Please Click Here to Bookmark the White Beer Travels Home page, i.e. add it to your Favorites

Please Click Here to Bookmark this White Beer Travels "Belgian Beer Hunts 2004-5" page

The above photo was taken by John White, in March, 2002. Although, this Web page covers the years 2004 and 2005, it is a fitting top photo for the page, as there are White Beer Travels to the event at which it was taken every year, i.e. it was taken at one of the twice yearly, not-to-be-missed " Open Brew Days" at the truly world-class Cantillon Brewery (www.cantillon.be, White Beer Travels Web page), in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht. The one drinking wort is a regular at these events: Lorenzo Dabove, Italy's most famous Beer Hunter. Lorenzo is known not only as "The Prince of the Payottenland" (prins van het Pajottenland), such is his love of the place, but also as Kuaska (hence his website, www.kuaska.be (English-language version), www.kuaska.it (Italian version)), a poetical character, which requires the donning of a pair of very large ears! Click here for a White Beer Travels Web page dedicated to Lorenzo. Cantillon Open Brew Days are covered in Cantillon's own website and in the White Beer Travels Web page already cited. White Beer Travels Beer Hunts, in 2004 and 2005, featuring these life-enhancing events are covered in this Web page.

   

This page and companion one a, and companion one c and and companion one d cover White Beer Travels group Beer Hunts from 1993 onwards for Belgian Beer, in Belgium itself. Each individual Beer Hunt is listed with all group Beer Hunts organised by White Beer Travels, around the world, on the Past Beer Hunts page, which can be reached by clicking here.

The following are all the group Beer Hunts covering Belgium from 1993 onwards, 1993 being the first year that White Beer Travels ran an organised Beer Hunt outside the UK; click on the titles to get more details of them:

2005: Bruges-based Beer Hunt featuring the O.B.E.R. Christmas Beer Festival, in Essen, Antwerp Province

This December, 2005, Bruges-based White Beer Travels group Beer Hunt coincided with the Christmas Beer Festival (Kerstbierfestival) (www.kerstbierfestival.be, White Beer Travels Web page), organised by the O.B.E.R. (www.ober.be) branch of Zythos (www.zythos.be, White Beer Travels Web page), Belgium's premier beer consumers' organisation); O.B.E.R. means "Objectieve Bierproevers Essense Regio" (Essen Area Objective Beer Tasters). The festival, which takes place annually in the town of Essen, in Antwerp Province, right on the Dutch border. Essen has its own dedicated White Beer Travels Web page, which can be reached by clicking here. This Essen page covers the Essen part of this Beer Hunt.

Bruges (Brugge), the capital of the Belgian Province of West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), is a world-class tourist venue, but it is also world-class when it comes to Specialty Beer outlets, such as: 't Brugs Beertje (www.brugsbeertje.be, White Beer Travels Web page); the Staminee De Garre (Garre 1, an alley off Breidelstraat); and the Hotel/Restarant Erasmus (www.hotelerasmus.com), which has just about the best selection of top quality Belgian Beers on draught/tap draught, with the bottles to match. These three places and more are fully covered in the fifty-six page downloadable White Beer Travels Guide to Bruges, which is obtainable from the Downloads page. Straight after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we made our way to the Staminee De Garre, which is featured in the photo, above left, which was taken in its upstairs no-smoking bar, by John White, in December, 2005. From left to right are Joyce White, Ben Morgan, Paul Wells, Geoff Lowis, Mary Jane Lewis and David Mummery. The blackboard in the top left hand corner of the photo is advertising 75cl bottles of Garre Tripel to take out, produced to celebrate twenty years of De Garre, a place which has special significance for White Beer Travels, since, in 1993, in this very same upstairs bar, the first beer on a White Beer Travels Group Beer Hunt, outside England, was partaken of, click here for more details. We then went on to 't Brugs Beertje, where two more of the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters were waiting: Jim Denier and his fiancée Cheryl Eckhardt, who joined the Beer Hunt in Bruges, having travelled from Denver, Colorado, the epicentre of Craft/Specialty/Speciality Beer in the USA; Jim is an expert home brewer, his club being called Foam On The Range (www.foamontherange.org). Jim and Cheryl are on the right, in the photo, above right, which was taken by John White, in December, 2005. Top left is a blackboard with the five draught beers available and next to it is a photo of 't Brugs Beertje's Daisy Claeys and Jan De Bruyne, in the place with "The Beer Hunter", Michael Jackson (1942-), www.beerhunter.com, Further photos taken in 't Brugs Beertje on this Beer hunt are included in the White Beer Travels Web page covering the place.

Breweries visited were: the Brouwerij-Brasserie De Ranke (www.deranke.be), Rue de Petit Tourcoing/Petit-Tourcoingstraat 1A, Dottignies/Dottenijs, near Mouscron/Moeskroen, Hainaut/Henegouwen Province (GPS: 50.733408^o N, 3.299418^o E); Cantillon (www.cantillon.be, White Beer Travels Web page), in Brussels (GPS: 50.841525^o N, 4.335677^o E); and the Huisbrouwerei Sint Canarus (St Canarus Brew Pub) (www.sintcanarus.be), Polderweg 2, Gottem-Deinze, in the Province of East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) (GPS: 50.964073^o N, 3.463863^o E), which is close to Dentergem, in the Province of West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen).

