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Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Couple's Travel Blog

Europe, Food & Drink Travel

The Beginner’s Guide to Belgian Beer & Where to Drink Beer in Belgium

January 23, 2017

The beginner's guide to drinking beer in Belgium! All you need to know about visiting Belgium for Belgian beer, breweries, and bars.
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The beginner's guide to drinking beer in Belgium! All you need to know about visiting Belgium for Belgian beer, breweries, and bars.The beginner's guide to drinking beer in Belgium! All you need to know about visiting Belgium for Belgian beer, breweries, and bars.

I’m a snob about a lot of things – bourbon, coffee, Mexican food (get out of here with that Tex-Mex garbage), etc. – but beer has never been one of them. I’m the kind of person who has a few beers they like, and those are my go-tos. So when we decided visit Belgium, I thought “Oh great! I’m going to eat so much chocolate, fries, and waffles! Oh, right, and beer too. We’ll have a bunch of Stella and Hoegaarden, I guess.” Feel free to judge me, hard. If my basic AF beer choices weren’t evidence enough, I was not knowledgeable of the Belgian beer scene. I’m happy to report that after 2 weeks in Belgium, including two Belgian food tours (one of which focused solely on beer & chocolate), I am officially knowledgeable enough about Belgian beer to be somewhat of a snob. So I wrote up a beginner’s guide to Belgian beers & where to drink beer in Belgium.

What You’ll Find in this Beginner’s Guide to Belgian Beer

Like any good beginner’s guide, this is a long and detailed post. (In fact, the estimated reading time is 18 minutes.) Here’s what you’ll find below.

Table of Contents

  • What You'll Find in this Beginner's Guide to Belgian Beer
  • Trappist Beer: the Classic Belgian Beer
  • Lambic Beer: Traditional Belgian Fruit Beer
  • How to Drink Belgian Beer in Belgium
  • What’s With the Belgian Beer Glasses? 
  • Where to Drink Beer in Belgium
    • Where to Drink Beer in Bruges
    • Where to Drink Beer in Antwerp
    • Where to Drink Beer in Brussels
  • The Best Belgian Beers to Drink in Belgium
  • Why Drink Belgian Beer in Belgium?

Well, let’s get started!

Belgian beers lined up in a Belgian Beer Store. Belgian beer stores are a bit like like beer libraries.

Belgian beers lined up in a Belgian Beer Store. Belgian beer stores are a bit like like beer libraries.

Trappist Beer: the Classic Belgian Beer

Trappist beers are brewed in a traditional method developed by Monks. A brief history of Trappist beer in Belgium: many, many years ago, Monks fled to Belgium along with other refugees persecuted in their homelands, all searching for religious freedom. The difference was that the Monks were literate, and brought their beer recipes with them. Beer brewing flourished in Belgium because the water was unsafe to drink, and beer was both safe and cheaper than water. Low alcohol content beer was even drank by Belgian children (you can tell that to the next person you see drinking a Miller Lite). Unsurprisingly, many ancient Belgians made the link between Monks, the safety of drinking beer vs. water, and divinity. Beer really IS holy!

There are 11 Trappist breweries in operation in the entire world; Belgium has six of them. Trappist rule #1 is that a beer is not a Trappist beer unless it is brewed INSIDE a working monastery. Sorry hipsters. No pop up bars serving small batch Tripels fermented in re-purposed materials and served in Mason jars while some dude with an accordion talks about his preferred mustache wax.

Rules #2-4 about Trappist beers are very specific that Monks must be the ones actually brewing the beer, and furthermore, any profits must be used within the monastery or donated to charity. Beer and social responsibility, our favorite combination!

Trappist beer all started with the monks’ first beer type: the Trappist Blonde, which is a relatively weak beer (3-4% ABV usually, so like, for kids). Later on, they invented the Dubbel (which is double the ABV), the Tripel (you guessed it…triple the ABV), and the Quadrupel. There are some people who say those names are because there’s three times the hops, or three times the aging, or whatever. It’s not. It is simply a naming convention the monks came up with. It is, however, a good indicator of the color of the beer.

Oud Kriek Beersel is a traditional Belgian Lambic beer, made with sour cherries and wild yeast. It's classic, unique, and yummy - and one of the best beers to drink in Belgium!

Oud Kriek Beersel is a traditional Belgian Lambic beer, made with sour cherries and wild yeast. It’s classic, unique, and yummy – and one of the best beers to drink in Belgium!

Lambic Beer: Traditional Belgian Fruit Beer

Lambics by definition have to come from Belgium. Think champagne to France. Lambics use spontaneous fermentation. Essentially what that means is they’re fermented in open air vats. And I mean open air! The brewery throws open their windows and doors and lets nature do her thing. Even when they’re in the barrels, they cut a big hole at the top and leave the windows open. The result is a sour and earthy taste with a bit of skunky smell, but compex notes. Breweries will also make Kriek or Framboise Lambics by throwing cherries or raspberries (respectively) into the barrels. Depending on the quality of maker, this can be anything from a slight fruity sourness to basically cough syrup (if they add syrup to punch up the fruit flavor). If anyone has had Lindeman’s Kriek or Framboise, you know what I mean about the beers being pretty much juice.

Westvleteren is the most famous Trappist beer in the world. It's also been ranked as the best beer in the world for decades! It's unlabelled and super difficult to get unless you're in Belgium. Oh, and it's INSANELY delicious.

