues to be the preferred glass for consuming pilsner among Belgians<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Daarom is een bierglas uit 1860 nog altijd onze favoriet |url=https://iiw.kuleuven.be/nieuws-en-agenda/nieuws/ribbels |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Faculteit Industriële Ingenieurswetenschappen |language=nl}}</ref>, to the extent that attempts by breweries to replace it with more elaborate glassware, such as Stella Artois’ introduction of the chalice glass which is commonly used outside Belgium, have sparked public outcry and faced strong consumer resistance.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Mertens |first=Bart |date=2016-08-09 |title=Stella stopt met 'ribbelkes |trans-title=Stella stops with 'ribbs' |url=https://www.hln.be/leuven/stella-stopt-met-ribbelkes~ac1d841f/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=Het Laatste Nieuws |language=nl}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Snick |first=Chris |date=2017-03-31 |title=Daarom is een bierglas uit 1860 nog altijd onze favoriet |trans-title=Why our beerglas from 1860 still is our favourite |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/binnenland/daarom-is-een-bierglas-uit-1860-nog-altijd-onze-favoriet/58761155.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=Nieuwsblad |language=nl}}</ref> The Belgian pilsner glass originated between 1860 and 1900.<ref name=":1" /> Its ribbed base was designed to minimize heat transfer from the drinker’s hand, preventing the beer from warming.<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, the glass’s tall, narrow, and straight shape is suited to pilsner beers due to their lower foaming protein content, necessitating a smaller diameter to maintain an appropriate head.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> A regional variation is the ''Boerke'' glass, which translates to "small farmer".<ref name=":0" /> The question of which glass is best suited for Belgian pilsner remains a subject of debate, influenced by factors such as personal preference, brand loyalty, tradition, regional customs, and differing opinions among Belgians.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-05-11 |title=Het geheim van de glazen boterham |url=https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/het-geheim-van-de-glazen-boterham~bbe6d79a/ |url-status=live |access-date=2016-02-08 |website=De Morgen |language=nl}}</ref>

One of the more common types is the tulip glass. A tulip glass not only helps trap the aroma, but also aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation. The body is bulbous, but the top flares out to form a lip which helps foam head retention.

A vessel similar to a champagne flute is the preferred serving vessel for Belgian (fruit) Lambics, Gueuze and fruit beers. The narrow shape helps maintain carbonation, while providing a strong aromatic front. Flute glasses display the lively carbonation, sparkling colour, and soft lacing of this distinct style.

Traditionally, lambic beers including gueuze and fruit lambics are served in a tall glass resembling the ribbed pilsner glass.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Serveertips |url=https://www.huisvandegeuze.be/serveertips/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=Het Huis van de Geuze |language=nl-NL}}</ref> However, the edges and base of the lambic glass are significantly thicker; which originated from the old custom of grinding sugar at the bottom of the glass before serving, allowing drinkers to sweeten the beer to their taste, as lambic styles are known for their intense sourness.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunnink |first=Frits |date=2022-12-21 |title=Vijf dingen die je als bierliefhebber wilt weten over geuze lambiek |url=https://www.bierschrijver.nl/2022/12/21/vijf-dingen-die-je-als-bierliefhebber-wilt-weten-over-geuze-lambiek/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=Bierschrijver |language=nl-NL}}</ref> The glass is commonly referred to as a ''lambiekstoemper'' (or "lambic stomper"), a name that reflects the practice of crushing sugar with a tool similar to a cocktail muddler.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philippe Baeyens, verzamelaar van lambikstoempers |url=https://www.bruzz.be/philippe-baeyens-verzamelaar-van-lambikstoempers-2013-02-22 |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=www.bruzz.be |language=nl}}</ref>

{{multiple image | align = right | width = 85 | image1 = Averbode Beer Glass Etch 2.jpg | class1 = bg-transparent | alt1 = Close up of Averbode Beer glass logo etch (picture 1) | image2 = Averbode Beer Glass1.jpg | class2 = bg-transparent | alt2 = Close up of Averbode Beer glass logo etch (picture 2) | footer = A close-up of an Averbode Abbey beer glass, with the etched logo of the abbey brewery at its base }}

Chalices and goblets are large, stemmed, bowl-shaped glasses mainly associated with Trappist and Abbey ales. The distinction between goblet and chalice is typically in the glass thickness. Goblets tend to be more delicate and thin, while the chalice is heavy and thick walled.

