Just arrived in Brussels and need some help with deciding what to try&

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Oakers

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Hi All,

I've just arrived in Brussels on holidays with my wife and 5 yo. We're here for six nights. I'm already overwhelmed with the beer selection so if anybody has any tips on must-drink beers it would be much appreciated. I'm interested in trying the whole range of Belgian beers but in the past I've found the few beers that I tried in Aus having too high an alcohol flavour. I seriously can hardly believe the number of beers available. We're staying in the Novotel just near Grand Place so any suggestions for bars, restaurants are also appreciated. I've just finished a month in the UK trying lots of ales, but mostly underwhelmed by many UK beers. I'll write a fuller account when I get back to Aus. Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers Oakers.

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Definitely get to the Cantillon Gueze Brewery.
I hope you like sour beers, because these are SOUR. Awesome too.
 
Piraat is the single best beer I have ever tasted.
 
Go check out 'moeder lambic' it is the best bar in Brussels in my oppinion.
Also a short train trip away is beersel with '3fonteinen' and 'oud beersel' breweries
2 great producers of gueuze and Kriek.
Just don't try and do it on a weekend as I found the trains are pretty inconsistent out of the working week.
Have a ball you lucky *******.
 
A trip to Brussels is incomplete without a visit to Guiness Record holder Delirium Tremens... 2004 different beers last I was there. It's about 340m walk from your hotel.

Attached a map for you...
EDIT: Gave you the distance.

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Are you going to Brugges?
Beautiful town, beautiful beer, and fantastic history. A tour of the flanders fields is worth it (but with a kid in tow it might get boring)
Definitely try and stay a couple of nights if there's room in your agenda.
14yr old advice... The Passage Hotel was nice (a "quaint" hotel + a backpacker wing) with a nice small restaurant.

A pity you didn't find the UK ales to your liking. I friggin' loved them. Sure some are better than others, and I found once you left London and got into the country there was always a new handpulled pint to try.
 
Underwhelmed by English Ale, overwhelmed by Belgian choice...
I feel for you.
Not!
 
Buy the 'Good Beer Guide to Belgium' It's only $30, available from the book/beer shop right near Grand Place. It'll save you from buying mediocre beers, & thus guarantee to improve your holiday!
It also lists the best places to go in Brussels (and the rest of Belgium) for beer.

I can vouch for Moeder Lambic, & Cantillon being essential visiting.

If you make it to Brugge, go to Gambrinus restaurant. Best beer/food place i've ever been to. (Reservations required)
 
  1. Try all the Trappist beers (Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel and La Trappe) while your there - they are vastly better when they have not been boiled in a shipping container. Westvleteren is almost impossible to get outside of Belgium, and can be difficult to acquire even in Belgium without visiting the monastery - so if you see it, have some!
  2. Karmeliet Trippel

Also, check out "Le Poechenellekelder" just over the road from the Manikin Piss. The area is touristy, but the pub is excellent, a large selection of beers, and the wait staff are more than happy to help you pick.

As others have said, Delirium Tremens is excellent as well - a bit of a watering hole for tourists, expect to see drunk Aussies. I agree that Brugge is worth a visit if you get time, from memory it's a 2ish hour train ride from Brussels.
 
Yeah I also recommend brugges, is a really pretty town and you can get nice beer there too.

I particularly enjoyed some of the saint bernardus beers, worth a try. Drink some lambics because you are in Belgium.

Oh oh oh and please remember to eat mussels in Brussels, the best I have had were at a place called ches Leon. :)
 
Thanks for all the advice. I checked out Delerium cafe today. Wow. Massive place. I had a Delerium Tremens. Very nice easy drinking Belgian Blonde. Deceptively easy drinking given the 8.5% ABV. Also tried my first Saison. It was very yummy and is definitely a style I'll make she I get back. Also tried a couple of lambics. Again, very nice. Incredible that you can get Duvel and Chimay in the local supermarket for 2-3 euros. Yes, I do plan on getting to Bruges so I'll use your suggestions. Brussels a f***king incredible. I recommend that any beer lover make it their priority for their next holiday. Plenty of chocolate to keep the wife happy!
 
buy as many glasses as you can get home! i regret only getting 6 or 7 as now i have lost a few.
as said go to Brugge and when your there have some kwaks and go to the great wall of beer at the emporium place "in pic below"

brugge.jpg
 
Don't forget all the fruit beers for the missus. For a non-beer drinker, my wife loved St Loius Framboise.

Yep, Brussels is incredible. Don't forget mini-Europe for the little one!
 
A lot of awsome bars in the old town square,top spot to enjoy a few and people watch!there is also a beer glass shop just off the square! Enjoy you lucky *******,dont forget to enjoy the waffles and mussels
 
Where else are you off to Oakers? As jealous as we are, there's plenty of guys here willing to share tips on places to visit.
 
Off to Amsterdam next. Four nights there. Drinking a Duvel that cost me $2 at the local supermarket as I type this. :)
 
Four nights in amsterdam, I couldn't stay longer than one day, I guess it is not my cup of tea.
 
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