Ghent
1.5 hours
Ghent: Belgian Waffle-Making Workshop with Beer Tasting
Join this workshop in Ghent to taste 3 Belgian beers, prepare waffle dough and bake Belgian waffles. Then enjoy your creations with toppings of your...
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History
The Authentic Trappist Product label was created in 1997 to protect beers brewed within the walls of Cistercian (Trappist) monasteries, under monastic supervision, with profits going to charity. Belgium has five remaining certified Trappist breweries: Westmalle, Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, and Westvleteren; Achel lost its Authentic Trappist Product designation in January 2021 after the last monks left the abbey. Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant and De Dulle Griet in Ghent are the canonical Trappist tasting venues.
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Bruges
1.5 hours
Bruges: Belgian Waffle-Making Workshop with Beer Tasting
Join this workshop in Bruges to taste 3 Belgian beers, prep waffle dough, and bake it using waffle irons. Then, enjoy your creations with toppings of...
from€59Check dates
Brussels
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Belgian Beer Tasting in Brussels
Discover Belgium's world-famous beer culture on this 2.5-hour tour of Brussels. Bolster your beer knowledge and learn what makes Belgian brewing a...
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Antwerp
Private tour · 2 hours
Antwerp: Guided Beer Tasting Tour with Beer Expert
We take you along 3 typical Antwerp cafes where you get a nice overview about beer, the brewing process and the different types of beer. 3 tasting...
from€414Check dates
Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Westmalle Tripel (light golden, hoppy, 9.5 percent ABV; the canonical tripel)
- 1 bottle Chimay Bleue / Grand Reserve (dark, fig-and-spice, 9 percent ABV)
- 1 bottle Rochefort 10 (the quad of quads, dried fruit and chocolate, 11.3 percent ABV)
- 1 bottle Orval (single-style amber, dry and hoppy with brettanomyces character, 6.2 percent ABV)
- Optional: 1 bottle Westvleteren 12 (legendary; only sold direct from the monastery; substitute La Trappe Quadrupel if unavailable)
- Belgian beer glasses (each Trappist has a branded chalice; rotate glasses if a full set is unavailable)
- Pairing food: Belgian Trappist cheese (Chimay Trappist cheese; Westmalle cheese), Belgian dark chocolate, dried fruit, slices of beef carbonnade flamande, salted almonds
Method
- Serve all Trappist beers at 12C to 14C; cellar temperature, not fridge cold. Take bottles out of the fridge 20 minutes before opening.
- Open the Orval first since it is the lightest. Pour with a steady tilt into the goblet glass, ending with an upright slow pour for a 2-finger head.
- Pour 100ml of each Trappist in order: Orval (single), Westmalle Tripel (tripel), Chimay Bleue (dubbel-style dark), Rochefort 10 (quadrupel).
- Taste Orval first; note the brett funk, dry hop bitterness, and lemon-citrus brightness; this is the only single in the Trappist range.
- Move to the Westmalle Tripel; note the banana-clove yeast esters, honey malt, and hop bitterness.
- Taste the Chimay Bleue; note the deep raisin, fig, and clove spice from the dark malt and Trappist yeast.
- Finish with the Rochefort 10; this is among the world's most complex beers, with dried fruit, dark chocolate, port-wine warmth, and a long finish.
- Pair Trappist cheese (Chimay cheese particularly) between sips. Belgian dark chocolate pairs especially with the Rochefort 10 finish.
Tip from the editors. Trappist beers age remarkably well; quadrupels like Rochefort 10 and Westvleteren 12 actually improve with 3 to 5 years cellaring. If you find a bottle with a year of vintage on it, that bottle has been laid down deliberately and is worth seeking out.
Where to eat belgian trappist beer flight
Belgian Trappist Beer Flight in Ghent
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant ★ 4.1
Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is a canal-side brown pub with 170 Belgian beers and 14 on draught, open until midnight, with a Graslei waterside terrace.
OrderGruut Amber on draught at the waterside terrace: the most Ghentian beer in the most Ghentian spot.
TipThe terrace lights up after dark and is one of the best spots in Ghent for a late canal-side beer in warm weather.
De Dulle Griet Beer Bar ★ 4.3
De Dulle Griet is not a brewery but is the city's most complete reference for Belgian beer styles, with a 500-bottle list covering every major category.
TipAsk for the draught list: around 12 beers are on tap and rotate seasonally.
Het Trappistenhuis ★ 4.5
Het Trappistenhuis is a brown beer cafe south of the city centre run by a beer expert, with over 170 Belgian specialties anchored on the full Trappist lineup.
TipWestvleteren XII is on the menu when stocks allow: ask the bar staff what is in the cellar that week before ordering.
De Hopduvel Beer Shop ★ 4.8
De Hopduvel has been one of Belgium's premier specialist beer shops since 1892. The Dok Noord location stocks more than 900 Belgian beers: obscure lambics.
TipOpen Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-18:00; ask the staff to pack a mixed half-dozen for the evening.
Dok Noord Beer Hall ★ 4.4
The Dok Noord complex concentrates several brewing and beer retail operations in one cluster, ideal for sampling by flight on a Saturday afternoon.
TipThe Dok Noord area is best visited on a Saturday afternoon when Stroom, Dok Brewing, De Hopduvel and OR Coffee are all open simultaneously.
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