Westvleteren is the most famous Trappist beer in the world. It’s also been ranked as the best beer in the world for decades! It’s unlabeled and super difficult to get unless you’re in Belgium. Oh, and it’s INSANELY delicious.

How to Drink Belgian Beer in Belgium

Belgium takes its beer very seriously. There is actually a 9-step pouring process, called The Belgian Pouring Ritual, that occurs from the moment you order your desired beer until the moment it is placed in front of you. The least you can do, after all that, is to drink your beer properly. And that’s not the easiest task: just about everything you’ve ever learned about drinking beer is wrong when it comes to Belgian beers. Here are some guidelines for how to drink Belgian beer in Belgium without making yourself look like an idiot.

First of all, a well-poured Belgian beer is all about the head: a good pour has a solid 2 fingers of foam on top. This protects the beer from the air and keeps it from going flat and stale. If you don’t want a beer with a foamy head, you’re probably in the wrong country. Have you tried wine? France is nearby…

At some point in my life, I was told beer is always better from the tap. That is not the case with Belgian beers. Belgian beers (Lambics and wheats especially) utilize on the beer in its entirety for the best and most complex flavor. As such, they are unfiltered when they’re in the bottle. Draft beers get slightly filtered, so you sacrifice taste. Many Belgian beers are actually still fermenting in the bottle, and are greatly improved from a bit of shelf life in a cool dark place (it also makes them EXTRA bubbly!)  And don’t forget that tap rooms don’t clean the pipes as often as they should, and stuff gets built up in them, ruining your appetite and the taste of your beer. Gross! What this means is that most Belgian beers are best served from the bottle. There are a few notable exceptions to this rule, and any good bar in Belgium will know what those exceptions are. 

The other startling difference between the beer you’re used to and the proper way to drink Belgian beer is the temperature. You’re probably used to beers served cold. “Beer” and “Ice Cold” seem to go together like “cooler full of Coronas” and “some chick in a bikini on an island somewhere.” Throw that entire image away. You’re not on an island, you’re in freezing cold, probably raining Belgium, and that kind of marketing is for American schlubs. Good beer flavor is complex, and it’s actually best to enjoy a Belgian beer only slightly below room temperature. When in doubt, check the bottle: Belgian beer bottles contain specific temperature instructions. 

Two Belgian beers at Halve Man Brewery, in Brugges, Belgium. The proper way to drink a Belgian beer is with from the bottle, with 2 fingers of foam, in the glass that matches with the beer. And of course, it's always better to drink beer in Belgium itself.Two Belgian beers at Halve Man Brewery, in Brugges, Belgium. The proper way to drink a Belgian beer is with from the bottle, with 2 fingers of foam, in the glass that matches with the beer. And of course, it's always better to drink beer in Belgium itself.

Two Belgian beers at Halve Man Brewery, in Bruges, Belgium. The proper way to drink a Belgian beer is with from the bottle, with 2 fingers of foam, in the glass that matches with the beer. And of course, it’s always better to drink beer in Belgium itself.

What’s With the Belgian Beer Glasses? 

One of the first things I noticed when I entered my first Belgian bar was the variety of glassware. Maybe you’ve noticed Hoegaarden has their hexagonal glass, or the Chimay chalice. Belgian breweries do this for a few reasons. The first is aeration; each Belgian beer has its own traditional glass shape that is supposed to best air out the beer as you sip it. Chalice shaped glasses are fairly popular for Trappist beers for this reason. There’s also a tradition associated with the correct Belgian beer glass. Lambics, for instance, traditionally use a range of champagne flute to wine glass shaped glasses.

Finally, and most interestingly, it is for advertisement. Outside of the usual signage at a bar, you won’t see Belgian beers advertised on billboards like you do in the USA. Belgian beers are seen on the glasses they’re being drunk from. Two of the best examples we saw were Corne and Kwak beer. Corne is served in a big glass horn (the rhyming is cute). Kwak beer, on the other hand, is served in a super weird almost chemistry lab looking glass. Turns out, the Kwak beer glass was invented so that the brewer could drive his carriage drunk without spilling his beer. Oh, Belgium.

With both Corne and Kwak beer, the glasses are served in a big wooden frame so they can be set down easily. So imagine you walk into a bar and you see someone drinking out of a horn attached to a giant wooden structure. Are you NOT going to want to have what they’re having? (I wanted to make a “When Harry Met Sally” joke here but gave up.)

Drinking a tasty Belgian beer with cheese and bread. Not in a Belgian bar, mind you, this is actually in a Belgian beer store. Awesome, right?

Drinking a tasty Belgian beer with cheese and bread. Not in a Belgian bar, mind you, this is actually in a Belgian beer store. Awesome, right?

Where to Drink Beer in Belgium

We went to so many bars in Belgium, plus a few breweries and beer shops. We unfortunately didn’t get to travel to Ghent, but we did make it to Antwerp and Brugges. After 2 weeks of drinking a lot of beer in Belgium feverish researching, here are our top picks for where to drink beer in Belgium!


