Belgian Alcoholic Beverages

Belgian-style tripel is an approachable and easy-drinking beer style with high carbonation and complex flavors. They traditionally have high alcohol content, falling between a 7 to 10% ABV range, and are often classified as very strong al... READ MORE

Lambic is a traditional beer style that has its roots in Brussels and the region of Pajottenland. This style must be made with a minimum of 30% wheat, and the wort is always spontaneously fermented with local and naturally occurring wild ... READ MORE

Considered to be a predecessor to gin, jenever is a Dutch spirit that was originally distilled from malt wine. Since the drink had a sharp and unusual flavor, it was often infused with various herbs, including juniper – whi... READ MORE

Dubbel is a rich and well-balanced Trappist beer that originated in Belgium and whose modern version is often associated with Henrik Verlinden who created the prototype at Westmalle brewery in 1926. This version was named Dubbel Bruin, an... READ MORE

Witbier is a traditional wheat beer style that has ancient origins, but which was only revived in the 1960s by Pierre Celis from Hoegaarden. This beer is usually brewed with unmalted wheat, and it is traditionally unfiltered. Most varieti... READ MORE

Duvel is a famed Belgian pale ale that is produced by Duvel Moortgat Brewery. It was initially named Victory Ale—but its name was later changed into Duvel, presumably after it was referenced as nen echten duvel (a real devi... READ MORE

Traditionally produced in Brussels and Pajottenland, these fruit beers are made with the addition of cherries. Initially, they were made with Schaarbeekse cherries, but nowadays, other Morello cherries may be used as well. Whole, macerated, or cru... READ MORE

Trappist is a particular category of beers, or more precisely an indication of origin, which includes various styles that are brewed in Trappist monasteries. Trappist beers are internationally certified and can only be produced by Trappis... READ MORE

Chimay Red was the first Trappist beer that was brewed by monks at the Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Chimay, Belgium. This amber-colored dubbel—a specific Trappist style—is made with ground malt (germinated and drie... READ MORE

Belgian blond ale is a beer style with vague boundaries that probably emerged as a response to popular European pilsners. The examples of the style are typically golden-colored and medium-bodied with moderate strength that varies between ... READ MORE

Belgian pale ale is an approachable and easy-drinking beer style with a medium body that shows a good balance of malt, hops, and alcohol. It is a malt-forward style with a toasty and biscuity aroma and flavor. The examples will often have... READ MORE

Flanders Red is a type of aged sour ale hailing from West Flanders that is often described as a wine-like beer style. The examples are typically medium-bodied and have a distinctive sour character that can vary from balanced to i... READ MORE

Saison, which translates as season, is a Belgian style ale that originated in the French-speaking region of Wallonia as a seasonal thirst-quenching beer that was mainly brewed during winter or fall, and it was then left to fermen... READ MORE

Black Russian was created in 1949 in Brussels by a Belgian bartender named Gustav Tops, who made it in honor of the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. The cocktail consists of vodka and Kahlua coffee liqueur. The word Russian in its ... READ MORE

Native to East Flanders, Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown is a Belgian-style brown ale with a distinctive sour character. These beers are usually blended and aged in steel vats. As they age, they develop complexity, and aged ... READ MORE

This Belgian beer style falls in the category of lambics—traditional beers made with spontaneous fermentation. As evident from the name, fruit lambics are made with the addition of fruit. Traditional and the most popular ve... READ MORE

Bière brut, also known as bière de Champagne, is a somewhat new beer style that was first introduced in Belgium in the early 2000s. The beers are top-fermented and then allowed to mature in the bottle with Champagne... READ MORE

Gueuze is a Belgian lambic-style that is made by blending young and old lambic beers—traditional Belgian brews that are fermented with wild yeasts. The blends then undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle. The combination is mad... READ MORE

Grisette is a beer style that hails from Hainaut province in Belgium. Often compared to saison—the preferred choice among Belgian farmers—grisette was a farmhouse ale developed to satisfy the needs of the local miners. By 1960... READ MORE

Faro is a beer style that belongs to the Belgian family of spontaneously fermented lambic beers. The drink was traditionally made by adding candi sugar, sucrose, or saccharin to lambic and sometimes by blending lambic with bi... READ MORE

Elixir d'Anvers is a herbal liqueur from Antwerp. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but it is said that it includes more than thirty botanicals. After maceration and distillation, it is aged in oak. The result is a deep yellow... READ MORE

Types of Belgian beers, Gueuze and Vieille Gueuze, are blends of different lambics, in which the oldest have been matured for a minimum of three years in wooden barrels. In Vieille Gueuze, the average age of lambics must be greater or equal to one... READ MORE

Kriek is a beer with a tart and sharp taste. It a made by blending different lambics and adding sour cherries. The difference between a Kriek and Vieille Kriek is that Vieille Kriek has to undergo a secondary fermentation in bottles. The term oude... READ MORE

Maitrank is a seasonal flavored wine from Arlon. The base of the drink is made with white wine from the Moselle region and bedstraw flowers (woodruff). The flowers are picked before blossoming and are then macerated in the wine. Typically... READ MORE

Gruit is a term that describes a mixture of herbs used as a beer flavoring, but it is also used to denote the drink that has been flavored with these herbs. Although it is sometimes classified as such, gruit is not technically considered ... READ MORE

Farmhouse ale is best described as an ancient beer style that was brewed by European farmers who used their grains and hops. These brews were made with techniques that are not used in modern brewing, and because they were brewed in variou... READ MORE