Gruut Inferno is Ghent's herbal amber ale brewed without hops using a medieval gruit recipe of bay laurel, sweet gale and juniper at the Gruut Stadsbrouwerij on Rembert Dodoensdreef.
Before hops became universal in northern European brewing around the 12th century, ale was bittered and flavoured with a mixture of herbs called gruit. The Ghent city authority held the exclusive right (gruitage) to supply gruit to local brewers, making it a significant civic monopoly. The modern Gruut Stadsbrouwerij, founded in 2009, revives this pre-hop tradition using historical herb combinations. Gruut Inferno is the brewery's strongest and most aromatic beer, with a bitter-herbal character unlike any hop-bittered ale.
2 editor picks for Gruut Inferno (Herbal Beer) in Ghent, ranked by editorial score. All Ghent signature dishes · Gruut Inferno (Herbal Beer) across every city.
Gruut Stadsbrouwerij ★ 4.3
binnenstad · Rembert Dodoensdreef 1, 9000 Gent
Gruut is Ghent's city brewery using a medieval herb recipe with no hops: five beers (white, blonde, amber, brown and Inferno) brewed and served on site.
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant ★ 4.1
groentenmarkt · Groentenmarkt 9, 9000 Gent
Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is a canal-side brown pub on the Groentenmarkt with 170 Belgian beers, 14 on draught and a packed waterside terrace.