Where to Drink Beer in Bruges

  • Cambrinus: A cozy Belgian pub located slightly off of the Markt. They have an impressive beer list and serve classic Belgian food. Can’t decide? They have a few styles of beer flight.
    • Website: Link | Address:  Philipstockstraat 19, 8000 Bruges
  • De Haalve Mann Brewery: This is home to Straffe Hendik and Brugse Zot beers. Take the tour and find out all about one of the most popular beers in Belgium. Then finish it off with a beer and Flemish stew in the Brasserie. 
    • Website: Link | Address: Walplein 26, 8000 Bruges
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Where to Drink Beer in Antwerp

  • Billie’s Bier Kafétaria: My biggest regret in life Belgium is that we only went here once. First of all, the bar is apparently owned by a French Bulldog, which is a huge selling point for me. Secondly, we had three of our favorite beers here – and all we did was ask our waitress to randomly pick a flight for us. Thirdly, we enjoyed one of the best meals we have had in ALL of Europe at Billie’s Bier Kafétaria. Belgian Food Tip: Get the meatball and cherry casserole and the Flemish Stew. Just do it, you’ll thank us later.
    • RateBeer: Link Beer Guide Antwerp: Link | Address: Kammenstraat 12, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Cafe Kulminator: “I’d like a (insert obscure beer) from (whatever year you want).” They’ll have it. The owner has a stockpile of beers from all over time and space down in the basement. So if the Bible thick beer list isn’t enough for you, try getting weird with it.
    • Beer Advocate: Link | Address: Vleminckveld 32, 2000 Antwerpen

Where to Drink Beer in Brussels

  • Toone: Interesting historical fact about Brussels: long ago, some insecure king forbade theater during his reign because actors used it to criticize him. “But think of the children!” “Okay fine, the kids can have puppet theater!” So puppet theaters became the new political forum in Brussels. Toone is the last remaining active puppet theater, and they serve up some great beers. You don’t have to go here just for shows, either. This is where you can find a cheap(ish) glass of Westvleteren…more on that later.
    • Website: Link | Address: Rue du Marché aux Herbes 66, 1000 Brussels
  • Au Bon Vieux Temps: The oldest bar in Brussels, complete with chandeliers, stained glass windows, ancient wood benches, and a crowd of locals. But hey, if it’s packed with locals, you know it’s worth a visit. It looks like you have to risk your life to enter, because it’s down a sketchy alley, but fear not, a lot of Brussels bars are like this. In fact, the sketchier the alley, the better the bar: this was another way that Brussels historically hid their drinking from the lame, restrictive monarchies. 
    • Beer Advocate: Link | Address: Impasse Saint-Nicolas 4, 1000 Brussels
  • Delirium Cafe: This is another incredibly packed house, but it’s mostly due to tourists. This is where that group of pink elephants you’ve seen at bars come from. They boast a beer list of almost 3000 beers. Upstairs is the taproom. Outside is one of the 3 peeing statues in Brussels (er, the slightly less famous female one).
    • Website: Link | Address: Impasse de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Brussels
  • Moedic Lambic: A casual, modern bar that offers a ton of Lambic options at great prices. Unlike the cozy historic bars in Brussels, Moedic Lambic has plenty of space and seating. Come with your Brussels Card and get a free plate of charcuterie with the purchase of two beers!
    • Website: Link | Address: 68 rue de Savoie 1060 and also 8 place Fontainas 1000 Brussels
  • Der Biertemple: This isn’t a bar, it’s a beer market. And calling it a temple is right. Holy crap, this store is STOCKED. This is your one stop shop to grab all of those beers you loved and wanted to take home. And guess what? You get a 25% discount with a Brussels Card! Note: there is also a location in Bruges.
    • Website: Link | Address: Grasmarkt 56b, 1000 Brussels
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You can find some more helpful suggestions for where to drink beer in Brussels at The Ale in Kaleigh!

Drinking a delicious Kriek Lambic beer off of a Trappistes Rochefort tray. 2 famous Belgian Beers at once!

Drinking a delicious Kriek Lambic beer off of a Trappistes Rochefort tray. 2 famous Belgian Beers at once!

The Best Belgian Beers to Drink in Belgium

There are over 3000 kind of Belgian beers, spread out over 200 breweries. We drank only 17 of them. This was not for lack of trying. There are just so many. Here are our top 5 picks: the 5 best Belgian beers we strongly encourage you to drink in Belgium.

  1. Westvleteren 12

     This unlabeled Trappist Quadrupel beer is a legend in the beer world. It has been rated as the best beer in the world since 1996! (RateBeer page here.) To get your hands on a Westvleteren, you need to pay big OR make a reservation at the monastery months in advance and get either two cases or none (read more at the Westvleteren website). We chose the easier option. And you know what? It absolutely deserves the hype! It’s a dark beer that smells like fig and raisins. It tastes like wine soaked figs, wood, and earthy yeast, with a marshmallow finish. And you don’t have to be well versed in tasting to enjoy its complex flavors: it’s bold! The very last sip I could have sworn tasted like bourbon. You’ll usually find Westvletern for around 20 Euro in Brussels, but it’s only 12 at Toone. We also found a bottle for 14 euro at Der Bier Temple, and minus the 25% discount you’ll get with your Brussels Card, it’s a bargain.  Make sure to buy the unlabeled bottle with the YELLOW cap.

  2. Rodenbach Vintage 2014

      An absolutely heavenly sour beer. This one was so good we went on a hunt to find it again! If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you were drinking Kombucha. Tastes like fruit, vinegar, and honey.

