Recommendations for Belgium

In message , Tim writes

Whatever you do, don't miss t'Brugse Beertje (sp?) and de Garre, both in Bruges/Brugge. Details for both in the Guide. de Garre Tripel (reputedly draught Piraat) with a portion of cheese is to die for. Touristy as hell but unmissable for all that. You need to like classical music though...

Shopwise, many of the big supermarkets carry a pretty wide range of beers. I've used Delhaize successfully in the past. Others can quote others, I'm sure. From a useful local listing I've acquired, come the following:

Brugge:

Bacchus Cornelius, Academiestraat 17 De Bier Tempel, Philip Stockstraat 7

Mechelen:

Drinks Bavi, Bautersernstraat 8

Namur:

La Cave de Wallonie, Rue de la Halle 6

I'm afraid I can't vouch for any of these personally, my preferred source being a beer warehouse in De Panne, on the tram route just before the centre of town! However the ones in Brugge are highly likely to be expensive. There's a small shop on the corner of the big square in the centre of Brugge, which coincidentally is also called Delhaize IIRC, which has an enticing assortment but on the one occasion I used it many moons ago, was hideously expensive. It all depends how obscure you want to get, I guess.

I suspect you'll get quite a few replies. And they'll probably all disagree with me, and possibly with each other - but wouldn't it be boring if we all liked the same thing :-)

Dave

"Tim" skrev i meddelandet news:e3qhmp$dr5$ snipped-for-privacy@emma.aioe.org...

Oh btw, be sure to try the most unusual when you have a car. The worst thing is to come home, and after 20 different beers finding your absolute favourite, then only having one bottle.

I've done the mistake of buying one of each bottle and found out that only

(Firstly my information is out of date and I must refresh my experience this summer on honeymoon. However, I'm sure someone will tell us if things have changed.)

Just outside Namur,at Lustin, is the Museum of Beer (Les Guilde des Tate-Bieres), which the guide says is 12 km S of Namur on the N947. Amazing place, you could spend hours there.

I agree with comments about Brugs Beertje and De Garre: both worth visiting.

I don't remember which bar in Mechelen I went to because I made the mistake of drinking Guldendraak at 10 a.m. and it all went downhill from then on!

Ghent has one or two weird and wonderful bars, if they're still going: De Dulle Griet off the Vrijdagmarkt, the Galgenhuisje on the Groentenmarkt are my two personal favourites, but if the Hopduvel is still there you must go, and yes it sells individual bottles as well as crates!

Have a good time and don't forget to report back!

Drankcentre E.Rotsaert in Zedelgem a few miles SW of Brugge is an excellent beer warehouse with a very helpful English speaking owner who's happy to sell 4 packs and individual bottles. I think he's the wholesaler for both De Garre and t'Brugse Beertje and has many of the interesting beers that the Del Haize supermarkets don't have ("they have nothing!" he told me) but is cheaper than those in the centre of Brugge. Car essential

Mark

Drankcentre E.Rotsaert

On industrial estate just off N32. Driving from Brugge turn right at the EPOS building.

It's pretty much only beer tourists that find it (other than those in the know) something to do with the narrow entrance to the alley.