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Practical Wanderlust

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Europe, Food & Drink Travel

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

Last Updated:   November 9, 2019

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!

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 received 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'm also a high school teacher, 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
  13. Nick says: July 6, 2019 at 9:38 am

    A truly excellent guide, tried the Straffe Hendric at the Half Moon brewery in Bruges, a truly superlative beer, was intrigued that the Zot Bruges beer was available in 2x strengths at the time of writing (4% & 7.5%) as when I visited the brewery last month (June, 2019) it had changed to (0.4% & 6%) the former being Sport Zot, there new low alcohol beer, that doesn’t give me a headache like a lot of low alcohol beers as the alcohol is removed by the more expensive membrane method (which is only done at 3x sites in Europe). Next on my list of beers to try is Saison beers, a rustic farmhouse style that is defined by a yeasty taste, but all inspired by reading this guide.

    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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  • The perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary! Visit Missoula, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake on this epic Montana itinerary.
    The Ultimate Montana Road Trip: Detailed 10-Day Itinerary
    Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States
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  • [FLASHBACK] Copenhagen, 2016: 4 months into our year-long honeymoon. #ad Reeling from the disastrous end of our adventures in South America, we graciously accepted tickets home for Thanksgiving. We missed our families. We  were exhausted. And we were, for some reason, FIENDING for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We needed a break, but we fully intended to return to South America and pick up where we left off.⁠
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Instead, we booked a cheap flight to Copenhagen. (Because there is always a cheap flight to Copenhagen, from either coast.)⁠
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2 weeks after leaving summery Santiago, Chile we disembarked into the cold 3PM twilight of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christmas Market season had just begun, and the city was decked in holiday cheer and Hygge. We slipped and slid down icy cobblestone streets with steaming mugs of gluhwein clutched in our gloved hands (logistics spoilers: we stocked up on cold-weather gear on Black Friday. Hayyy!).⁠
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Over the next week, we fell head over heels in love with Copenhagen, with its castles, its canals, its tiny mermaid statue, its Theme Park in the center of the city (the 2nd oldest in the world!), its ridiculously good coffee, its fancy open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød is the OG avo toast, don't @ me), its somewhat random self-governed anarchist commune, even the hordes of Danes on bikes whizzing past us. The culture shock revived our waning excitement for long-term travel, and we've had a deep love for Copenhagen ever since.⁠
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Although we haven't had a chance to return (except for a few connections through the airport, which is always a treat because it is the BEST airport), we're forever eyeing flights to Copenhagen, waiting for the right time to come back. And now that we've got a copy of the @MoonGuides Copenhagen & Beyond book, we've got everything we need to plan our next trip! The guide includes a detailed local's guide to Copenhagen, plus several chapters on day trips from Copenhagen, including our favorite: the fairytale castle that served as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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Is Copenhagen on your bucket list? (Ahem: IT SHOULD BE) If not, tell us about a trip that was exactly what you needed in the comments below. #travelwithmoon
  • Imagine that someone offered you an incredible opportunity. What would make you turn it down? How would you feel saying no?
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Since starting this blog and embarking on the ridiculous, amazing journey of traveling and writing for a living (forever pinching myself), a lot of incredible opportunities have come my way. Opportunities that just about anyone would (and should) jump at headfirst. (I was going to list off a few of the ones I still feel pangs of longing about, but couldn't find a way to not make it sound like a list of self-congratulatory, obnoxious bragging, so y'all get the vague version instead. Sorry! DM me if you're nosy 🧐)
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But I don't take them all. I can't.
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Here are a few reasons I've turned trips (it's usually trips) and opportunities down:
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😓 The dates overlap with precious time I'd otherwise be spending with loved ones, like Thanksgiving, or our annual friends weekend in Lake Tahoe.