De Ranke was set up by Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos, in 1994. Initially, they brewed their beers at Deca Services, in Woesten-Vleteren, in West Flanders, but on the 11th of June, 2005, with the significant involvement of their only employee, Yvan De Baets, they brewed the first brew in their own brewery, in Dottignies, a place chosen because it is fairly close to where they live and qualifies for aid from the Wallonian Region. Indeed, De Ranke essentially has three brewers. Our host on the visit to De Ranke was one of them: Yvan. He is a great, uncompromising brewer, with very strong views on what constitutes top-class beer; see his excellent piece in Tim Webb's Good Beer Guide Belgium, entitled "Mediocrity … it's the new classic!". Yvan studied at the Brewing School within the "Institut Meurice", in Brussels (www.meurice.heldb.be). The photo, above left, of White Beer Travels Beer Hunters, with Yvan De Baets, was taken outside De Ranke Brewery, by John White, in December, 2005. In it, from left to right are: Geoff Lowis, Paul Wells, Ben Morgan, Cheryl Eckhardt, Jim Denier, Mary Jane Lewis, Yvan, and David Mummery. In the photo, above right, yours truly is pouring out the wonderful concoction that is used as the base for De Ranke Kriek (7%); it is a blend of a Brown Ale and Girardin Lambic. The proportions in the final beer are 45/30/25 Brown Ale/Lambic/Cherries. With and without the cherries it was superlative. Next to me is Yvan, and looking on is Jim Denier. The photo was taken in December, 2005, by Paul Wells. The wine-like Kriek is De Ranke's version of a Cherry Beer based on a Sour Brown Ale, the most well-know examples coming from East Flanders, such as Liefmans Kriek, from Oudenaarde. This is a Krieken-Bier as opposed to a Krieken Lambic, typified by those produced by Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen, etc. With Liefmans Kriek, micro-organisms in the wooden vessels in which the beer is aged play their part, as they do in the production of Lambic. Of course, the use of Girardin Lambic to come up with an answer - and what a superlative one - to a West Flanders Krieken-Bier is novel.

On the visit, we tasted all the brewery's other truly wonderful beers: XX Bitter (6.2%); Guldenberg (8.5%), the brewery's "Abbey Beer"; and the seasonal Père Noël (7%), (Father Christmas), which is spiced with Liquorice (added to the hop boiling vessel (Copper)), the brewery's only spiced beer. XX Bitter has already justifiably become a legendary beer. All the brewery's beers are very hoppy (De Ranke means The Hop Bine), but XX Bitter's average of 60 EBU (European Bitterness Units) makes it Belgium's hoppiest beer; it is also, quite simply, one of the country's best beers; it is right pu there with the very best of the Hop Monsters from the USA. Nino's inspiration for this beer was Verdraagzaam Bier, from 't Steedje Brewery, in Ettelgem, in West Flanders, that closed in 1997; Guido turned Nino's dream into reality. In general, whole hop flowers grown in Poperinge are used in all the brews, typically Brewer's Gold for bitterness and Hallertau for aroma. Pellets are used later in the hop cycle, to allow for the diminution of the bitterness level of the hop flowers with time, before the next year's crop becomes available. De Ranke stores its hops in a large refrigerator; although malt is the principal constituent of beer, percentage wise, De Ranke considers that the main part of their beers are hops, so they look after them; it is not common to store hops in this way, many hallowed brewers not doing so.

Guldenberg is labelled as an Abbey Beer and its golden colour and strength (ABV of 8.5%) would suggest it is De Ranke's take on the "Abbey Tripel style". However, it is nothing like the marker Abbey Tripel, Westmalle Tripel, which is, of course, a Trappist Beer, being brewed within the cloisters of a Trappist monastery. So forget that Guldenberg is an "Abbey Beer"; it is just a great, world-class hoppy beer, with the colour and approximate strength of a Tripel. There was once a Guldenberg Abbey in Belgium, but today, it is very much in ruins. Guldenberg is De Ranke's only dry-hopped beer, Hallertau hops being used for this. Of course, producing a dry-hopped beer means that some beer is lost: held in the discarded hop flowers. There is a truly excellent bar in Moen, in West Flanders, which has its own goat's cheeses, one of which has Guldenberg in the recipe: Sint Pietershof, Kraalbos 6, tel 056 45 64 51.

Until 2000, Rodenbach yeast was used, but with the involvement of Palm in Rodenbach, such arrangements came to an end for quite a number of small brewers, so now De Ranke uses dry yeast. However, Rodenbach yeast is still present in the base used for the Kriek; it is kept alive by regular feeding with fresh beer. Malt is sourced from La Malterie du Château (Castle Malt) (www.castlemalting.com), who are based in Belœil, in the Province of Hainaut. To create dryness in the beers, a small proportion of Candimic Vloeibare Zuiker (Liquid Sugar) is added to the mash. Yvan was refreshingly forthcoming about a detail that reported wrongly could be seen as a compromise, but it is used solely at  De Ranke to produce a beer with a particular taste profile. i.e. to improve the beer in question.

The stainless steel brew house vessels and the primary fermentation vessels were sourced from Clemens in Wittich/Mosel, in Germany; the lagering (secondary fermentation) vessels were obtained from the renowned Meura company (www.meura.be), who were based nearby, in Tournai from 1845 to 2003, when they moved a few miles/kilometres to the SE, i.e. to Péruwelz. Although the fermentation vessels are enclosed, Yvan pointed out that they were operated at atmospheric pressure, and were thus, essentially open fermenters with covers. In these the yeast is not stressed and thus does its work better, Yvan informed us.

Yvan De Baets is the co-organiser of the world-class Bruxellensis Beer Festival (www.festivalbruxellensis.be, White Beer Travels Web page). This festival is about Speciality Beers of the highest order. Yvan's philosophy on brewing is also detailed in his beer festival's website and the White Beer Travels Web page featuring it. Yvan is a big fan of the Saison style of beer, and an authority on it; he contributed information on this Belgian Beer style to Phil Markowski's book Farmhouse Ales, published by "Brewers Publications", which is a division of "The Brewers Association" (www.beertown.org), who are based in Boulder, Colorado, in the  USA. The book can be obtained from the Brewers Publications website, or from www.amazon.com, or from www.amazon.co.uk. Yvan, along with Bruxellensis Beer Festival co-organiser, Bernard Leboucq, is now with the "Brasserie de la Senne" (De Zenne Brouwerij) (www.brasseriedelasenne.be).

