Where Bruges drinks local: brewpubs, taprooms and the new wave.
Taprooms, brewpubs and the local beer scene in Bruges worth taking a tram to.
De Halve Maan on Walplein is the last working brewery in central Bruges, family-run since 1856, brewing Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik via the 2016 pipeline.
Order: A Brugse Zot Blond fresh at the brewery bar, or a Straffe Hendrik Tripel for more weight.
Tip: Book the tour ahead in summer; it ends with a beer on the rooftop. The pipeline runs 3.3km to the bottling plant.
Bourgogne des Flandres on the Dijver in Bruges brought brewing back to the centre in 2015, blending a young brew with aged lambic for its red-brown beer.
Order: A glass of Bourgogne des Flandres after the tour, drawn beside the canal-side ale house.
Tip: Closed Monday outside school holidays. The visit ends in the loft with a tasting and a canal view.
Brouwerij Fort Lapin sits just outside the Bruges ring, founded in 2011 by Kristof Vandenbussche, making a tripel, a quadrupel and a red herbal ale.
Order: The Tripel Fort Lapin 8 or the Quadrupel 10, tasted at the source on a Saturday.
Tip: The tasting room opens Saturday afternoons; tours run by appointment for around 9 euro a head.