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😓 The dates overlap with our wedding anniversary. This one has come up several years in a row - turns out we got married in the middle of conference season 😂
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😓 The trip is too close to a long stretch of travel, which would push me to my mental and physical limits. I have learned this lesson the hard way so many times (still learning/not listening, tbh...)
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I've had to learn how to say no with gratitude and forgiveness (the gratitude for the opportunity offered, the forgiveness is for myself for turning it down). I feel guilt and regret, of course, but I also feel proud of myself for boundary-setting, listening to my body, and prioritizing time with my loved ones - because all the opportunity in the world means nothing to me if I have nobody to celebrate it with.
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My cup is so full. I'm so full of gratitude and joy. And I'm doing my best to stay humble and grounded with the people who have cheered me along on this path.
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Have you ever turned down an opportunity that like, physically hurt to say no to?? Tell me about it in the comments!
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#alwaysthankful #gratefuleveryday #stayhumble #sanfranciscolove #findyouradventure #wandermore #travelblogging
  • There's nothing that a good hair day, some bright red lipstick, and a cold beer can't fix, amiright?? OK - maybe not, but they certainly don't HURT.⁠ Bright lipstick is my go-to confidence improving trick - AND it works even on bad hair days 💄⁠
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But can we talk about the good hair day I'm having in this photo though?! For the first time in my entire life, I've finally figured out how to have Good Hair. Until this year, I was insecure AF about my superfine, extremely thin hair. It wasn't straight and it wasn't curly - it was just like a frizzy, thin, halfhearted flyaway thing with no real shape. When I straighten it you can tell how incredibly thin my hair is - like, the end of my braid is about the width of a pencil, y'all.⁠
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And then I discovered the Curly Girl Method, and everything changed. Turns out that frizz is just a thirsty curl, and with the right combination of products & application technique (and a little bit of magic ... and some science), you can turn frizzy, wavy hair into luscious, bouncy CURLS! Now I have shiny, fabulously curly hair, and it feels like my hair finally matches my personality in a way it hasn't since it was 1/2 pink (college Lia was perfectly suited for pink hair). I no longer feel like I need to wear clip-in extensions to have a good hair day, like I used to. Sure, I now tote around a bunch of hair supplies like a silicon diffuser and a tiny blow-drier and a hair towel and like 3 back-up containers of gel, but LOOK AT MY HAIR. Look at it! It's so worth it.⁠
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I'm still learning about what my hair likes & doesn't like and I don't really understand all the science behind curly hair just yet. But if you're curious, I use lightweight DevaCurl shampoo & conditioner, plus this bright blue LA Looks sport gel that's hella cheap from CVS or Walgreens and looks like the kind of gel a middle schooler in the 90's would use to spike their hair. You'll find all kinds of information by googling the Curly Girl Method or reading "Curly Girl: The Handbook." (This post is in no way sponsored, I just really wanted an excuse to brag about my good hair day.)⁠
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Do you have go-to moves to boost your confidence?
  • "Wait, Salt Lake City has BEER?" #ad We've heard this question from pretty much everyone we told about our trip to Salt Lake City to cover their beer scene, and we're here to say: y'all. YES. 🍻While it's true that the laws surrounding beer in Utah used to be quite restrictive, they've recently changed and given way to a blossoming craft brewery scene full of innovative thinkers who are paving the way for beer in Utah!⁠
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We spent the weekend drinking our way through 11 craft breweries, exploring this stunning city ringed by mountains, and learning all about Salt Lake City's fascinating Pioneer history. In total, we tasted 32 beers (and 1 beer-tini). It was a LOT of fun, even though my body straight gave up around brewery 9 and we had to make a pit-stop at a juice place for a wheatgrass shot. (Yes, it's all in our story highlights, and yes, I realize that's one of the most Californian things I've ever done). But although I tapped out in the last stretch, Jeremy picked up the slack and we finished strong! 💪Well, you know ... as strong as you can be after spending 2 days straight tasting beer.⁠
