I first tasted beer when I was 7 and yuck! College came and Budweiser was the norm. I thought…read morethat's just it beer sucks and it's a way to get drunk cheap just drink loads and get on with it. Westvleteren is one of the best beers and elevated beer to my drink profile. I drank and got into beers so much that I developed gout hahaha. The closest taste would be st bernardus but nothing really hits the spot unless you drink the real thing. I drove 250 km just to drink this.

When I heard we'd get to go to the Westvleteren Trappist Brewery I was thrilled and envisaged a…read morehundreds of years old building with creaking floorboards, lofty rafters and monks scurrying around pouring beer and chanting. OK not so much the chanting part but I think you get the picture I was seeing in my head. What a shock when we finally arrived (after about an hour drive from Brugge) and found a sleek, angular and thoroughly modern taproom and restaurant! Well for sure the ages old Abbey is around somewhere? Nope. Though we couldn't get a tour we saw many photos all showing very modern and classy facilities, including their worship spaces. Mind blown, but in amazing way. These Monks have totally embraced the modern times and they've produced a really nice facility with some wonderful grounds as well. What about the beer? , Yes, yes we weren't on an architecture tour we were here for the beer. And boy it sure didn't disappoint. There's a reason the Westvleteren XII was rated the best beer in the world a few years back and luckily we got to taste through the line-up the 12, the 8 and the Blonde! It should be mentioned that the food was quite good as well and despite the continuous stream of people strolling in to deplete the days supply of available "to go" six packs it was quite a pleasant and relaxing experience. (TIP: if you want take some home with you you better get there when they open and buy your six packs first thing. DO NOT wait until after you eat to buy the beer, I saw the days allotted pallet get cleared out in the time it took us to eat lunch:-) As I sit here months removed from my visit, staring at the last bottle of Westvleteren Blond that I schlepped through Europe and finally got home, I think that I've got to get back to Belgium and Westvletren and I envy any and all of you who are on your way there :-)

One of the most underrated breweries of all time…read more De Dolle Brouwers are as craft as craft beer can get. The head brewer and one of the masterminds behind the creation of De Dolle, Kris Herteleer, pretty much built the brewery from the ground up with his bare hands and I mean that strictly in the semi-literal sense. Coming from a former medical background, Kris is the quintessentially modern rendition of the renaissance man: he's the head of a cycling club, an artist who designed all the artwork that goes with De Dolle, the mechanic that keeps all the brewing equipment in line at De Dolle, and of course the genius behind De Dolle's unique and one of a kind Belgian Strong Dark and Pale Ales. The brewery itself is built around the Oerbierman, the mysterious yellow blob-ish like character that appears as the mascot/logo for De Dolle's signature beer. Think of the brewery grounds as the breeding and feeding grounds of Oerbierman -- a magical Belgian creature that feeds on the excitement and harmony created by all visiting these hallowed grounds and spouts out yummy beers in return. Abstract imagery aside, the brewery does kind of look like one big awesome theme park (in the likeness of Duvel-Moortgaat's proposed Chouffe Land) and any experience here will likely be a magical storied one. Kris and his better half Els are usually entertaining guests from both near and far on Saturdays and Sundays when the brewery is open to the public, and they sure do know how to make someone feel right at home as you immediately feel like family the moment Els hands over that crisp cool pour of Arabier straight from the hallowed taps. Dammit, I have to stop getting carried away with the imagery. There's usually three or so taps on offer at De Dolle with two of them permanently being reserved for De Dolle's year round offerings (Arabier and Oerbier). They do sometimes have bottles behind the counter as well, so it's always good to ask if you're looking for something specific. Across the kitty corner from the bar they also sell all sort of brewery paraphernalia like t-shirts, posters of Kris' awesome artwork, printed glasses, and also bottles to take away. English tours are only given on Sunday, but you can also set up a tour for a weekday if you have a large party with you (of 8 and over I believe.) If you've already made the drive out to West-Vlaanderen, or even to Bruges which isn't that far out from here, do make sure to stop by De Dolle to sample some of Belgium's finest non-sour traditional beers, and also if you're tired of the "European city hospitality" that Brussels, Bruges, and Gent are famous for and actually want to feel treated like a respectable human being. Even if you've never had any of De Dolle's offerings, I'd still urge you to visit -- this place is more like a playground for kidults if anything else, and I find it hard for anyone to have a bad time here. Food options limited.

This brewery is a must if you are in the area. Any aspiring home brewers or beer enthusiasts will…read morefind the tour fascinating. We tried the stout, the brown and the reserve. All were fantastic - the reserve was especially delicious and unique.

Amazing view. Great beer. Food is also, great. Julien at the gift shop is the best…read more Fly, you fools.