  3. Kasteel Rouge

      This is a fruit beer, but it’s not a Lambic. Its smell and taste are the same: sour cherries up front then a cinnamon and spice finish. Not too sweet but definitely a fruit beer.

  4. Straff Hendrik Tripel

      This is a Tripel that drinks like a Dubbel. It quickly became my standard for how Tripels were supposed to be. It has the hop and malt taste you’d expect with some nice notes of pear, honey, and spice.

  5. Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Lambic

      This is THE Lambic to have, if you were only to have one. It’s not too sour, but it isn’t sweet either. It has had no added sugar added so the sweetness is from the cherries, which are native to Belgium. Smells of cherry, vinegar, and oak. Taste is fairly similar, but less vinegar. If you want a true Kriek Lambic, this is it.

Here are even more Belgian beers we drank in Belgium. Some were hits, a few weren’t our personal favorite. But hey, if you’re in Belgium, why not drink everything you can? After all, everyone has different preferences!

  • Gouden Carolus Tripel – 9% ABV; Bitter side of Tripel; Really enjoyed this one.
  • Val-Dieu Tripel – 9% ABV; Tastes much lighter and spicier than most Tripels
  • Brugse Zot Blonde – 4% ABV; Our lightest option for a trappist; smooth and not too sweet
  • Brugse Zot Dubbel – 7.5% ABV; More body than it’s blonde counterpart, but still smooth
  • Delirium Noel (Christmas Ale) – 10% ABV; The most forgettable one we tried honestly; lacked any of that spiciness you expect from holiday beers. Plus you can probably find it outside of Belgium.
  • Tripel d’Anvers – 8% ABV; Very light for a Tripel; On the sweet side.
  • Avec Les Bon Veux – 9.5% ABV; Very light and sour.
  • Monk’s Stout DuPont – 5.2% ABV; Typical chocolate and coffee stout taste, but lacks the strength associated with Belgian beers; Good option for the less adventurous & those with lower tolerances.
  • Lindeman’s Kriek – 2.5% ABV; We stepped away from cherry and tried the raspberry Lambic. This one is mass produced and artificially sweetened and tasted more like cough syrup than beer.
  • Cantillon Kriek – 5% ABV; Another cherry Lambic done without sugar added; Very strong, funky vinegar and cherry taste, but as we drank on, the cherry overpowered the vinegar and it got easier to drink. It’s an acquired taste for sure, but Cantillon is one of the greats for Lambic.
  • Cantillon Lambic – 5% ABV; Similar to its Kriek counterpart, this is a really funky vinegary beer, but this time with notes of citrus peel. This one also calmed down after some time.
Picturesque Brugges, Belgium is a fantastic medieval town that isn't to be missed when visiting Belgium.

Picturesque Bruges, Belgium is a fantastic medieval town that isn’t to be missed when visiting Belgium.

Why Drink Belgian Beer in Belgium?

Belgian Beer just tastes better in Belgium. First of all, you’re going to get better beer in general – the selection of excellent beer in Belgium cannot be beat and is difficult to find elsewhere in the country. Secondly, you’ll be treated to the Belgian beer pouring method which we talked about earlier: the way of pouring the beer, the foam, the temperature, and even the glass it’s served in all make your beer drinking experiencing better when visiting Belgium. Even Lia (who straight up does not like beer) still daydreams about some of the great beers we drank there. But it isn’t just the beer we fell in love with in Belgium!

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As all of our readers probably know, Lia and I often base our trips around the food and drink.  Before the trip, most of what I knew about Belgium was that they were famous for chocolate, beer, fries, and waffles, and one of my favorite movies, In Bruges, takes place there. Oh, and something about a statue of a peeing boy? But Belgium has quickly become one of my favorite countries in our entire time abroad. The food is truly fantastic, and not just the well-known food, either. We also added Flemish Stew and Speculoos to our favorite foods list thanks to Belgium.  Even if amazing food, chocolate,  and beer can’t convince you to visit Belgium (but like … why not?) the country has plenty of other allure. From charming medieval towns, fascinating history, a plethora of cultural influences (4 languages, y’all. 4!!), incredibly kind and well-humored people, and gorgeous architecture in every style imaginable, Belgium is chock full of fantastic experiences to offer travelers. Don’t skip out on visiting Belgium the next time you’re traveling in Europe!

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The beginner's guide to drinking beer in Belgium! All you need to know about visiting Belgium for Belgian beer, breweries, and bars.   The beginner's guide to drinking beer in Belgium! All you need to know about visiting Belgium for Belgian beer, breweries, and bars.

Disclaimer: We recieved complimentary Brussels Cards thanks to the Visit Brussels tourism office. All opinions and recommendations are entirely our own.

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About Jeremy

Hey, I'm Jeremy! I'm a California native, which means I grew up surfing and have really strong opinions about burritos and highways. I'm extremely sassy and I love terrible dad jokes. I also teach high school, which means I get to subject all of my students to my sass and terrible jokes daily. I'm married to Lia and I'm obsessed with her and it's super gross, unless you're us, in which case it's the best.