De Ranke exports around 80% of its beers, XX Bitter being particularly popular in Italy. The Shelton Brothers (www.sheltonbrothers.com) import their beers into the USA. This in itself speaks volumes about De Ranke's beers, since this marvellous company is only interested in the very best. It has the slogan "The world's best beer ... imported by hand". The Shelton Brothers also import Cantillon's world-class beers into the USA. Yvan De Baets has worked for Cantillon and still acts as a guide during events such the marvellous Cantillon Open Brew Days, which are covered in a White Beer Travels Web page.

To get to De Ranke one typically gets a train to Mouscron, then a number 2 Tournai/Doornik bus from the railway station (turn right out of the railway station for the nearby bus station), getting off at the stop named "Dottignies Place/Dottenijs Plaats", from where it is an 845 metre walk to the brewery, this information and the train/bus route being obtained from De Lijn's website, www.delijn.be. Alternatively, one can get a taxi, but none wait at the railway station. On our visit "Taxi Jack Central Mouscron" were most efficient: tel 0475 699 292. Note that we resorted to a taxi after having a problem with the bus; although the required bus was on the timetable at the railway station stop, the buses leaving there for some reason did not use a bus stop near to the bar/restaurant that we went to before going to De Ranke, even though it had an indicator stating that the number 2 bus stopped at it!

Before the visit to De Ranke, we had a lunch-time break in Mouscron, choosing one of the two Tim Webb entries in the town, La Belle Époque, 30, Grand'Place (tel 056 34 08 03) (from the station turn left into the square at the end of rue de Tournai, and it is on the left, opposite the South side of the prominent church in the square. (Tim's other entry is on the street leaving North from the other end of the square on the other side of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall): L'Ours, 72, rue de Tourcoing) (tel 056 33 04 87)). La Belle Époque has around fifty-five beers, example bottled ones being (December, 2005 prices): Orval at €3; Rochefort 10^o at €3.80; Rodenbach at €2.20 (25cl); and both Kasteelbieren (called Bière du Château on the menu card) at €3.40. Draught beers on our visit included Saint Feuillien Cuvée de Noël (9%) at €3. Eating-wise, we had a strange experience here. We sat together on one table as a group, noting that on an adjacent table some locals were tucking into some excellent looking steaks, which were on a separate menu book to the one with beers and snacks. We asked for this full meal menu book, but it never materialised, but when one member in our group ordered a snack, the waiter did not say something like "Would anyone else like to order anything?", but rushed off to deal with the single order. He repeated this process for everyone on the table!

It is often said that the Sint Canarus Brewery is in the shadow of the Church in Gottem, and, indeed, it is very close to it, as can be seen from John White's December, 2005 photo, above left, although, it was clearly under the shadow of another building at the time that the photo was taken! For the Sint Canarus visit, the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters joined, as we have done on a number of occasions before, a day long coach trip organised by fellow Beer Hunt organiser, Podge, see below. In the photo above right, which was taken in Sint Canarus's bar in December, 2005, Podge, in characteristic shirt, is being served a Sint Canarus Tripel (7.5%) by the brewer at Sint Canarus, Piet Meirhaeghe. In the background, the "Sint Canarus" lettering is above the bar's servery, which has both draught/tap and bottled beers. Piet was formerly with Riva in Dentergem, but he opened this brewery of his own, in the Summer of 2002. Piet told me that his brewery gets its name from the "Semper Canarus" drinking club. In Latin, "semper canar" means "always drunk", which is based on the motto of the Fire Brigade (Brandweer) in nearby Deinze, "semper paratus", i.e. "always there to do the job". The Deinze Fire Brigade has visited the brewery and when they have open days, they sell Sint Canarus beers.

Sint Canarus's main beers are the already mentioned Tripel and Potteloereke (8%), both of which are really first rate. The Tripel is the classic golden colour of a Tripel; the Potteloereke is a dark beer that is rich and warming and seemingly spiced, with more than just Zoethout (literally "Sweet Wood", i.e. Liquorice, which is also "Drop", in Dutch), so the "Speciale mouten" (Special Malts) must also have a hand in this. It is hopped with Challenger and Saaz Hops from J & G Clarebout, Hazewindestraat 13, Vlamertinge, near Belgium's Hop Capital, Poperinge. Sint Canarus Tripel was first brewed at De "Proef" Brouwerij (BVBA Andelot) (www.proefbrouwerij.com), in Lochristi-Hijfte, near Ghent; after initially being brewed solely in Lochristi, Potteloereke is the first beer to be subsequently brewed in Piet's own little brewery. The brew house is beyond a purpose built bar, and at the back of the tiny brew house is a door leading directly to Piet's bedroom! Brews take place in Gottem once or twice each month.

Potteloereke was commissioned by Paul and Lea van Gompel, who run a Pottery, not far from Gottem, in Meigem (Meerskant 3), the Pottenbakkerij 't Hoveke. Meigem, like Gottem, is on the Elfdorpen Route (Eleven Villages Route), a cycle track that is mainly along the banks of the River Leie and the Schipdonk Canal. When I sampled this wonderful beer, in Le Bier Circus, in Brussels, in September, 2005, it was served in its correct "pot" (Potteloerekebierpot), which is obviously made at this Pottery. One can be seen to the left, along with a bottle of this "Pottenbakkersbier" (Potter's Beer). The photo is based on one by Marc Valcke, taken in December, 2005, copy/pasted from the brewery's website. The pots, or rather a later version of them, can be purchased at the brewery for €7.