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Now we're hard at work sorting through all the photos we took and working on a brewery guide to Salt Lake City, with a few suggestions from friends (thanks to @wayfaringviews, who has a fantastic SLC beer guide on her blog, and resident SLC blogger @culturetrekking). This marks our 2nd visit to Salt Lake City (we covered their amazing ski resorts last year) so now we're officially SLC fangirls - can't wait to come back for visit 3!⁠
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Drop us a comment and tell us about a place that surprised you the way Salt Lake City's beer scene surprised us!⁠
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Our trip was sponsored by @visitsaltlake⁠
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#visitsaltlake #saltlakecityutah #beautahful #exploreutah #travelislove #globecouples #streetartaddicted #streetartistry #craftbeerlife #beeroftheday #beertasting #seeyououtthere #couplesofig
  • 🎵Whooo is that girl I seeee, staaaaaring straight, baaaaack at me? When will my REFLECTTION SHOOWWWWW, WHOOO III AMMMMM
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🎵INSIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!🎵
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Welp now that we're all singing Mulan at the top of our lungs and I have your attention... I'm gonna talk about sustainability. (HA! Gotcha.) One of the ways Jeremy and I try to make a positive impact – along with things like carbon offsetting our flights and working towards a zero-waste household – is through conscientious consumerism. Cuz yes, y’all: we tree-hugging granola-eating flower children love shopping, too. We try to vote with our wallets and support businesses who have the same priorities as we do. Businesses who care about the world and the people in it, who are working to fight climate change, who pay their employees a fair living wage, who are aligned with our values, and who agree that Mulan is the best Disney movie of all time (DO NOT @ ME).
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So when @REI asked us to create a sponsored sustainable gift guide, we were thrilled! REI is one of our absolute favorite earth-friendly, responsible, and sustainable companies. They truly walk the talk, with a plethora of impactful business practices that prioritize everything from wilderness conservation, to making the outdoors more accessible and diverse, to developing products with sustainable materials, to reducing waste in their stores and supply chain. (#ad but also like, we genuinely love them and have been members for yearsss!) You can even filter REI’s online search results by sustainability. It’s one of their regular menu filters, like color/price/sizing. Isn’t that rad?
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The eco-friendly gift guide we created is not only full of sustainable products, but they're sold by a sustainable retailer. So you can truly feel good about treating your loved ones (ahem: or yourself) this holiday season. Or just like, whenever. Check it out in the link in our bio, but fast because the Gear Up Get Out sale ends on MONDAY along with up to 30% off!
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Who's your favorite sustainable company or retailer and why do you love them? We love discovering new ones! (Sustainability shoutout to @prana, whose outfit I'm rocking in this pic - we love them too!)
  • What's your relationship like with your body? Does someone close to you feel differently about their own body? How does that affect you?⁠
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Jeremy and I have two very different relationships with our bodies and ourselves, which can be difficult to navigate - especially when one of us feels more confident and comfortable than the other. Over the years, things have evolved and shifted, so we've done our best to be a constant source of love and stability to each other no matter what may be happening internally. But amazing and supportive loved ones can't always affect your relationship with yourself - that's a personal journey that only you and yourself are on. Y'all in that together.⁠
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What we've learned is that communication and empathy between us is key. Our relationships with ourselves are as important to foster, nurture, develop and grow as our relationship with each other. And its just as important to treat ourselves with love, kindess and support as it is with one another. On the days when one of us feels more confident than the other, we strive to lift up those positive feelings and try not to let them affect us negatively - not always the easiest thing to do, but so, so important!⁠
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Do you struggle with your relationship with yourself? Or is there somebody in your life who feels differently about themselves than you do about yourself? How do you navigate that?⁠
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Psst: Lia is rocking an organic cotton dress (with POCKETS) gifted to us by @wearpact, one of our favorite Fair Trade Certified & sustainable clothing companies! They make super comfy and affordable organic cotton clothes ethically and responsibly, and we love them.⁠