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Comments

  1. jezzikafos13 says: January 28, 2017 at 6:14 pm

    This guide is really a necessity when it comes to Belgium! I am not much of a beer drinker but when it comes to traveling to new countries, I make some exceptions. Your pictures even make it look delicious lol Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 29, 2017 at 9:39 pm

      Honestly I never choose to go out to a bar or drink much at all when I’m at home, but as soon as I’m abroad I’m all about trying whatever is the local specialty and visiting a brewery or distillery lol. I’m a total booze tourist!

      Reply
  2. Probe around the Globe says: January 28, 2017 at 7:01 pm

    I had my first beer tasting experience in Belgium. The variety is so amazing!

    Reply
  3. heleneinbetween says: January 28, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    I don’t like beer, except for Belgian Beer!! Gouden carolus is my FAVORITE! I am pinning this!

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 29, 2017 at 9:38 pm

      I’m really not much of a beer fan but Belgian beers are unlike any I’ve tried before! They’re SO good. Thanks for the share 🙂

      Reply
  4. What's Katie Doing? says: January 29, 2017 at 9:38 am

    A fabulous post! I can see that a lot of beer drinking, I mean research went into this
    I’m definitely going to drink a lot of Belgian beer the next time I visit!

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 29, 2017 at 9:38 pm

      *ahem* lots of research, yes, very difficult, etc. 😛

      Reply
  5. Jollies and Jaunts says: January 29, 2017 at 1:06 pm

    Great post, Belgium has some very interesting beer – I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels too, it’s a great way to learn about the history of it too.

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 29, 2017 at 9:37 pm

      Good call! We had planned to visit Cantillon but didn’t make it. We’ve heard it’s one of the best Lambics in Belgium. Perhaps we should add it to the post.

      Reply
  6. Jordan Beck Wagner says: January 29, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    I absolutely LOVED my beer experience in Bruges! Great suggestion on the brewery. I’d also recommend Staminee De Garre, an awesome bar hidden away from the main square…so good and so authentic!

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 29, 2017 at 9:36 pm

      Thanks so much for the suggestion! We’re definitely planning to return to Bruges so we will make sure to check it out.

      Reply
  7. jmkanter says: January 30, 2017 at 6:25 am

    So, so glad I found this post and your blog! Will definitely use it for my upcoming trip to Belgium in March. 🙂

    Reply
    • Lia says: January 30, 2017 at 4:59 pm

      Yesss have fun on your trip! If you drink nothing else, make sure to drink a Westvleteren while you’re there!!

      Reply
      • Julianne says: April 24, 2017 at 5:52 am

        Update: I DID drink a Westvleteren, and it tasted like wine to me! I just re-read your guide, and I understand it SO much better after visiting Belgium 😉 But you definitely prepared me well, my Beer Yoda! xx

        Reply
        • Lia says: April 24, 2017 at 7:53 pm

          Hahah yayyy! We mailed one to a friend of ours in the States and got to share it with him last week, which was rad. Except he kept trying to insist that it should be drunk cold … and none of the flavors came out until it was lukewarm! But yumm, all that marshmallow-fig-soaked-bourbon-raisin flavor. Mmmmm. I’m so glad you got to experience it!

          Reply
  8. Katrijn Snauwaert says: June 5, 2017 at 4:55 am

    Fun read but a few comments from a Belgian: It’s Brugge (in Dutch) or Bruges (in English), Brugges doesn’t exist. Also why would you call Ghent ‘the Vegas of Belgium’? Like really why? what’s the reasoning behind this? I find it very insulting to such a beautiful city, Vegas implies show, fakeness and everything over the top, why on earth would you make this comparison with a city like Ghent?

    Reply
    • Lia says: June 5, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Hi Katrijn! We haven’t visited Ghent, so we were going off a description by a few locals. I’m sorry if describing it as Vegas is offensive 🙁 lots of people like Vegas (although we’re kinda with you – it’s not our fave place). I’ll be sure to add a note clarifying that this isn’t our own opinion!

      Reply
  9. Katrijn Snauwaert says: June 5, 2017 at 4:57 am

    Also another question: how can you make a list of best Belgian Beers if you haven’t tried them all or at least some of more different cities?

    Reply
    • Lia says: June 5, 2017 at 11:14 am

      I definitely hope one day to try more Belgian beers! We tried a LOT of beers during our 2 weeks travelling through Brussels, Antwerp, and Bruges, and these were the ones that topped our list. We went on a couple different beer tours, drank flights created for us by bartenders, and generally relied on local tips and suggestions since we had no prior knowledge about Belgian beers before we visited Belgium! I’m not sure it’s possible to try ALL Belgian beers (although, what a fun goal to set, eh?) but we certainly did our best to experience as many as we could.

      Reply
  10. Alex says: October 2, 2017 at 4:01 am

    Loved your expertise on this subject! Belgian beer has always been a favorite of mine, but they have so many varieties! Thanks for breaking it all down for me!

    Reply
  11. Aditya says: December 28, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Hi!

    I love this article! It changed my perspective about Belgian Beer.

    Could you please elaborate on the 9 Step Pouring Process? I could only find 4 things about it:
    – The 2 finger head
    – The pour from a bottle
    – Slightly below room temperature
    – A particular glass

    I couldn’t find the remaining steps (5 steps). Any chance you could tell us about those? 🙂

    Reply
    • Lia Garcia says: January 29, 2018 at 10:25 am

      Here’s a great breakdown: https://www.dailystarph.com/9-steps-to-belgian-beer-bliss/
      And here’s a video of the process made by Stella Artois: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kOSAaTeG1c

      Reply
  12. Anna says: March 8, 2018 at 10:21 am

    Thank you so much for this! I cannot wait for my trip to Belgium this June!

