Beer in Belgium dates back to the Roman era, but it wasn’t until 1885 when a change in legislation made it possible for the large-scale production of beers to take off. Fifteen years later there were 3,223 breweries in the country!
Some Belgian beers are very recognizable, like Stella Artois, which was created in 1926 in Leuven (the city we live in). Stella Artois and Jupiler, which are now both owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, are the two biggest beer brands in the country.
Trappist beers, which are brewed in a monastery where monks play a role in the production, are also very popular. Interestingly, any money made off Trappist beer can only be used to support the monastery.
Also, most Belgian beer is sold in uniquely shaped bottles, not cans, which helps identify the brand.
Due to the rich history of beer in Belgium, there is no shortage of beer festivals and celebrations like The Belgian Beer Weekend, Alvinne Craft Beer Festival, and The Beer Passion weekend.
One of Brev’s coaches recommended we visit Delirium Village in Brussels, which is a bar that holds the world record for number of beers available for tasting (2,004 beers!). We sampled the famous “Meter of Beer” and tried 10 different beers. It was so much fun and we both agreed that the cactus beer was our favorite!
The Jo Show 