Belgium, the land of beer: ancestral, vibrant and irresistibly tasty

For centuries, Belgium has been the undisputed home of beer. Where tradition and innovation ferment in harmony. From medieval abbeys, where monks patiently matured their secrets in vats, to avant-garde microbreweries that boldly project new flavors into the future. Here, beer is more than just a drink. In Belgium, it's an integral part of the DNA of the people and the land. it nourishes, brings people together and enchants.

Buoyed by legendary names such as Westmalle, Orval, Rodenbach and Duvel, and by the explosion of microbreweries, the Belgian brewing landscape offers unrivalled diversity. From lambic made with wild yeast to elegant tasting beers and thirst-quenching village café lagers. Add to this a passion for tastings, festivals and brewery visits, and you'll understand that in Belgium, beer is as much a culture as a product: it's explored, smelled, shared and experienced.

Visit a brewery: 18 suggestions and 1 Beer Experience

To help you choose from this profusion of breweries, here's a selection focusing on the originality of the visits and the experience on site:

Sint-Bernardus, Watou

In the heart of the Westhoek, a stone's throw from the French border, top-fermented beers have been brewed since 1946. Visit the brewery at your own pace, thanks to an interactive audiovisual experience. Don't miss it!

• End your visit with a tasting on the roof, overlooking the hop fields.
• www.sintbernardus.be

Rodenbach, Roeselare

It's impossible to evoke Rodenbach without imagining a North Sea shrimp. this red-brown beer symbolizes West Flanders. The experience offered here is both spectacular and humorous.
not to be missed:

• The tuns room with 294 giant oak barrels
• The opportunity to create your own Rodenbach blend
• www.rodenbach.be

Rodenbach @ DR

De Halve Maan, Bruges

Bruges' last intramural brewery, De Halve Maan is a must-visit. Still in the hands of the founding family, it is famous for its ingenious pipeline that carries beer to the bottling line outside the city.
not to be missed:

• An unfiltered Brugse Zot, to be enjoyed with a view of the historic center
• www.halvemaan.be

Omer Vander Ghinste, Bellegem

Since 1892, this family-run brewery has been putting the village of Bellegem on the map with its special beers aged in oak tuns.
▶ www.omer.be

Hopspot, Evergem

The rebellious little brother of the Van Steenberge brewery (known in particular for Gulden Draak), Hopspot is both a microbrewery and a lively brewery-restaurant offering multiple classics, where beer is sometimes the central element, sometimes an original ingredient.
▶ www.hopspot.be

Hopspot @ Studiogaar

De Cort, Pepingen

Manu De Cort's ambitious project, this brewery is also a distillery. It works with locally grown raw materials: wheat, corn, potatoes and fruit. All of which converge on a specialty, lambic, the link between brewing and distilling.

Kestemont, Dilbeek

The Kestemont family has taken over the former Goossens brewery to preserve this lambic heritage. A charming and admirable place.

Boon, Lembeek

The work of Frank Boon, one of the defenders of the cult Belgian Lambic beer, threatened with extinction. Today, his sons Jos and Karel are extending the story with a bar and store in 2025.
▶ www.boon.be

Timmermans, Itterbeek

Founded in 1702, Timmermans is the oldest lambic brewery still in operation. The atmosphere here is steeped in history and craftsmanship. A brand-new visitor center will open at the end of 2025.

3 Fonteinen, Beersel

elevated to iconic status thanks to Armand Debelder, this brewery perpetuates the authenticity of lambic. Tours are full and the tasting, in the Lambik-O-Droom, memorable.
▶ www.3fonteinen.be

Oud Beersel, Beersel

Founded in 1882, you read that right, Oud Beersel is now reopening its adjoining café, the fully renovated Bierhuis, where beer can also be enjoyed on the plate.
▶ www.oudbeersel.com

Het Anker, Mechelen

One of Flanders' oldest breweries, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Immerse yourself in the rich history of this magical place. don't miss

• The room containing the authentic copper vats with a view of the old beguinage.
• www.hetanker.be

Het Anker @ Milo Profi

Adept, Winksele

Just outside Leuven, De Smederij is home to several entrepreneurs, including Adept, a small craft brewery with a bar. This friendly place is the ideal starting point for many walks and bike rides.

Hof ten Dormaal, Tildonk

Hof ten Dormaal combines a farm and a brewery. working exclusively with locally-grown produce, it is positioned as the world's most circular and ecological brewery. The farm plans to open a second site, with tours planned at both locations by the end of 2025.
▶ www.hoftendormaal.com

Cornelissen, Bree

In the heart of Limburg, this family-run brewery has been brewing traditional craft beers since 1859.

Grimbergen Experience

After more than 233 years, Grimbergen Abbey is reopening the doors of its former buildings. You can now visit a microbrewery and a beer experience center.
don't miss a visit to the hop and herb garden.

