A side-by-side tasting of Belgium's five Trappist beers: Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel, Chimay Bleue, Rochefort 10, Orval, and Westvleteren 12.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
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.
Common allergens: Gluten
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.
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.
Order: Gruut Amber on draught at the waterside terrace: the most Ghentian beer in the most Ghentian spot.
Tip: The 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 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.
Tip: Ask for the draught list: around 12 beers are on tap and rotate seasonally.
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.
Tip: Westvleteren XII is on the menu when stocks allow: ask the bar staff what is in the cellar that week before ordering.
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.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-18:00; ask the staff to pack a mixed half-dozen for the evening.
The Dok Noord complex concentrates several brewing and beer retail operations in one cluster, ideal for sampling by flight on a Saturday afternoon.
Tip: The 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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