Note that in the small town of Damme, near Bruges, there is a shop called Tijl en Nele, at Jacob van Maerlantstraat 2, tel 050 35 71 92, www.tijlennele.com. Damme is associated with the legend of Flemish freedom fighter, Till Eulenspiegel, and Nele was his lover. I cover the Till Eulenspiegel legend in great detail in my downloadable guide to Bruges (which covers Damme), which is available from theWhite Beer Travels Downloads page. In Tijl & Nele, one of the beers on sale is called Pater Van Damme. It is often said that this is brewed above the shop, but in fact it is Sint Canarus's Potteloereke! Like this beer, Pater Van Damme is served in a pot.

Sint Canarus Bokbier, seen at the October, 2005 Bokbierfestival, in Amsterdam, organised by PINT (www.pint.nl), The Netherlands' premier beer consumers' organisation was declared in the festival's programme to be Potteloereke.

Potteloereke, which does not really mean anything, is now brewed at both De "Proef" Brouwerij and at Sint Canarus itself, but other beers (low volume ones, including one-off specials) are only brewed at Sint Canarus. An example is De Maagd van Gottem (The Gottem Virgin) (6%), which has this name as it is hard to find. After opening the bottle, one taps on the side and the Hop Flower usually rises out of the unlabelled bottle. This beer is also available as Dogabier, this being a commission from an organisation in Aalst, in East Flanders, where there are a couple of outlets for it; click here for coverage of them and the organisation that Dogabier is brewed for. Dogabier has a label, with the legend "Bier met hoppebel op fles" (beer with a hop flower in the bottle). Putting a Hop Flower i bottled beer was also tried by Van den Bossche (www.paterlieven.be), in Sint-Lievens-Esse, in East Flanders, with their Pater Lieven Blond, in 1999. The Sint Canarus bar opens each Sunday from 10am to 10pm and at other times, for groups, by appointment, and for beer seminars, where a 100+ slide show is given. Part of the seminars cover beer and health, when Piet takes on the role of a Doctor. A nearby outlet for Sint Canarus beers, including draught/tap ones, is De Leerze, Bredestraat 105, Petegem-aan-de-Leie, which is just South of Deinze and served by its railway station. It is shut on Monday and Tuesday, except in July and August. In Deinze itself, the Tim Webb entry, De Saga, Markt 82, has bottled Sint Canarus beers. Lesage is specially brewed for it by the Alvinne Picobrouwerij (Pico Brewery - Very Small Brewery), in Ingelmunster (www.alvinne.be). It is not open on Sundays, apart from in July and August.

Other places visited on the Podge Coach trip were two truly wonderful pub/restaurants in West Flanders, each with over 300 particularly well-chosen Specialty Beers:  Kroegske, Vijfwegenstraat 35, Emelgem (www.kroegske.be, White Beer Travels Web page) (GPS: 50.926273^o N, 3.215732^o E); and Herberg 't Rusteel, Heulestraat 168 (close to the junction with Pijplad on the opposite side of the road), Gullegem, near Kortrijk, tel 056 35 65 64, www.rusteel.be, GPS: 50.843543^o N, 3.220443^o E.

Kroegske can readily be reached by train, Emelgem being on the line between Bruges and Kortrijk; it is close to the station. The bus stop named "Samenkomst" for the number 62 De Lijn bus that runs between Kortrijk and Roeselare is very close to 't Rusteel. so this place is also one for which there no excuse for not visiting; make sure you schedule a meal in 't Rusteel, as its food is excellent and good value. 't Rusteel was established as a Speciality Beer bar/restaurant in 1983, although it is housed in restored 16th Century farm buildings. There are a number of rooms, including an Orangerie alongside an attractive, cobbled courtyard. There are facilities for children at the back and some deer on view. The building by the entrance, De Hongherie, has a history that involves Hungary! Lots of 't Rusteel's bottled beers are €2.50 (December, 2005), even those from Québec's Unibroue Brewery, such as Maudite and La Fin du Monde. Other example bottles include: Grottenbier at €7 (75cl); Cantillon Gueuze at €3.50 (37.5cl); Hercule Poirot at €3.40; and De Dolle Brouwers Stout at €3.50. Draught/tap beers include a Huisbier (House Beer), Netebuk (€3.40), which is probably brewed by Deca Services. Example dishes in 't Rusteel include: Konijn (Rabbit with Prunes, cooked in Westmalle Dubbel) at €13; Stoofvlees op z'n Vlaams (Flemish Beef Stew) at €10; and Grillsteak in a variety of Sauces at €14. Such is the quality of the food, that I would recommend booking, especially at weekends. Yes, I will definitely be returning to this truly excellent place. 't Rusteel is open on Thursday and Friday from 4pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am. In July and August, it is open every day, except Tuesday from Noon. Kroegske's marvellous beer and food are covered in the White Beer Travels Web page dedicated to it.

Also on the Podge trip, there was a stop at a Kerstmarkt (Christmas Market) in the garden behind the Café De Watermolen (bij Mario), Beukenhofstraat 22, in Vichte, in East Flanders (GPS: 50.837423^o N, 3.400823^o E). Vichte is home to the Verhaeghe Brewery ((www.brouwerijverhaeghe.be)), indeed "The Water Mill" is a Verhaeghe house, and thus has their top class Duchesse de Bourgogne (6.2%). The local branch of Zythos, HOP (www.hop.be.tf) has a beer stall at the market each year. In the cold weather, an appropriate beer was the hot Liefmans Glühkriek (€1.50). Other stalls had Coffee with Jenever (Belgian Gin), such as Hasseltse Koffee and Filliers Koffie (€2), this being made with Jenever from Filliers of Deinze (www.filliers.be).

On the way back from De Ranke Brewery, it was originally planned to spend some time in Kortrijk, but, as the train from Kortrijk to Bruges stopped at Roeselare, it was unanimously agreed that we visit De Zalm, for the Rodenbach Foederbier on handpump; click here for coverage of this. Note that the train also stops at Emelgem, which, as already stated, has a railway station close to Kroegske.