Batteliek, Battel

Elegant microbrewery housed in a desecrated church, attached to the Het Anker brewery.
▶ www.batteliek.be

De Achelse Kluis, Achel

Visit the buildings of this former Trappist brewery without further ado. In 2023, the monks sold the buildings and the brewery. Since then, it can no longer officially bear the Trappist name. But fortunately, that doesn't change the taste.
▶ achelsekluis.be

Belgian Beer World Experience

Since 2023, the Belgian capital has been home to a visitor center entirely dedicated to beer: the world's largest interactive experience center dedicated to beer, in the monumental setting of the Brussels Stock Exchange. Don't miss:

• Discover your own taste profile through a wide range of aromas
• Enjoy a tasting on the roof terrace, with a panoramic view of the whole of Brussels
• www.belgianbeerworld.be

Gastronomy and beer pairings

After all those brewery visits, it's a safe bet that your stomach is starting to show. And that's just as well, because beer can also be enjoyed in the kitchen. In carbonnade, in sauce or in more creative preparations. And, of course, with the beer that goes with it, drawn from an impressive beer list. Here are a few must-try places to enjoy beer and food (restaurants listed in the Gault&Millau Belgium selection):

De Gebrande Winning

In the far east of the country, chef Raf Sainte has been searching for years for the best combinations between his exceptional beer collection and tasty artisanal dishes. His work has earned him an unrivalled reputation among beer lovers.

• Zepperenweg 7, 3800 Sint-Truiden
• www.degebrandewinning.be
• Open: Tuesday - Saturday
• Gault&Millau Belgium: 13/20

GUS Brassonomie

With GUS and the coined word 'brassonomie', Pierre Baeyens (kitchen) and Jonathan Delhière (dining room) aim to blur the boundaries between brewery and gastronomy. Each dish is designed around beer: sometimes subtly hopped, sometimes integrated in the form of beer yeast mousseline or kriek meringue.

• Rue des Cultes 34-36, 1000 Brussels
• gus-brussels.be
• Open: Tuesday - Friday
• Gault&Millau Belgium: 13/20

Hop Gastrobar

Hop Gastrobar, in Leuven, is both an institution and a meeting point for a magnificent selection of craft beers and highly gourmet cuisine. Chef Bram Verbeken serves creative, heartfelt dishes with a touch of nostalgia, perfectly paired with a series of unique beers.

• Vaartkom 1A, 3000 Leuven
• hopgastrobar.be
• Open: Monday - Sunday
• Gault&Millau Belgium: 13/20 (awarded the title of 'Beer list of the year' in 2023)

Restaurants nestled in brasseries (restaurants not included in the Gault&Millau Belgium selection). There are many more, but these addresses combine brewery visits and gourmet pleasures in the same place.

Bar Bernard

On the roof of the Sint-Bernardus brewery, Bar Bernard offers a 360° view of the hop fields and hills of Heuvelland, to be enjoyed over a creamy Flemish sausage.

• Trappistenweg 23, 8978 Watou
• www.sintbernardus.be/nl/barbernard
• Open: Wednesday - Sunday

Het Foederhuis

A friendly brasserie adjoining the Rodenbach brewery, Het Foederhuis owes its name to the impressive tuns room. Enjoy classics like shrimp croquettes (perfect with a Rodenbach Grand Cru), as well as modern sharing dishes and beer bites.

• Spanjestraat 133, 8800 Roeselare
• Open: Wednesday - Sunday

Michelles Pub & Brasserie

Michelle Van Honsebrouck, sixth generation of the brewing family, welcomes you to this elegant pub to enjoy a Kasteelbier with Belgian classics, in an atmosphere ranging from afterwork to family time.

• Ingelmunstersestraat 46, 8870 Emelgem (Bierkasteel, Van Honsebrouck)
• www.vanhonsebrouck.be/bezoek/michelles-pub-brasserie
• Open: Saturday - Sunday

De Halve Maan Restaurant

This unique blend of modern brewery and historic building invites you to take a break in a cosy brown brewery, with homemade dishes and special beers like Straffe Hendrik or Brugse Zot.

• Walplein 26, 8000 Brugge
• www.halvemaan.be/nl/bezoek/brasserie
• Open: Monday - Sunday

Brasserie Het Anker

In addition to award-winning Het Anker beers and whiskies, this brewery serves Flemish classics and world cuisine, subtly spiced up with a touch of Gouden Carolus. Each dish is paired with an appropriate beer pairing.

• Guido Gezellelaan 49, 2800 Mechelen
• www.hetanker.be/brasserie
• Open: Brasserie: Monday - Sunday

Het Fenikshof

After more than 233 years, Grimbergen Abbey has revived its brewing activity, with a microbrewery, a hop and herb garden and an experience center. At its heart is Brasserie Het Fenikshof, where you can enjoy Belgian and international cuisine, perfectly accompanied by the beers brewed on site, rare elsewhere.

• Abdijstraat 20, 1850 Grimbergen
• www.hetfenikshof.be
• Open: Monday-Sunday