    Reply
    • Lia Garcia says: April 13, 2018 at 9:52 am

      OMG, have a blast, Anna!

      Reply

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Lia and Jeremy are the married couple behind the Practical Wanderlust travel blog!

Meet Lia & Jeremy

A disaster-prone couple recently returned to Oakland, California from a year-long honeymoon. We share down-to-earth travel tips with a side of sass. Low key stalk us here and on social media!

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Recent Posts

  • Noway, in the winter is a stunning winter wonderland. Northern Lights, reindeer, dog sledding, and fjords - our photo guide to Norway in the winter will have you booking a flight to Norway in no time!
    35 Photos of Norway in the Winter to Inspire your Wanderlust
    Europe
  • The Ultimate Banff Winter Guide and 12 epic things to do in Banff in the winter!
    12 Epic Things to do in Banff in Winter: The Ultimate Banff Winter Guide
    Canada, Hiking & Outdoor Adventure
  • 10 Things to Do in Quebec City in the Winter: The Ultimate Quebec City Winter Guide
    Canada
  • Have you ever been dog sledding? 🐶 I tried it for the first time ever in Alta, Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. I wasn't sure what to expect: would the dogs be happy and healthy? How fast would we be going? Would there be like, a seatbelt? (Answers: yes, very, no.)
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The first thing we did upon arriving at Trasti & Trine was suit up. I'd dutifully layered on my 53 wool base layers and 16 sweaters and pants, thinking that would be plenty. Lol, no. Norway Lesson #1: there's cold, and then there's ARCTIC cold - with wind chill. Yikes. So I zipped a snowsuit on over all 7276 of my layers - and added an extra pair of boots for good measure. Lia - 1, Frostbite - 0.
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Next we harnessed up our dogs.  I was given the names of my team and 4 harnesses and awkwardly crunched through the snow in my staypuft marshmallow man suit towards the holding pens, feeling nervous. Like, what if the dogs didn't WANT to wear their harnesses? Would I have to wrassle them? I am NOT the wrassling type. Luckily, the dogs were like "you put this paw in this strap, duh" and pretty much just dressed themselves.
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By the time I had my 4 dogs suited, they were DYING to get out into the snow. If you've ever uttered the words "go for a walk" to a dog, you can imagine the scene - except these were muscular AF snow dogs. I think I saw one of them jump like 5 feet into the air and do a backflip.
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My host stepped up onto the back of my sled to steer, I grabbed on to absolutely anything and everything I could, and we were off. Instantly, the barking and howling of the dogs gave way to quiet concentration. We whipped through trees and past mountains and ice rivers as the blue light of Polar Night reflected off the snow. If we had arrived later in the day, we might have been riding underneath the Northern Lights!
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You can see a video of my dog sledding adventure in my Story Highlights, AND I've just published a new post with 35 jaw-dropping photos from my trip! The link is in my bio.
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Would you like to try dog sledding? Would you be nervous like I was? Drop me a comment below!
  • Happy Valentine's Day! 🌹💗Today is my FAVORITE holiday. I love pink and hearts and a good excuse for crafts and unapologetically expressing love and affection. Jeremy and I are mush-tastic year round, but we take Valentine's Day as an opportunity to shamelessly shower everyone and everything around us in love and affection, too. Here are some of the different kinds of love that we'll be feeling sappy about today:
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💕Love for ourselves. We choose to put ourselves first and our relationship/each other second - that's the foundation of our happiness and the core foundation of our whole marriage. Today, we are feelin' all kinds of obsessed with our awesome selves! I hope you spend some time today doing sweet lil' things for yourself that bring you happiness.
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💕Love for each other. This is not new - we shower each other in disgusting mushy compliments all day, every day - but we ARE going out on a date tonight ... and then heading to a store to compete to see who can find the lamest, grossest, sappiest Valentine's Day card. We will then pay too much money for that card and then inflict the worst romantic poetry that we can come up with, exquisite corpse style. Stoked.
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💕Love for what we do. Jeremy loves his school and his co-teachers, but especially, he loves his students. Today he's celebrating his love for them with a party (they wanted wings, so we made them cookies too, because 18 year olds are the unhealthiest people on earth and can handle that sort of thing).
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And as for me ... today I'm writing about a trip that I loved, and pouring my heart into my storytelling. It's reminding me both why I love travel, and why I feel so strongly about sharing that love with all of you! (It'll be up tomorrow, and I'm so excited to share it.)
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💕Oh, and one last mushy shout-out: LOVE FOR YOU! Yes, that's right: we truly love you all. Your DM's and support and comments and the fact that there are people out there who think we're as funny as we do (lol jk nobody thinks we're as funny as we do, that's impossible) all means the world to us, and we're so appreciative for you.

So happy, happy Valentine's Day! What kinds of love are you celebrating today? 💋
  • Blogging has changed the way that I travel, for better and for worse. And one of the biggest changes is taking photos. Before blogging, I didn't really see a point in taking photos on my trips - nobody on my Facebook cared about my trip as much as I did, so why bother? Instead, Jeremy and I recorded special memories in journals and diaries, writing descriptions of the places we visited together. But we stopped writing in the journal as soon as we started the blog, mostly because I type a LOT faster than I write and get fewer hand cramps.