If we had paid the city of Kortrijk (Courtrai), in West Flanders a visit, the Specialty Beer bar targets included: De Klokke, Grote Markt 12, tel 056 25 30 01, which has around seventy beers, including a number from Verhaeghe, in nearby Vichte, including Duchesse de Bourgogne; and the Staminee den Boulevard (Bij Tine en José), Groeningelaan 15, tel 056 32 37 26/0474 99 39 76, which has over a hundred beers (it is closed on Wednesday and Thursday, opening on other days at 6pm (4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday)). Other breweries close by have some excellent bars in the city: Bockor (www.bockor.be), in Bellegem; and Bavik-De Brabandere (www.bavik.be), in Bavikhove. Bockor's showcase outlet is De Menenpoort, Meensestraat 84-86, tel 056 37 49 50, a modern, place with an emphasis on food. In English, it is "The Menin Gate", i.e. towns other than Ieper (Ypres), which have a gate with a road leading to Menem (Menin), can also have Menin Gates, the Kortrijk one being an old structure unlike the famous one in Ieper, the War Memorial built on the site of an old, traditional gate that was like the original one still standing in Kortrijk. Interesting Bavik outlets in Kortrijk include: the Daemberd Lounge Bar, a superbly appointed and historic bar, in the upmarket Grand Hotel Damier (www.hoteldamier.be), Grote Markt 41, tel 056 22 15 47; and the music pub, Stradivarius (www.stradivarius.be), Burgemeester Reynaertstraat 9, tel 056 21 21 45. One of the most interesting pubs in Kortijk is within the National Flax Museum (Nationaal Vlasmuseum), which is in the University area, at Etienne Sabbelaan 4, i.e. De Vlasblomme (tel 056 21 60 32). "The Flax Flower" is reached by a number 13 bus from the railway station; get off at the stop named Universiteit, which is on Etienne Sabbelaan. This pub/restaurant has a marvellous interior; there are around seventy-five beers. It is open from 10am (2pm on Saturday) to 8pm, every day except on Monday and on National Holidays.

The visit, for the nth time, to the truly world-class Cantillon Brewery, in Brussels was en route home before some got the Eurostar back to London, or went further afield in Belgium. A group meal was also pre-booked in the relocated Le Bier Circus; click here and here to go to White Beer Travels Web pages giving more information on this. The above photos were taken in Le Bier Circus (www.biercircus.be) , by John White, in December, 2005. On the left is Ian Mclaren (the Secretary of North London CAMRA), and then Paulette Aikman, who is opposite Thom Aikman. Tom and Paulette are regulars on the Burgundian Babble Belt, a message board covering Belgian Beer, see below. Further round the table, visible White Beer Travels Beer Hunters are: Geoff Lowis, Jim Denier, Cheryl Eckhardt and Ben Morgan. Note the breweriana on the walls, including the "Rodenbach's Bier" sign, in the top left corner, with the wording "'t is Wijn" (It's Wine). Note also the pillar studded with bottle tops and the crate light fittings, as per the close up of one in front of the pillar, in the photo to the right. Le Bier Circus is covered in more detail, along with a good number of other Speciality Beer bars in Brussels, in the sixty-eight page White Beer Travels downloadable guide to the city, which can be obtained from the site's Downloads page. Before a number of the group got the Eurostar, a beer or two was undertaken in, as is becoming the norm, in a bar close to its terminus, Au Laboureur, 3, place de la Constitution (Grondwetsplaats), see below.

Of course, on visits to Belgium at the time of events such as major beer festivals, one bumps into many fellow beer enthusiasts. I was certainly pleased that I met up with Steve Hannigan (Burgundian Babble Belt Babbler SteveH), since he immediately offered me a glass of Bass Jubilee Strong Ale (this is its name on the label; on the lead covering the cork it is Bi-Centenary Ale 1757 1957). Cheers, Steve! The photo to the left of Steve pouring this most interesting of beers was taken by John White, in December, 2005.

2005: Beer Hunt based in Antwerp, featuring: the Second Zythos Beer Festival, in Sint-Niklaas; De Bierkamer, in Kluizen (Ertvelde); a Cantillon Brewery Open Brew Day, in Brussels; and De Zalm, in Roeselare

As is the norm, shortly after dropping of our bags at the hotel, in Antwerp, we are all itching to start Beer Hunting. In the photo, above left, which as taken by John White, in March, 2005, the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters are in Den Bengel (Grote Markt 5), an atmospheric pub, next door to its more famous neighbour, Den Engel (Grote Markt 3 (Grote Markt 1 is the Antwerp's impressive Town Hall). From left to right in the photo are: Stuart Lowe; John's wife, Joyce; Paul Skinner (John's son-in-law); Geoff Lowis, Paul Wells; and (nearest the Camera), Jez (rauchbier - Smoke Beer) Blake, see below. Before the trip, there was a rumour that Het Elfde Gebod (The Eleventh Commandment), right by Antwerp Cathedral, at Torfbrug 10, had closed, and was to become a fast-food outlet. This would have been a national disgrace, as the place has a decent beer list and famously has a superb interior, with hundreds of religious statues. As can be seen, in the photo, above right, which was taken by Joyce White, in March, 2005, this rumour proved to be untrue. The Beer Hunters in the photo are as per the one on the left, except that, in it, Joyce is replaced by John White. Further information on these two excellent Belgian Beer outlets, and many more, is to be found in the White Beer Travels Antwerp Beer Guide, which can be obtained from the Downloads page