An absolute dream come true…read more I still can't believe they didn't shut the door in our faces on arrival. There we were, six young-ish dudes -- looking very, very thirsty -- checking in for two nights, one of them a humble bachelor celebrating his final days of freedom. They asked what our plans were for our stay. They laughed. They knew. They welcomed it. We conquered. To say this place is perfect would be an understatement. It is better than perfect. Everything you've heard is true: -- Three fridges stocked with every type of St. Bernardus beer in existence (cash donations accepted). -- Large, comfortable rooms named after the various beers, some with air conditioning (although mine, the Pater 6, did not have A/C) all nicely decorated with beer art and warm colors. -- A lounge with antique furniture and games, a chess board, books about beer. -- Breakfast with cooked-to-order eggs, and three different types of cheese made specifically for the brewery. -- Grab a bike and take the short but beautiful ride into the charming town of Watou. All for the truly incredible value of 110 Euros/night for a double room, 95 if you're traveling solo. -- Did you wake up with a headache after emptying the fridges of their contents last night? No worries, Jackie knows, and she has aspirin waiting for you with the instructions to take it with the last beer you drank the previous night. Don't forget to have a poke around downstairs (haha) and scope some of the St. Bernardus memorabilia from the days when they brewed Westvelteren 12 on behalf of the St. Sixtus Trappist Abbey. The old clay mugs are spectacular, as are the 3-liter commemorative Tour de France glasses. Everything about this place is beyond exceptional. Everything. I can't wait to go back.

I've had shit ton of Belgian beers lately, mainly those that focus on a type or two. The folks at…read moreDe Struise are like the Danish Brewers Mikkeller and Evil Twin, they do collaborations and use other brewers facilities to make their product. The Black Albert is modeled after an Imperial stout, deep dark colour, and 15% in alcohol content so it packs a wallop. The cool thing however is they use all Belgian originated ingredients. An excellent representation of the stout style

Not sure how to review this place. Pretty much Urbain, the brewmaster, and other staff treat you…read morelike a long lost brother and you get to try the most badass beers ever made with the creators themselves. So if that sounds pretty awesome to you, then I would recommend dropping by the old schoolhouse brewery and set aside a few days to volunteer during brewing days and also chill-out on Struise Farm with the crew. It is very difficult to even buy some of the beers that are sitting around because Urbain will just give them to you. That's pretty decent value I'd say. Pro Tip: If you contact Struise on facebook ahead of time, you can set up appointments, tours, volunteer opportunities and even stay on the farm as if a bed and breakfast. Amazing cultural experience all around for beer and food lovers alike.

From the owner: Brassage de bières sur place. Et sélection de 400 bières…read morerégionales et Internationales en provenance des USA, du Canada, du Japon, de Belgique, des Pays Bas, Ecosses, Norvège, Danemark...

I spent a lot of time in Belgium traversing much of Flanders. I drank a lot of beer, and probably…read moredrove by many of the great towns where these breweries were without sufficient time to stop and spend copious amounts of time there. De Ranke sits next to Kortrik in Wevelgem, which was on my way from Kruishotem to Dranouter for the night. Unlike many of the older legendary breweries, De Ranke started in the mid 1990s and made themselves a name after meeting from a brewers guild, using the rank of hops for their moniker. The are well know for their fruit ale Kriek De Ranke but I've also tried the Noir which is their dark ale. If you're a beer drinker you know the Belgians pack a punch in alcohol and their flavor is very robust. De Ranke even bring newer has shown that they can live up to those legends that the Flemish region can produce in beer lore.

The Mad Brewers Lives up to its nameread more

one of belgiums therefore one of the worlds best brewers;they just dont do bad beer…read more try the oerbier a lovely classic sour brown ale

Great little "mill house" out in Vleteren sandwiched in between two world-class breweries:…read moreSint-Sixtus Abdij van Westvleteren to the West (Westvleteren) and De Struise Brouwers Het Oud Schooltje to the East (Oostvleteren) Well technically, De Struise Brouwers is right across the street from this place, but who cares about little details like that. I honestly don't understand why this place isn't a bigger deal. By the looks of the interior and after talking to some people that have frequented this place for decades, it's been family own and run as part of the neighborhood since time immemorial, and the food and service here reflects that very well. You'll find all sorts of crowds here: tourists that somehow stumbled in here because it's probably one of the two or three overtly recognizable restaurants in the vicinity; beer fanatics who are making their lunch stop during some variation of their West Flanders Beer Tour because you can literally park your car in the lot here and walk over to De Struise; or even locals, like Urbain Coutteau and Carlo Grootaert of De Struise Brouwers, who come here during the weekdays after a long day of brewing and work. The atmosphere is accommodating enough to host all types of people described above, and the food is quite hospitable as well; the menu has a grocery list of Flemish delicacies and local (Vleteren) cuisine, alongside some of the more vanilla choices like steak and fish, with an amazing selection of beer (bet you were wondering when I'd finally mention this) alongside some choice aperatifs, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages to go with your meal for those who hate fun. In all sincerity, this place was an amazing pit-stop after visiting the Sint-Sixtus Abbey -- their Bitterballen (marinated with De Struise's Pannepot) was simply amazing, and something that I've pitched to my chef friends back at home; whereas it's not quite local flavor, I ordered the Chicken and Pork Shoulder Tagine (marinated again, with De Struise's Pannepot) which was absolutely fantastic and hearty enough to get me through my remaining two brewery visits for the day (one of which was, you guessed it, De Struise Brouwers) I've mentioned De Struise Brouwers eight times in this review. Hopefully that will serve as good subliminal advice for you to go check them out, as they are--as mentioned previously--right across the street.

Excellent restaurant in a small town. Food is amazing and beer list beyond compare. Management and…read moreservice are exceptional!