However, a more recent addition, though not traditionally Belgian, is the TeKu beer glass, developed in 2006 by Teo Musso and Kuaska (hence the acronym).<ref name=":0" /> Designed as a universal beer glass, it has since been embraced by the craft beer community, particularly for styles such as pale ales, IPAs, stouts...<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-06-26 |title=The Elegant, Affordable Teku Glass Makes Most Beer Taste Better |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/teku-beer-glass/ |access-date=2026-03-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In addition to the profusion of glasses provided by brewers, some Belgian beer cafés serve beer in their own "house" glassware. An example is ''La Lunette'' in Brussels.<ref>{{cite web |author=Belgium |url=http://www.travbuddy.com/La-Lunette-v5101 |title=Trip Advisor on La Lunette |publisher=Travbuddy.com |date=2007-05-19 |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401161944/http://www.travbuddy.com/La-Lunette-v5101 |archive-date=1 April 2012 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Distribution== The majority of Belgian beer brands are sold in reusable bottles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-05 |title=Jaarverslag 2024 - Belgian Brewers |url=https://belgianbrewers.be/kenniscentrum-publiek/jaarverslag-2024/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=belgianbrewers.be |language=nl-NL}}</ref> Draught beers tend mostly to be pale lagers, wheat beers, regional favourites such as kriek in Brussels or De Koninck in Antwerp; and the occasional one-off.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

These days, Belgian beers are sold in brown- (or sometimes dark green-) tinted glass bottles (to avoid negative effects of light on the beverage) and sealed with a cork, a metal crown cap, or sometimes both. Some beers are bottle conditioned, meaning reseeded with yeast so that an additional fermentation may take place. Different bottle sizes exist: 25 cl, 33 cl, 37.5 cl, 75 cl and multiples of 75. (8, 12, 24 or multiples of 24 fl. oz.) The 37.5 cl size is usually for lambics. Other beers are generally bottled in 25 or 33 cl format (depending on brands). The bigger bottles (75 cl) are sold almost in every food shop but customers do not always have an extensive choice. Bottles larger than 75 cl are named following the terminology used for champagne and are limited in quantity. In Brussels or Walloon Belgian cafés, you can order orders a ''demi'' (English: "half"), which is a 50 cl draught beer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-12 |title=Pinte de bière, demi, galopin, sérieux : quelle contenance en cl ? |url=https://unepetitemousse.fr/blog/pinte-de-biere-cl/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Une Petite Mousse |language=fr-FR}}</ref>[[File:Bierbörse Köln Belgische Biere 5.JPG|thumb|Belgian Beer at the international ''Bierbörse'' in Cologne.]]

The prominence of the Belgian beer culture is reflected in the extensive range of beers offered in nearly every café across the country. Belgium contains thousands of cafés that offer a wide selection of beers, a typical beer menu ranges from at least half a dozen draught beers and two dozen bottled beers of different types in a neighborhood café, to over 1000 in a specialist beer café.<ref>{{Citation |title=Belgian beer culture |date=2025-12-21 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belgian_beer_culture&oldid=1328723890 |access-date=2026-01-26 |language=en}}</ref> Among the most famous are "Beer Circus", "Moeder Lambic", and "Delirium Café" in Brussels; "Billie's Bier Kafétaria", "de Kulminator" and "Oud Arsenaal" in Antwerp, "Barnabeer" in Namur, "De Garre" and "'t Brugs Beertje" in Bruges, "Het Botteltje" in Ostend, "Het Hemelrijk" in Hasselt, "Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant", "De Dulle Griet" and "Trappistenhuis" in Ghent, "De Blauwe Kater" in Leuven, the Vaudrées in Liège and the "Stillen Genieter" in Mechelen. Although many major brands of beer are available at most supermarkets, off-licences located throughout the country generally offer a far wider selection, albeit at somewhat higher prices.

===International distribution=== In 2024, Belgium exported around 70% of its beer production, amounting to approximately 14 million hectoliters.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://brewersofeurope.org/site/countries/figures.php?doc_id=667 | title=Welcome to the Brewers of Europe | access-date=10 December 2020 | archive-date=14 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114051619/https://brewersofeurope.org/site/countries/figures.php?doc_id=667 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'' 6th Edition, Tim Webb</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-07 |title=Home - Belgian Brewers |url=https://belgianbrewers.be/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=belgianbrewers.be |language=nl-NL}}</ref> Some draught-beer brands produced by AB InBev like Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe are available in several European countries. Aside from these, mostly bottled beer is exported across Europe. Cafés, exclusively or primarily offering Belgian beers, exist beyond Belgium in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, amongst others. Some beer festivals outside Belgium have a Belgian beer bar as an alternative to local products. In North America, a growing number of draught Belgian beer brands have started to become available, often at "Belgian Bars". Such brands include Brasserie Brunehaut, Karmeliet, Kwak, Maredsous, Mont Saint-Aubert, Delirium, Palm, Rodenbach and St. Feuillien.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Lauren |date=4 August 2023 |title=Belgium is the second-largest beer exporter in Europe |work=The Brussels Times |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/631232/belgium-is-the-second-largest-beer-exporter-in-europe |url-status=live |access-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117144818/https://www.brusselstimes.com/631232/belgium-is-the-second-largest-beer-exporter-in-europe |archive-date=17 November 2023}}</ref>