En route to the outstanding Belgian Beer bar, De Bierkamer (www.debierkamer.be), in Kluizen (Ertvelde), which is easily reached from Ghent by bus, the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters had a meal and a few beers in two outstanding places in Ghent: Deus (www.brasseriedeus.be); and the nearby Trappistenhuis (www.trappistenhuis.be). The above photos were taken by John White, in March, 2005. In the one, above left, Christophe Soens is uncorking a bottle of DeuS Brut des Flandres (11.5%), the "Champagne Beer" that is brewed by Bosteels (www.bestbelgianspecialbeers.be), in Buggenhout, near Sint-Niklaas, in East Flanders. It is then sent to Champagne, in France, for maturation and where each bottle is then subjected to the same sequence of events that true Champagne goes through, the famous Méthode Champenoise way of producing a Sparkling Wine in a bottle, by allowing fermentation to take place in the bottle in the presence of yeast, and then removing the yeast to leave the wine clear, i.e. each bottle, in this case beer, is turned to get the yeast to the end of the neck (Remuage) and is then disgorged of its yeast (Dégorgement) by freezing the neck where the yeast has gathered, the yeast then being ejected in the block of "ice" that it has been trapped in. Note the DeuS "Champagne" ice bucket on the table, and the Dom Pérignon shape of the bottle; the eight DeuS Champagne glasses on the table are hidden. This was only the second bottle of DeuS that Christophe had ever poured, the first being some minutes earlier! Yes, we were on our second bottle, so taken were the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters by this truly world-class, beer: DeuS in Deus, just Heaven.

The above are scans of the front and rear label of the bottle being opened in the photo, above left. Click on them for larger than normal, higher resolution versions of them. As can be seen from the one on the left, DeuS is described as a "Brut des Flandres" (Flanders Brut), and in English, its name is part of the logo "Beyond The Best of DeuS"; Deus is Latin for God. Our bottle is a Cuvée Prestige 2002. A further description on the three-language leaflet hanging from it neck is: "The" Divine Drink made of Barley ("De" Godendrank op basis van Gerst, "Le Drink" Divin à base d'Orge).

DeuS is a particularly expensive beer, but well worth it. I had bought a bottle only a couple of weeks before in the Delhaize Supermarket in Ostend, which cost €10.13 for a 75cl bottle; Cantillon Gueuze in the same-sized bottle was €2.98, and, for example, Orval was €0.99 (33cl). In Deus, DeuS was €27; other beer prices here, are more down to earth, for example: Orval, Rochefort 6^o and Troubadour Blond, all at €3. Amazingly, two other Champagne Beers, which are also brewed in Buggenhout, would you believe, were available at the Zythos Beer Festival, De Landtsheer's Malheur Brut and Malheur Dark Brut, which were only €1 (15cl), since all beers are the same price at the festival! For a photo of a collection of such beers, including DeuS, at the 2004 Christmas Beer Festival Festival organised by the O.B.E.R. branch of Zythos, click here.

The photo, above right, was taken in asuperb room in the Trappistenhuis, a lovely, well-lit conservatory-style room, full of brewery plaques and old bottles, and one large table that is ideal for such a group. Despite its name, the Trappistenhuis has a superb selection of non-Trappist Beers, in addition to its extensive list of Trappist beers, which includes all three from Westvleteren, and real rarities such as Chimay Dorée (4.8%) (White Beer Travels Web page). Some of the group sampled this, and later, in De Bierkamer, had the corresponding beer from Orval, Le Petit-Orval (3.5%) (Orval Verte (Orval Green)) (White Beer Travels Web page). It was quite a weekend for these beers that the monks drink, as on the way home, some Westmalle Extra was partaken of, see below. In the photo, going round the table, from left to right, are: John's wife, Joyce; Paul Wells; Bob Middleton; Paul Middleton; Stuart Lowe; Geoff Lowis; and (nearest to the camera) Paul Skinner, who can also be seen in the background in the Deus photo.

Information on previous White Beer Travels Beer Hunts, that were based in Ghent can be found by clicking here and here, respectively. Deus and the Trappistenhuis are covered in detail, along with many other great bars, in Ghent, in the fifty-one page White Beer Travels downloadable guide to the city, which can be obtained from the Downloads page. The March, 2005 visit to De Bierkamer is covered in a White Beer Travels Web page, that gives full details of how to get to it from Ghent. Note that the "Zuid" bus stop, that can be used to get to it, is within sight of Deus, in Ghent.

A truly superb time was had at the Zythos Beer Festival. This, the second running of the festival, was really world-class: stunning beers and great company, in a brilliant venue. Thanks, Zythos for organising it. Click here for the White Beer Travels Web page covering the Festival.

As always, the Cantillon Open Brew Day was magnificent. What can you say about one of the world's greatest Specialty Beer breweries, and the marvellous people involved in it, and the hospitality offered; well, what I have to say, is covered in the White Beer Travels Web Cantillon Web page, which can be reached by clicking here. A couple of rare beers were sampled, one being covered below.

The White Beer Travels Beer Hunters visited De Zalm, a flagship outlet for Rodenbach and Palm, in Roeselare. Click here for the White Beer Travels Web page covering Roeselare, which features this visit, where we did a side by side tasting of bottled Rodenbach Grand Cru, and its - at the time, unique to De Zalm - handpumped Rodenbach Foederbier. On the way back to Antwerp, the train journey was broken in Bruges, where visits were made, for the nth time, to the Hotel/Restarant Erasmus (www.hotelerasmus.com) and 't Brugs Beertje (White Beer Travels Web page); who, in their right mind, can get enough of these world-class Speciality Beer outlets, which are fully covered, along with many others in Bruges, in the fifty-six page White Beer Travels Beer guide to the city, which can be obtained from the Downloads page.

