The Best Beer In The World

When a country produces in the region of 500 or so different beers, there must be something to please everyone. From strong flavoured trappist ales to fruity krieks, the Belgians certainly love their brewing…… and it has to be sampled.

Just as with the Chocolatiers, many breweries only welcome organised tours so don’t always expect to be able to visit. The Abbaye d’Orval for example, in the south of Belgium, does not charge for tours but visitors must be in the brewing industry.

However in the heart of Brussels you will find the “Museum of the Gueuze” which houses the 19th century old Cantillon brewery. This is one of the last traditional breweries where little has changed over the last 100 years. You can visit at any time during opening hours and the entrance fee of €3.50 includes a glass of beer.

Here you walk back in time between cellars fully stored with barrels of the mysterious beer, the result of the spontaneous fermentation by airborne wild yeast. The Lambic is a natural beer with an extraordinary taste and the Cantillon Gueuze one of the best.

Usually on one day in the year, there is a public brewing session where the dedicated can spend a whole day and follow the entire process.

The Museum and Brewery is situated at:

56 rue Gheude
1070 Brussels
Telephone: 2 521.49.28