==Beer festivals== Belgium has a number of beer festivals including: * The BAB-bierfestival, held every year in February in Bruges<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brugsbierfestival.be/ |title=Home – Bierfestival Brugge / Bruges Beer Festival / Februari 2013 |publisher=Brugsbierfestival.be |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref>

== Beer cuisine == A number of traditional Belgian dishes use beer as an ingredient. One is ''carbonade'' (French) or ''stoverij'' or ''stoofvlees'' (Dutch), a stew of beef cooked in beer, similar to Boeuf bourguignon. The beer used is typically the regional speciality—lambic in Brussels, De Koninck in Antwerp, and so on—so that the taste of the dish varies. Another is rabbit in gueuze. ''In't Spinnekopke'', Brussels, and ''Den Dyver'', Bruges are famed for their beer cookery. In 1998 Anheuser-Busch InBev started a worldwide chain of bars/restaurants, Belgian Beer Cafe, serving typical Belgian dishes combined with Belgian Beer.

The varied nature of Belgian beers makes it possible to match them against each course of a meal, for instance: * Wheat beer with seafood or fish. * Blond beers or tripel with chicken or white meat * Dubbel or other dark beers with dark meat * Fruit lambics with dessert

==Appreciation and organizations== ''Beer Passion'' is a magazine, which also organizes a beer festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beerpassion.com/ |title=Beer Passion |publisher=Beer Passion |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> "Zythos" is the name of the main consumer's organization, successor to the earlier OBP (Objectieve Bierproevers).<ref>{{cite web |author=John White of White Beer Travels |url=http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/dob.html |title=White's Beer Travels on the OBP, DOB and Zythos |publisher=Whitebeertravels.co.uk |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808132020/http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/dob.html |archive-date=8 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Belgian Brewers' Association<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beerparadise.be |title=beerparadise.be |publisher=beerparadise.be |date=2013-09-08 |access-date=2013-09-18}}</ref> represents breweries. It organizes beer festivals and an open breweries day. The Knighthood of the Mashstaff honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to brewing, and pays tribute to Gambrinus and Saint Arnold.<ref>{{cite web |author=John White of White Beer Travels |url=http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/dob.html |title=The Knighthood of the Mashstaff |publisher=Whitebeertravels.co.uk |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808132020/http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/dob.html |archive-date=8 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beer writers who have written extensively on Belgian beer include Belgians Peter Crombeq, Gert van Lierde and Erik Verdonck, and Britons Michael Jackson and Tim Webb.

On 1 December 2016, in the eleventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, as an appreciation towards the beer culture in Belgium, it was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

==Belgian beer brands== {{See also|:Category:Belgian beer brands}}The following list contains beers that are brewed in Belgium. Not to be confused with "Belgian style" beers that are produced in other countries, and may or may not resemble a style that is specific to Belgium.