On the way back home, we typically spend a day in Brussels, the UK contingent then getting the Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) train back to London. It has become the norm on such occasions to try and get through some more beers on the 2,000+ strong list, in the Delirium Café, see below, which, indeed, a number in the group did. Some also joined a mini-Babblefest, see below, at Le Bier Circus (www.biercircus.be). This moved to 57, rue de l'Enseignement (Onderrichtsstraat/Onderwijsstraat) (corner of rue de la Tribune (Tribunestraat)), in August, 2005, from number 89 on the same street. The new place can be seen in the photo, above left, which was taken by John White, in September, 2005. To celebrate the move, Cantillon Brewery in Brussels (www.cantillon.be, White Beer Travels Web page) produced "The Dernière Cuvée du 89 pour Le Bier Circus" (The Last Batch/Vintage from 89 for Le Bier Circus). Its name is also in Dutch on the label, "The Laatste Cuvée van 89 voor Le Bier Circus", the words for "Last", "of" and "for" being stacked on the label; click here to see a close up of the label. This "Moving Beer" is a superb, eighteen month old Lambic, dry-hopped successively with Tettnang and Goldings hops. This was officially available in May/June, 2005, but the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters sampled it at the Cantillon Open Brew Day on this March, 2005 trip. This typifies the rare beers that one can get to taste at these wonderful events.

An alternative to waiting at Midi/Zuid railway station for the Eurostar is to go to an excellent locals' bar that is five minutes' walk or so from the station: Au Laboureur, 3, place de la Constitution (Grondwetsplaats). This has around sixty, very keenly priced beers, including the rare Mort Subite Oude Gueuze, which is much, much better than the majority of commercial Mort Subite beers. In the photo, above right, which was taken by John White, in March, 2005, a group from the people who run the Belgian Beer section of the International Beer Bar (Bières Sans Frontières, Beer Without Frontiers) (www.b-s-f.org.uk), at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), are being served. Their leader, Roger Mayhew, is the one in the light top, opposite the waitress. When she has taken the order, it will typically be shouted down to the servery at the far end of the bar. Au Laboureur is also very close to Cantillon, so is a good place to nip out from to buy a few last minute beers to take home. Au Laboureur and a host of other Specialty Beer bars in Brussels are covered in the sixty-eight page White Beer Travels downloadable guide to the city, which can be obtained from the Downloads page.

On Antwerp-based Beer Hunts, we tend to get to the Oud Arsenaal (Maria Pijpelincxstraat 4 (Vogeltjesmarkt), tel 03 232 97 54) at least twice: once when it is full, during the evening; and at morning opening time before our return to England on the Eurostar. This trip was no exception. There was a packed session on the Friday night, when there was a mini-Babblefest; when members of the Burgundian Babble Belt (www.babblebelt.com), a message board, whose main theme is Belgian Beer meet, such gatherings are called Babblefests. The main Babblefest this weekend was at the Zythos Beer Festival, but there were mini ones on the Eve of the festival, such as one in Bruges and the one in the Oud Arsenaal, and following it, such as the one already mentioned, in Brussels. I love the, now traditional, farewell morning session, in the Oud Arsenaal, when one can relax and fully appreciate what a first-rate collection of brewery plaques, etc, there are on the walls, whilst having a beer from the superb list.

Note that very close to the Oud Arsenaal, and in the same ownership, there is an excellent Beer Shop: Bierwinkel Den Dorstvlegel, Oude Vaartplaats 12, tel 03 232 97 54, www.dorstvlegel.be. On its website, as well as listing the beers available, and their prices (they can be purchased on-line), there is a detailed history of the Oud Arsenaal.

The above photo was taken by White Beer Travels Beer Hunt regular Stuart Lowe, on a Eurostar train between Brussels and London, in March, 2005. The train uses the Channel Tunnel to cross The Channel.

At session in the Oud Arsenaal just mentioned was White Beer Travel Beer Hunt regular, Jez (rauchbier - Smoke Beer) Blake, who is a very keen member of the ratebeer community, who enter beer ratings into the renowned ratebeer website, www.ratebeer.com. One can usually spot ratebeerers in a pub or beer festival, as they are taking notes as they sip their beer. Stephan Erauw, the Oud Arsenaal's proprietor noticed this and gave Jez a real rarity, a bottle of Westmalle Extra (5%), the beer that the monks drink in the monastery; only the Dubbel and the Tripel are readily available to the general public. We drank the Extra on the Eurostar going home, fittingly as we were passing a Trappist monastery in France, the Sainte-Marie-du-Mont Abbey (www.abbaye-montdescats.com), which is easy to spot, on the top of the Mont des  Cats, not long after leaving Lille. In one hand I am pouring this beer, in the other, as well as the glass, I have the special Westmalle Extra crown cap, the bottle itself having no label. Jez is using a Zythos Beer Festival glass for this rare beer. Click here for a report on an even rarer beer being drunk on the Eurostar, on the equivalent Beer Hunt, a year earlier.

2004: Antwerp-based Beer Hunt featuring the O.B.E.R. Christmas Beer Festival, in Essen, Antwerp Province

This December, 2004, Antwerp-based White Beer Travels group Beer Hunt coincided with the Christmas Beer Festival (Kerstbierfestival) (www.kerstbierfestival.be) organised by the O.B.E.R. (www.ober.be) branch of Zythos (www.zythos.be, White Beer Travels Web page), Belgium's premier beer consumers' organisation); O.B.E.R. means "Objectieve Bierproevers Essense Regio" (Essen Area Objective Beer Tasters). The festival takes place annually in the town of Essen, in Antwerp Province. Essen has its own dedicated White Beer Travels Web page, which can be reached by clicking here. This Essen page covers the Essen part of this Beer Hunt.

The above two photos were taken by John White, in Antwerp, in December, 2004, in 't Karveel and the Café Beveren, respectively.

