Next stop on this adventure was Belgium! The mecca of beer to any devout beer fan. So after some fun filled days at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany my good friend and I were on the early morning train to Brussels, and I mean early! This was only made possible with my trusted coffee, bagel, vitamin B, vitamin water, and some Aspirin; I was hangover free (that’s a lie) ready to explore Brussels. Organizing our plans in Brussels wasn’t easy, with so many great beer and food places within the city it seemed every corner we took there would be another great place begging us to walk inside. However, there are some must-sees in Brussels that you most certainly should not leave without experiencing.
Moeder Lambic started us off right, a wonderful craft beer bar we found in the city! This place had amazing offerings on draft and cask, as well as great food. Meat & cheese plates had us very content, along with the impeccable service and help we received from the staff. My first beer in Belgium was a local brew made by Brouwers Verzet, a brewery organized by three friends with degrees in brewing. Rebel Local was the beer, an 8.5% Belgian style IPA. Content, full, and satisfied we retired early our first night in Brussels in an attempt to regroup, in addition to the fact that we got in late as the result of a delayed train. With a full night of rest we were up early to visit one of the most incredible breweries I have ever had the privilege of touring.
Welcome to Cantillon, a traditional lambic brewery. On this day we had the privilege to visit one of the last remnants of a time when brewers and their product still had to contend with natures influence. Cantillion produces all of their beers using a natural fermentation technique. Today, they still continue to use 19th-century brewing equipment.
What made this visit even more special was the bottle share we had the opportunity to do with some fellow tour members. We each purchased a bottle to enjoy at the brewery so each of us would have to chance to try all Cantillon’s offerings. As introductions and conversation progressed it turned out that one of our new drinking buddies is one of the founders of Brouwers Verzet, Joran! You can imagine my surprise as I realized I made my first beer I drank in Belgium one he brewed. He was at Cantillon celebrating being approved for a visa to become a member of Three Taverns Brewery in Atlanta, GA. We continued our bottle share, got the insiders scoop on places to eat, (Nuet Nigenough) and just let the time slip away. Oh yeah, we also escaped with a few bottles of Fou’ Foune.
I couldn’t help but smile as I witnessed another moment in my life that the passion for beer brought people together. And we still had two more stops on the list.