{{Dynamic list}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Beer name !! Beer style !! colour !! ABV !! Brewery |- | Chimay Gold: "Doree" || trappist pale ale || gold || 4.8% ||rowspan=4| Chimay Brewery (official trappist) |- | Chimay Blue: "Grande Reserve" || trappist dark ale || dark || 9.0% |- | Chimay Red: "Premiere" || trappist dubbel || dark || 7.0% |- | Chimay White: "Cinq Cents Tripel" || trappist tripel || dark || 8.0% |- | Ciney Blonde || strong pale ale || gold || 7.0% ||rowspan=3| Alken-Maes (part of Heineken and Carlsberg) |- | Ciney Brune || strong dark ale || dark || 7.0% |- | Grimbergen || abbey beer || || 6.7% |- | Cuvée des Trolls || strong pale ale || gold || 7.0% || Dubuisson Brewery |- | Delirium de Noel (Christmas beer) || strong amber ale || amber || 10.0% ||rowspan=3| Huyghe Brewery |- | Delirium Nocturnum || strong dark ale || dark || 8.5% |- | Delirium Tremens || Strong Blonde Ale || gold || 8.5% |- | DeuS Brut des Flandres || champagne beer || gold || 11.5% ||rowspan=3| Bosteels Brewery (part of AB InBev) |- | Pauwel Kwak || strong pale ale || amber || 8.4% |- | Tripel Karmeliet || abbey beer tripel || gold || 8.4% |- | Duchesse de Bourgogne || oud bruin || || 6.2% || Verhaeghe Brewery |- | Duvel || strong golden ale || gold || 8.5% ||rowspan=5| Duvel Moortgat |- | Duvel Single Fermented || strong golden ale || gold || 6.8% |- | Maredsous Blonde || abbey beer || gold || 6.0% |- | Maredsous Brune || abbey beer dubbel || dark || 8.0% |- | Maredsous Tripel || abbey beer tripel || gold || 10.0% |- | Framboise Boon || framboise (raspberry lambic) || || 5.0% ||rowspan=2| Boon Brewery |- | Kriek Boon || kriek (cherry lambic) || red || 4.0% |- | Gulden Draak || strong dark ale || dark || 10.5% || Brouwerij Van Steenberge |- | Hoegaarden || wheat beer || gold || 4.9% || Hoegaarden Brewery (part of AB InBev) |- | Jupiler || pale lager || gold || 5.2% || Brewery Piedbœuf (part of AB InBev) |- | Leffe Blonde || abbey beer || blond || 6.6% ||rowspan=3| Interbrew (part of AB InBev) |- | Leffe Bruin || abbey beer || dark || 6.5% |- | Stella Artois || pale lager || gold || 5.2% |- | Lindemans Framboise || framboise (raspberry lambic) || red || 2.5% ||rowspan=3| Lindemans Brewery |- | Lindemans Kriek || kriek (cherry lambic) || red || 4.0% |- | Lindemans Pêcheresse || peach lambic || gold || 2.5% |- | Mouten Kop || IPA || amber || 6.0% || Brewery De Graal |- | Rodenbach Original || sour, non-labic fruit beer || red brown || 5.2% ||rowspan=4| Palm Breweries (part of Royal Swinkels) |- | Rodenbach Grand Cru || sour, non-labic fruit beer || red brown || 6.2% |- | Rodenbach Vintage || sour, non-labic fruit beer || red Brown || 7.0% |- | Rodenbach Caractère Rouge || sour, non-labic fruit beer || Red brown || 7.0% |- | St. Bernardus Abt 12 || abbey beer quadrupel || brown || 10.0% ||rowspan=3| St. Bernardus Brewery |- | St. Bernardus Prior 8 || abbey beer dubbel || brown || 8.0% |- | St. Bernardus Tripel || abbey beer tripel || gold || 8.0% |- | Trappistes Rochefort 6 || trappist dubbel || || 7.5% ||rowspan=3| Rochefort Abbey (official trappist) |- | Trappistes Rochefort 8 || trappist tripel || || 9.2% |- | Trappistes Rochefort 10 || trappist quadrupel || || 11.3% |- | Zondaar || tripel || || 8 % || Brouwerij Boelens |}

==See also== {{portal|Beer|Belgium}} * Beer and breweries by region *High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers *Méthode Champenoise

== References == {{reflist}}

;Bibliography *''Good Beer Guide to Belgium'', Tim Webb, CAMRA Books, {{ISBN|1-85249-210-4}} *''Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition'', Phil Marowski, Brewers Publications (2004), {{ISBN|0-937381-84-5}} *''Great Beers of Belgium'', Michael Jackson, {{ISBN|90-5373-012-5}} *''Lambicland: Lambikland'', Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Joris Pattyn, Cogan and Mater Ltd, {{ISBN|0-9547789-0-1}} *''Alle Belgische Bieren'', Ed. Hilde Deweer, Stichting Kunstboek Oostkamp, 2015 {{ISBN|978-90-5856-526-6}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Beers of Belgium}} *[http://belgianbeerboard.com All About Belgian Beer in English Language] *[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000213.html Belgium's Great Beers] *[http://www.beerplanet.eu/index.php?cnt=3&sub=4 Belgian Beer Map – Distribution of Belgian breweries by provinces] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801120606/http://www.beerplanet.eu/index.php?cnt=3&sub=4 |date=1 August 2016 }} *[http://belgium.beertourism.com All About Belgian Beer and Beer Tourism in Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504091132/http://belgium.beertourism.com/ |date=4 May 2013 }} {{in lang|en}} from ''BeerTourism.com''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beer in Belgium}} Category:Beer in Belgium