Of course, being based in Antwerp, means that a number of marvellous bars in and easily reached from the city, were visited for the nth time, along with places not previously visited, such as: 't Karveel (www.tkarveel.be), at Vlaamse Kaai 11, a John Martin's Galleon Pub, that opened in late 2003, see the photo, above left, of a glass of La Trappe Dominus Triple (8%) (www.latrappe.nl, White Beer Travels Web page) holding open the beer page of 't Karveel's menu; the magnificent, life-enhancing Café Beveren (www.cafebeveren.com), at Vlasmarkt 2, close to the river, where much dancing takes place in front of the place's famous organ, see the photo, above right (one can listen to the organ by going to the place's website); and In den Spytighen Duvel (Remorseful Devil), a truly classic Speciality Beer bar, a short train journey away in Turnhout (Otterstraat 99, tel 014 42 35 00). There are over 300 carefully chosen beers to select from, including some non-Belgian ones, such as Harvey's Imperial Russian Stout (9%) (www.harveys.org.uk), and the French Trois (3) Monts (www.brasserie-st-sylvestre.com). In den Spijtighen Duvel is open every day of the week except Monday, from 11am. It is twenty minutes' walk from Turnhout railway station. From the station head East on De Merodelei, which becomes Gasthuis Straat, this running into the town's main square, the Grote Markt. Leave this in the same direction on the required Otterstraat, the Remorseful Devil being 400 yards/metres or so on the left.

The picture, above left, of the exterior of In den Spytighen Duvel, was taken by John White, in December, 2004, on the same occasion as the one above right, taken inside the place, by Joyce White. In this photo, from left to right are: Warren Becker, Beer Judge and Belgian Beer devotee; White Beer Travels Beer Hunt regular, Stuart Lowe; John White; and Bill Coleman. Bill has an excellent website for his "Malted Barley Appreciation Society". This has much information on the New York Specialty (Craft) Beer scene hbd.org/mbas. Bill also does the labels for the Regenboog brewery, in Bruges, in Belgium, click here to see some. It is no coincidence that he was in this bar, as one of the best pubs in New York is close by where he lives in Brooklyn: the Spuyten Duyvil (www.spuytenduyvilnyc.com, 359 Metropolitan Avenue, tel 718 963 4140). Bill duly handed over one of its beer mats to In den Spijtighen Duvel's proprietor, Stef Hannes, well its half proprietor, since he runs the place on a shift basis with Dirk Appels. Stuart and John have glasses of a superb example of La Montagnarde, from Abbaye des Rocs (www.abbaye-des-rocs.com), poured from the 75cl bottle in the basket on the table. It had a wonderful "brewery yard" aroma. Click here for details of a White Beer Travels group visit to Abbaye des Rocs. This had been preceded by two other marvellous beers: 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze, see below; and a 2001 Cuvee van de Keizer from Het Anker (www.hetanker.be).

Whilst Bill and Warren were in Belgium at the time of this encounter, Warren offered me a sample of King's Ale from Bass, which is the same as Bass No. 1 Burton Ale, albeit the brew started by King Edward VII (well he opened a valve which admitted liquor (hot water in brewing terminology) into the Mash Tun), on his visit to Bass, in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, in February, 1902.  Click here for a report on another encounter with Bill and Warren.

The above photo was taken by John White in December, 2004, in Stationekke, Olen. When you want a bottled beer, you get one from the shelves that can be seen at the back and take it to the bar. In the Photo, Podge is on the right, with Paul Winder on the left. Paul has been on every one of Podge's trips; he mans the Belgian Beer bar at the Summer and Winter Chelmsford CAMRA Beer Festivals.

The White Beer Travels Beer Hunters also joined in a full day coach trip, superbly organised by fellow Beer Hunt organiser, Chris (Podge) Pollard. This covered: the excellent Microbrouwerij Achilles (www.serafijn.be), at Dulft 9a, Itegem (Heist-op-den-Berg), Antwerp Province, where Achilles Van de Moer brews the Serafijn range of beers; and very good lunch at De Kruimel (The Crumb) (www.dekruimel-vorst.be), in Vorst Meerlaar, in Antwerp Province, whose beer menu runs to around 60 different beers with a leaning towards Tripels; 't Paenhuys, in Tessenderlo (Schoterweg 1), in Belgian Limburg (this has a rustic interior and 70+ beers); Bierkroeg Den Hulst, in Blauwberg (Hulst 4), in Antwerp Province (250 beers); and Het Stationneke van Olen, in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Olen (Stationsstraat 57 (Platform 1 of Olen railway station)), in Antwerp Province (an eccentric bar/biermuseum where you pick your own beer from a room adjacent to the servery, see the photo to the left). Click here for Podge's contact details.

Susequent to the visit to the Achilles brewery, the Serafijn Café has opened alongside the brewery. This naturally has a good selection of the brewery's beers, both on draught and in bottle. The following are September, 2006 prices for draught measures of 20cl (Klein) and 33cl (Groot) and 75cl bottles: Blond at €1/1.80/3.80; Tripel, Celtic Angel, Gold and Kerstlicht, all at €1.30/2/4; and Grand Cru at €1.50/2.30/4.60. 33/75cl Bottles of the Donker are €2.30/4.60. Service is typically by the brewer's daughters. The bar is open on Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 11pm, and from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday. During opening hours, beer can be purchased to take out.

En route home before getting the Eurostar back to London, a few hours were spent in the Cantillon Brewery and the Delirium Café, in Brussels, to continue the assault on its 2,000+ beer menu, see below.

2004: Beer Hunt based in Antwerp, featuring: the First Zythos Beer Festival, in Sint-Niklaas; Het Anker Brewery, in Mechelen; the Delirium Café and a Cantillon Brewery Open Brew Day, in Brussels; and In De Verzekering Tegen De Grote Dorst, in Lennik/Eizeringen, for a Special Event there