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#responsiblefashion #consciousconsumer #shopethical #plusisequal #allbodiesaregoodbodies #autumnishere #fallingforfall #sanfranciscolove #bayareablogger #effyourbeautystandards #bodypositive #globecouples #sustainabletravel #staycurious #couplesofig #travelislove #marriedtomybestfriend #lovegoals #couplestravel #seeyououtthere
  • It rained a LOT during our trip to New Orleans. But I actually didn't mind at all, because California has turned me into the kind of person who gets REALLY excited about rain. Rain in California means fire season is over and winter has begun. It's my favorite sound to listen to while falling asleep. Y'all, is there a song that's the exact opposite of "I Can't Stand the Rain?" Because that would be my song!.⁠
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I also didn't mind the rain because I was exploring a beautiful city with 2 of my best friends (@witchieriche and @cass.love.creativity) and our partners, and that's a rare luxury that overshadows any kind of discomfort. (Even though we all definitely got cranky from time to time because it is literally impossible to spend 4 days traveling and NOT get cranky at some point, and that's just facts.⁠)⁠
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To capture this photo, I dragged my beloved friend Richie and his darling, patient husband @lucasmeyerstyle to City Park to visit the NoLa Art Museum, which is called NoMa. We made fun of historic art for like 2 hours (like, we appreciated it too, but we definitely made fun of it as much as we appreciated it) and then spent another 2 hours wandering around a giant, lush statue garden in the pouring rain looking for this exact bridge (for the 'gram). We kept crossing over not-as-good bridges and being like "is this it??" but I was like NO IT HAS TO BE THE ONE WITH THE REFLECTION because I am definitely that screechy, extra AF friend.⁠
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We were all about ready to give up on our search when we stumbled by complete chance upon a Cafe Du Monde, somewhat randomly sitting in the middle of this gorgeous rainy park. And then, while enjoying 3 fluffy, powdery beignets (each) we finally found The Bridge - hidden in the trees right next to the cafe!⁠
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If that's not the most New Orleans thing you've ever heard, just wait until I tell you about the rest of our trip, because it involves everything from Voodoo Rituals to Jazz Funerals to a Pirate themed absinthe bar.⁠
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And, by the way, I am sorry I haven't yet posted my stories from that trip - I was too busy savoring the time with my beloved friend muffins. My heart is so, so full.⁠
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Do you love the rain too?
  • 'Tis the season of cheerful cold weather, eating a ton of food, and buying things. Lots of things. Oof, was that your wallet I hear whimpering?⁠
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I wanted to give y'all some tips to keep in mind when the inevitable shopping overwhelm starts creeping in later this month. Save this post for when you're about to spend more than you have in your bank account!⁠
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🎁 Don't buy things hoping they will make you happy. Things & stuff may bring you a little joy, but they won't solve all your problems. If you're feeling down, go take a walk, spend time with a loved one, play with a cute animal, or make an appointment with a counselor for a little mental health check-up. (See also: travel. We love travel a LOT, but it also will not solve all your problems. Or make you a different person. Trust us, we've tried!)⁠
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🎁 Shop local when you can. It supports your home community! See also: supporting small business owners, such as Etsy creators, your friendly local blogger (hayyy!) and that sweet old lady who sells creepy dolls and weird-smelling candles at your local craft fair. Support her, too.⁠
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🎁 Consider buying from fewer online stores to conserve packaging waste. If you can get most of your shopping done in one big order from a single store, instead of buying 1 small thing from 20 different online stores, you'll be saving bubble wrap, boxes, and the gas it takes to ship all those boxes to you. Plus, returns will be easier and require less packaging, too!⁠
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🎁 Don't feel guilty for buying stuff. I know, I sound like I'm contradicting myself here. But listen: give yourself a damn break, especially if you sometimes find it harder to spend your hard-earned money than NOT spend it. Buy a few items you truly think will bring you - or a loved one - a little joy, or make things easier. Don't feel guilty for treating yourself or those you love. Just do it responsibly. Shop mindfully, vote with your wallet, and make choices that you feel genuinely good about.⁠
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Are you planning to do some shopping this month? (We'll be stocking up on stuff for our new house!) Drop us a comment about what you're genuinely excited to buy - or your favorite tips for thoughtful consumerism!

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