Belgium: The List

Here it is. 


All the beers we had during our week in Belgium. 


We know some of these aren't the most exclusive, hard-to-find beers in the world. Several of them are available in America. But when you live in Istanbul, you take a "no beer left behind" approach. 


Katie's favorite: The Pere Noel from De Ranke. 


Joe's favorite: Tsjeeses Reserva Port Barrel 2012 from Struisse.




                        Brewery Beer / Establishment / City

1. Cantillon 1 Year Lambic / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
2. Cantillon 2013 Gueuze / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
   
3. Cantillon 2013 Kriek / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
4. Cantillon Iris / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
5. Cantillon 50'N 4'E / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
6. Cantillon Zwanze / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
7. Orval Trappist Ale / Publico / Brussels
8. Karmeliet Tripel / Publico / Brussels
9. Sainte Helene La Grognarde / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
10. Verhaege Barbe d'Or / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
11. Floreffe Prima Melior Brune / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
12. Dupont Bon Voeux 2 Ans / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
13. Grimbergen Brune / A la Mort Subite  / Brussels
14. Bush De Noel 12 / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
15. Mort Subite Lamic Blanche / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
16. Mort Subite Gueuze / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
17. Mort Subite Framboise / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
18. De Dolle Stille Nacht / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
19. Brasserie de la Senne Zinnebir Christmas / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
20. De Ranke Pere Noel / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
21. Brugs Biere Blanche / Greenwich Taverne / Brussels
22. Rochefort 8 / Greenwich Taverne / Brussels
23. Maes Cristal Alken / Monk / Brussels
24. Bersalis Tripel / Monk / Brussels
25. LeFebvre Moeder Overste / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
26. Huyghe Floris Cactus / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
27. Duvel Vedett / Balls & Glory / Bruges
28. Zwoefbier Blonde / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
29. De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva Port Barrel 2012 / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
30. Proefbrouwerij Viven Porter / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
31. Les 3 Fourquets Lupulus Hibernatus / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
32. Du Bocq Gauloise Christmas / Cambrinus / Bruges
33. Ellezelloise Hercule Stout / Poatersgat / Bruges
34. Troubadour Magma / Poatersgat / Bruges
35. Bon Secours Biere Vivante!! / Cambrinus / Bruges
36. De Dolle Oerbier / Cambrinus / Bruges
37. de Halve Maan Brouwerij Brugse Zot Blonde / de Halve Maan Brouwerij / Bruges
38. de Halve Maan Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel / de Halve Maan Brouwerij / Bruges
39. Silly Villee / 2be / Bruges
40. Delirium Noel / 2be / Bruges
41. Maredsous 8 / Marjan's BnB / Bruges
42. Grimbergen Blonde / In't Nieuw Museum / Bruges
43. Chimay Tripel / In't Nieuw Museum / Bruges
44. De Struise Pannepot / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
45. Kaiser Karel Charles Quint Rouge / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
46. Chimay Speciale Cent Quintenaire / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
47. De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
48. Rodenbach 2010 Vintage Oak Aged / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
49. Kasteel Tripel / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
50. Prearis Quadrupel / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
51. Stella Artois Vieux Temps / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
52. Urthel Saisonierre / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
53. Hoegaarden Verboden Vrucht / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
54. Zwoefbier Brune / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
55. St. Bernardus 12 / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
56. Van Steenberge Gentse Tripel / Dulle Griet / Ghent
57. Westmalle Dubbel / Dulle Griet / Ghent
58. Kaiser Karel Blonde / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
59. Tongerlo Blond / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
60. Primus Pils / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
61. Haacht Witbier / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
62. La Chouffe Blonde / Waterhuis / Ghent
63. La Trappe Jubilaris / Waterhuis / Ghent
64. Van Steenberge Klokke Roeland / Waterhuis / Ghent
65. Proefbrouwerij Gandavum Dry Hopping / Waterhuis / Ghent
66. Rodenbach Classic / Waterhuis / Ghent
67. Van Hounsebrouck Bacchus / Waterhuis / Ghent
68. Chimay Rood / Dulle Griet / Ghent
69. Achel Donker/ Dulle Griet / Ghent
70. Caracole Nostradamus / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
71. Het Sas Christmas Leroy / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
72. Bink Winterkoninkse / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
73. De Ranke Li P'tite Gayoule / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
74. Popperings Hommelbier / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
75. Chimay Tripel / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
76. Huyghe Guillotine Bitter / Delirium Cafe / Brussels

Brussels // Cantillon

The Belgian vacation started off in the capital city of Brussels. There was lots of excitement thanks to our experience with Belgian beers back home, tips from friends who had visited, and lots of research into the best beer bars the country had to offer.

It was fast and easy to travel between the airport and the city by train, and when we arrived with our luggage, the first stop was the nearby Cantillon Brewery. The brewery specializes in lambic beers, which are made via a unique fermentation process. Rather than adding controlled amounts of yeast during the brewing process, Cantillon takes advantage of spontaneous wild yeast living in the air to create a complex and often sour flavor. They add fruit to some of their beers during the brewing process, but don`t be fooled: these are not sweet beers. Brasserie V in Madison had gotten their hands on a few of these beers, but typically they are hard to find beyond the brewery, and if you do find them they're usually quite expensive.  

The brewery offers a 5-minute guided introduction to the process and history, then patrons are free to wander the facility with a brochure explaining what each machine does and what happens in each room. As soon as we walked in, we were hit with that familiar malty brewery aroma that brought back memories of trips to New Glarus, Lake Louie Brewery, and Central Waters (not Minhas). I think we were giddy for the entire time, staring at the antique machines used for boiling the wort, crushing the grains, and the notorious room-size shallow tub on the top level where the beer cools and the wild yeast is introduced. You are free to take non-flash photography throughout the facility, and lighting makes it tricky unless you have a decent camera.

After the self-guided tour, we couldn't take the anticipation any longer and redeemed out drink tickets good for 1 fresh(er) lambic and 1 kriek (cherry) or gueuze. The lambic has a carbonation-less texture, a funky aroma, and a mild, sour taste. The kriek is very floral, as its color suggests, with lots of sourness on the tongue. The gueuze, which is a mix of different aged lambics, has a heavier sourness felt more in the back of the mouth. All are served much warmer than beer typically is--if lambics and gueuze are too cold they are overwhelmingly bitter and their complex flavors are lost. As the small tasting room started to fill with locals and travelers alike before the closing time of 5:00, we shared one more bottle at our table: Iris. Iris was slightly less acidic and sour than the Gueuze with a little more malt to it.

As we were about to call it quits, a group of Americans entered the brewery, and we invited them to join us. Turns out, they are a beer connoisseur family from the Bay Area, and they`ve made an annual trip to Belgium for the last 6 years, visiting different breweries, cities, and attractions. We shared some Iris, and they were generous to share from their bottles of Cantillon's 50'4" and Zwanze beers: both special edition gueuzes from the brewery. We chatted about Belgium, Turkey, what we are missing in the States, and shared opinions on the beers. They remarked that the Cantillon Brewery was a stop on the first annual trip they made, and the tasting room was virtually empty the entire visit. On this occasion, the tables were all occupied with at least another 30-40 standing around as the 5:00 bell rang.

We visited Cantillon one more time the night before we flew out of Brussels and brought back a Grand Cru to Turkey. Here's hoping the bottle survives a Transatlantic flight!