Writing has always been my storytelling tool of choice, but I've learned in the past 3 years of blogging that visual storytelling can be just as captivating. exciting, and challenging. And the actual act of taking photos has made a huge difference in our travel style. These days, our trips include "taking photos" as an actual activity. We research a list of photo-worthy spots and then go out of our way just to see them. We spend hours standing at just the right spot at just the right time, waiting for crowds to clear or the family in the matching neon tracksuits to f**k off (there is somehow always a family wearing neon in the back of every photo we've ever taken). This is something I would NEVER have done if I didn't have a reason to or a platform to share them on. In fact, I probably would have scoffed haughtily at the very idea, probably while nursing a hand cramp from aggressive journalling. But these days, I've learned to appreciate the way that photography changes the way we travel. We take our time to stop and really LOOK. We see more little details, peer down more streets. We stand still, watching, while crowds pass us by. We take our time. We tell stories in snapshots.

And we visit places we likely never would have before, like the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff. We took the Banff Gondola up to the summit to catch the last rays of the sun sinking over the Canadian Rockies, watching clouds of snow roll into the valley below us, breathing in the frigid winter air and standing perfectly still. Snapping photos. And it was beautiful.

Do you prioritize photos on your trips? Drop us a comment below!
  • "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing," says some quote that I heard once. I have no idea who said it, but it's 100% accurate! I've been frolicking in freezing (& below freezing) cold weather all month long, and even though California has made me soft, I've nailed my strategy for cold weather dressing. Allow me to take out my cobweb-covered college degree in Fashion Design, dust it off, and share some next-level cold weather apparel tips with you. 🎓🧣
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My first tip for dressing for the cold is to carefully choose the closest layer of clothing to your skin (because that insulating layer of chub only goes so far). My favorite insulating base layer is merino wool. It's is a naturally high performance textile that keeps you warm when it's cold out and keeps you cool when it's hot out. It also stays warm when wet, so even if you get sweaty under your coat or snow falls down your collar (ugh), you'll still be toasty warm! Merino wool is super soft (NOT scratchy) and naturally anti-bacterial, so you can wear it for 2 weeks straight and nobody will ever know (we uh, tested this... for science). My base layer is a merino wool shirt, leggings, 2 pairs of socks, and 2 pairs of gloves.🧤
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If you're not into feeling like you're being hugged by a sheep for whatever reason, hemp has similar properties and is incredibly environmentally friendly. Silk is also a great insulator. Natural textiles are some of the most high tech fabrics on the planet! But make sure you DO NOT wear a fabric like cotton that won't keep you warm if it gets wet.👎
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Once you've got a nice warm base layer, you'll need 1-2 more layers on top and bottom. On top of your 2-3 layers of clothing is the next most important piece: your coat! 🧥 I love packable goose down: it's lightweight, travel friendly, and insanely warm. Add a pair of warm, weatherproof boots, a hat & scarf, and you're ready for the snow!.We've got a comprehensive guide to cold weather packing (and how to pack it all in a carry-on) on the blog, including the specific items we wear and recommend. The link is in our bio!
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Do you have any questions about dressing for the cold? How about tips? Drop 'em below!
  • Snow-topped mountains. Hot springs. Ski resorts and cozy lodges. Dog sledding and sleigh rides underneath the Northern Lights. Wait, hang on - where am I talking about now? (Pssst: it's CANADA!) 🇨🇦
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Most of the photos of Banff on Instagram are from warmer months. But Banff National Park is a winter wonderland for outdoor adventure lovers and snow sports enthusiasts (or just like, people who really like frolicking in the snow, eating poutine, and maybe befriending a caribou or moose). You can go ice-walking through river canyons with giant, frozen waterfalls looming over your year. You can play ice hockey on a lake in front of a castle. You can eat braised elk poutine and maple taffy EVERY SINGLE DAY (spoilers: this is exactly what we did).
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Visiting during Banff’s winter season will show you a sparkling, icy, snow-dusted side of the Canadian Rockies – all with fewer crowds and cheaper prices! And I've just published a MASSIVE guide with everything you need to know to plan a winter trip to Banff, including what to pack, where to stay, where to eat, and 12 of the best things to do during your visit! The link is in my profile - grab a hot chocolate and get cozy, cuz it's a juicy guide!
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I have been fortunate enough to visit a BUNCH of snowy, amazing destinations this month, and it makes my heart so happy. I'm writing this from a cozy cabin in Lake Tahoe as snow swirls outside, so I'm right where I'm meant to be.❄❤ Where are you this weekend? Drop me a comment below!
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#thecanadacollective #explorecanada
#travelcanada #canadasworld #banffnationalpark
#canadianrockies #parkscanada
#mybanff #explorebanff #roundtheworld #exploretheworld #instapassport#explorecanada #parkscanada #albertaviews
#banffcanada #canadagram #discovercanada
#canadaeh #beautifulcanada #livelovecanada #canada_true #MyTinyAtlas #TravelAwesome
#travelstagram #liveoutdoors
#MostDeserving #themountainsarecalling #adventurenthusiasts #best_streetview
  • Meet my friend, Johann. 🦌 Johann is a reindeer living in Norway's Arctic Tundra. Also, he definitely isn't named Johann, I just have a habit of naming every animal I meet and he gave off sort of a "Johann-esque" kind of vibe.
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I'd love to tell you all about the magical time that I had hanging out with Johann, feeding him pellets and brushing his soft downy reindeer fur and laughing together about how my hair was frozen because it was -30 degrees outside. But that's not what happened.
