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 :-)

Yaron is the . He was the highlight of our visit and we will definitely be recommending our friends…read moreand family to visit. The staff was amazing even on a busy day.

Great spot along the canal to try a beer flight and take a break at lunchtime. Go early for a nice…read moreseat with a view. You order your beer and charcuterie at the bar and servers deliver to your table. We heard from some other travelers that the tour was just ok so we skipped straight to the eating and drinking part. Recommend

I have seen Delirium-Hutghe beer around for a very long time. It's not terribly hard to miss with…read morethe pink elephant logo on it however it wasn't until recently where we had our first beer experience with it. We got a beer that we have also seen for a very long time too. It was the Delirium Tremmens which is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale which was pretty good. It didn't quite have the micro brew feel going on and had the feel of a larger mass produced brewery but it wasn't bad. Flavor characteristics with this beer are strong, sweet and some fruitiness going on. It's also strong tasting and light bodied. I am glad to have tried one of the beers from this brewery at long last!

Best brewery tour in the world. Great team and awesome and delicious beers. Easy to understand and…read morefun to do and super affordable. Check all the boxes. Ask for Jose!

I did a little self guided tour where you follow the numbers. It's pretty inexpensive and you can…read morebuy tickets at the front desk. The tour doesn't take too long and afterwards you get three samples in their taproom!

Because of the utter dysfunctionality of Brussels, I arrived late at Brasserie Cantillon, whose bar…read morecloses at 4 P.M. -- because beer drinking ends at 4 P.M., right? Drinking alcohol is an early daytime activity for most folks, isn't it? I got there at 4:12 P.M., when they wouldn't pour me a beer but were more than willing to sell me merchandise for another hour: CANTILLON GUY: "What do you want to buy?" ME: "The bar's closed? CANTILLON GUY: "We can't keep serving all day." ME: "So there's no way to get a beer?" CANTILLON GUY: "Get here earlier." ME: " ... " CANTILLON GUY: "So, what do you want?" ME: "I don't want anything." (Exit ME.) I get it -- there are lots of tourists, and there are times to close. Did I expect him to open the bar for just super-special me? No. Did I expect him to be maybe just a little bit less of a jerk, especially when he was simultaneously trying to pry my wallet open? It sure would've been nice.

We stopped here to try their famous beer and really enjoyed the experience. I ordered the Tripel,…read moreand it was excellent--definitely worth the visit. We sat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere while taking in the surroundings. It was a great place to relax and enjoy a traditional Belgian beer. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to take the brewery tour and learned that they close at 6:00 PM. That's on us, and we'll have to save the tour for a future visit. Even without the tour, the beer and outdoor setting made this a memorable stop, and I'd gladly come back.

Iconic brewery tour that includes a drink at the end in their taproom! Be warned: there are a LOT…read moreof steps on this tour, many of which are narrow and step. Make sure you wear sneakers and that you are able to physically handle this tour. We got so many steps in during it and at one point climbed out onto the roof! Very informative and fun!

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.

Amazing piece of brew history!…read more During the tasting you will get insights into the story of De Koninick and its merge with Duvel (Heneiken tried as well). What has emerged is an on-site suite of local butcher, local cheeses, chocolates and great beer. There is a separate brewery tour which we have not taken yet; however, from a local museum tour, it will be a modest ticket for a great adventure. Cheers

De Konick Brewery was recommended to me by Antwerp locals I met in Baton Rouge. The best brewery…read moretour I've ever been to, out of several. Self guided tour concept is genius! The beer is delicious and the cheese platter is too. Souvenirs are priced for locals, unlike the inflated prices you find in downtown Brussels. I highly recommend to any American in search of good beer! Sincerely, AlsoABeerSnob

Wifey and I in Belgium as we make our way from U.K. to Italy via car. A slow Friday night, a…read morequick yelp search for breweries and we find ourselves at Gruut. They have 6 beers on draft and all of the tasters we tried were very good. Wit, Blond, Amber were very well balanced and each had a nice aftertaste which should be experienced. I believe they use no hops in their beers (per the tour guide explaining to the group next to us on the patio) resulting in great flavorful beer w no bitterness. A few tips - - GPS to the location and be prepared for a quick turn into a courtyard type parking lot. Pay for parking at blue box on side walk. - outside cafe seating - doggy friendly in-out side. - the tour sounded very educational and worth the $ - their dried sausage was a nice side to the beer. The friendly English speaking staff add to the easy 5 star rating of this in town brewery. Nice job Gruut!!

Really interesting, creative beers. We got there right when they opened, so they didn't seem ready…read moreto receive two Americans at 11am and I think they were having a meeting, but it all worked out in the end. Got to have some gruut right from the source!

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...