That is exactly what Ray, Megan, Bridget and I did for ten days in October. Driven by a compact, fuel efficient, diesel car. Motivated with a thirst to taste some of the best brews in the world. Challenged by a goal to sample 100 different beers in 10 days. With the Kingdom of Belgium matching the size of Maryland, we were sure to experience a good bit of the country in our time frame.
Our journey began with two days in Brussels. Here we were fortunate enough to tour the Cantillon Brewery, the oldest beer brewery in Brussels that produces lambic and geuze beers. We also stepped into the museum of Rene Magritte. This Belgian born surrealist is well known for his painting "the son of a man" featured in the adaptation of The Thomas Crown Affair. Even with Brussels being the capital of Belgium and the seat of the E.U., it's medieval architecture and cobblestone streets help maintain it's roots from when it was a 10th century fortress town.
From Brussels we traveled south to the sleepy town of Chimay. Chimay Brewery is home to one of the select seven Trappist Abbeys . Six of these Abbeys are located within the borders of Belgium. The seventh is located next door in the Netherlands. After leaving Chimay, we drove along the border of France heading towards the Province of West Flanders for a nights stay in the town of Poperinge. Of course along the way we make some pit stops at more Breweries.
Next was a two night stay In Bruges, "The Venice of the North". Brugge is a canal based city full of cobblestone streets, medieval structures and wonderful waterways. Although the city caters to tourists we thoroughly enjoyed our two days here. We stopped in for a brew at the De Halve Maan brewery. This is the only family run brewery still active in the town of Brugge. The highlight beer of this city for me, hands down, was De Garre. This elusive pub is known for its exclusive Tripel de Garre beer. It's hidden in a narrow cul-de-sac and is notoriously hard to find! We ended up hitting this place twice.
My favorite city of all was Ghent. This town offers everything Brugge does except for the touristy part. Ghent is a university based town with great architecture, beautiful canals and plenty of restaurants and museums. All without tourist traps. Brewery Huyghe is a very notable brew house near the town of Ghent. Known best for its Delirium Tremens with the recognizable pink elephant on the bottle. The definition of the name is "an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol"
For the last night in Belgium we headed to another university town named Leuven. Not without a stop in Buggenhout first, to see the Bosteels Brewery. Here they brew another one of my favorites and internationally known beers, the Triple Karmeliet.
Of course by consuming all this beer, we had to eat! Belgium is best known for it's gastronomic offer of mussels, pommes frites and chocolate. Even deeper than those tasteful things are dishes that include magnificent rabbit, stoemp, (potato mashed with other vegetables, often served with sausages), tasty soups and plenty of baked goods.
So, what do you get when you put plenty of excellent, high percentage beer and tasteful food that fills your stomach?? Answer: An afternoon nap! Almost everyday after brisks walks in the city, beer and food, we would head back to our B&B for some rest to recharge for the rest of the night. Admittedly the goal of 100 different beers in 10 days was a challenge. Every beer in Belgium is not superb. They do have the equivalent of our Schlitz, Schaefer or Peels. So to aid in our quest, we stopped a couple of times in a convenient store, bought 3 of these cheapies and walked the streets with them. Yes, in Belgium it is legal to drink anywhere!
By the end of the trip we had successfully met our goal!! We sampled 100 different beers while experiencing a lot of the country. The citizens of Belgium are sensible and open minded people that love their beer and their country. Always with open arms, the locals helped take our experience in Belgium to the next level.