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You see, Johann is not yet domesticated, and as a result is very shy around people. A few days before I met him, was living a happy reindeer life in the wild, not realizing that his very existence was made possible by indigenous Sámi Reindeer Herders who spend countless hours moving his herd from place to place so that they stay safe from predators and well fed.
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So Johann is still adapting to life as a domestic reindeer. His herders will spend a week or so getting to know him, walking him on a leash, and feeding him pellets while he learns that they mean him no harm. And so because Johann wasn't comfortable around me, I refrained from touching him, as pettable and adorable as he looked with his little face and his little horns and those big eyes. Instead, I left him some pellets and took a zillion photos of him from a reasonable distance.
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The Sami people have been living in the arctic of modern-day Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia for thousands of years, practicing reindeer husbandry and herding. Today, only about 2,800 Sami reindeer herders remain, working together to keep their traditions (and their herds) alive. On my trip to Norway, I was lucky enough to spend 3 days in the tundra getting to know a family of Sámi reindeer herders and learning about the choices they make every day to preserve their heritage and culture. Today (Feb 6) is Sami National Day, a holiday celebrated by all Sami people across their various country borders. Happy Sami National Day!
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Did you know that there are still indigenous people living in the arctic tundra? Have you ever met a reindeer? Drop your comments and questions below!
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#visitnatives #visitnorway #impacttravelalliance
  • Let's talk about facing your fears. And the time I jumped into the freezing cold Oslo fjord in the middle of January..I'm not typically the most courageous person. In fact, I'm terrified like 99% of the time, whether my fears are justified or - more often - completely fabricated. So when we arrived in Norway and were informed that our very first activity would be to visit a traditional Norwegian sauna and a dip in the freezing cold Oslo fjord, I was like😱😬
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But even though I was terrified of that cold, salty water, I wanted to try it. Not because I am a brave person who enjoys adventures and adrenaline rushes (I absolutely do not). But more because I like to be able to say that I tried something before I put it on my "I definitely hate this" list. I find that this is the best and most practical way to avoid FOMO. (I am a very exciting person, clearly.) And where else can you have this kind of experience? I was even MORE afraid of missing out.
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Well, to my extreme surprise, I actually LOVED it. Your body gets a hormone rush going from very hot to extremely cold, so that as soon as you're out of the water, you feel like it was the best thing ever and you totally want to do it again. You can swipe to the right to see my face as my legs hit that cold water 😂
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Many years ago, I was also afraid of wearing a swimsuit in public. I wore t-shirts over my bikini. I was terrified of my own body, of the scrutiny I felt it invited and deserved. But today, I've spent over 10 years in recovery from an eating disorder that nearly killed me, and I'm happy to say that I no longer give a second thought to stripping down to my bikini (and posting photos of it on the internet). I've also entirely stopped caring about what other people think about my body. If you watch my stories yesterday, you'll know why this is relevant..So I want to leave you with this: ladies, it doesn't matter if you're beautiful or healthy. Your worth is not tied your appearance or your size or your health.  You're amazing and wonderful regardless of your physical appearance or your abilities. So face your fears - and dive in! 🌊
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Would you be down to try the sauna + fjord plunge? Drop me a comment!
  • It's finally February, which means it's time to start celebrating my FAVORITE holiday: Valentine's Day! 💕 I know this holiday gets a bad rep for being a "Hallmark Holiday" or for being too focused on romantic love. But I don't Valentine's Day as a romantic holiday. To me, it's a holiday meant for celebrating LOVE, in all of its many forms! So I'm on a one-woman mission to bring this holiday back, because giving your mom or BFF a heart-shaped card that says "I love you" is how this holiday should REALLY be celebrated. *Steps on soapbox*
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On Valentine's Day, Jeremy and I do celebrate together in our usual disgustingly mushy way ... but I also celebrate love for myself. For my friends and family. For my community. For my career and my blog (I know that's kinda lame but... y'all, I REALLY love what I do). Valentine's Day is the day that I celebrate all of the things that I love, and I practice outpouring that love... usually in the form of kitschy handmade gifts and cutesy baked goods that I found on Pinterest and subsequently butchered (psst, anyone know if Nailed It is casting for their next season? I'm a shoe-in).
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Valentine's Day is one of my favorite crafty holidays, and this year we're even decorating our apartment in as many pink and white and red things as we could find (and sticking hearts on anything that isn't the right color). Everything about Valentine's Day makes me happy and excited!.So it's no wonder that I fell in LOVE with this adorable little alley in Oslo, Norway. Red buildings, white snow? All that's missing is a giant pink heart. If I was better at this whole Instagram thing I guess I would have magically produced a heart-shaped balloon or an inflatable inner-tube or something. But I'm not, soooo I guess we'll all just have to pretend.
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Do you celebrate Valentine's Day the way that I do? If not, who or what do you LOVE that you could practice celebrating this year?

#visitnorway #visitoslo #impacttravelalliance

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