Speciality/Specialty Beer Bar of the Month: April

De Bierkamer, Vaartstraat West 30, Kluizen (Ertvelde), Belgium, tel 09 343 87 33, www.debierkamer.be (Bookmark)
GPS: 51.162073^o N, 3.737653^o E

Opened August, 2004: Immediately World-Class

The above photo shows Gert Brouns behind the servery in De Bierkamer. It was taken by John White, of "White Beer Travels", in March, 2005.

This White Beer Travels "Pub of the Month" was selected by John White. Most who have already visited De Bierkamer have been amazed at how quickly it has quite clearly become a world-class Speciality Beer bar. It is certainly right up there with: 't Brugs Beertje (www.brugsbeertje.be, White Beer Travels Web page), in Bruges; De Heeren van Liedekercke (www.come.to/heerenvanliedekercke, White Beer Travels Web page), in Denderleeuw;  Kroegske, in Emelgem (www.kroegske.be, White Beer Travels Web page); 't Arendsnest (www.arendsnest.nl, White Beer Travels Web page) and In de Wildeman (www.indewildeman.nl), in Amsterdam, in The Netherlands; and the Wynkoop (www.wynkoop.com, White Beer Travels Web page), in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Kluizen is just South of Ertvelde, which is fifteen kilometres (ten miles) North of the East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) city of Ghent (Gent in Dutch). Ertvelde is home to the well-known Bios/Van Steenberge brewery (www.vansteenberge.com).

This marvellous place was run until the end of December,  2006, by Gerten (Gert) Brouns, and his wife, Muriel, who have lived in the area for some time. Prior to setting up the place, Gert worked in a particularly renowned Specialty Beer bar in Ghent: Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, Groentenmarkt 9, tel 09 225 06 80, www.waterhuisaandebierkant.be. Thus, he started up this, his own place, in 2004, fully aware of what makes a top-class bar, with the added bonus of not merely being an employee in The Water House on the Beer Side", but also an avid fan of Belgian Beer, and a serious collector of Belgian Beer breweriana. The Speciality Beer bars of Ghent are covered in the fifty-one page White Beer Travels Beer guide to the city, that can be obtained from the site's Downloads page, which can be reached by clicking here. Note that whilst at De Bierkamer, Gert still worked part-time for the Ghent establishment (behind the scenes, doing things such as maintaining its beer menu, writing articles for it, and selecting its Beer of the Month), and he was also its Webmaster (the person who looks after the place's website). As stated above, Marc Staelens took over the running of the place in January, 2007.

The building housing De Bierkamer is in open country on the Northern outskirts of the village of Kluizen, although should you undertake the walk to the place, described below, don't be put off by the fact that you pass a "Leaving Kluizen" sign and then an "Entering Ertvelde" sign. This is all down to the vagaries of Belgian town naming; Gert has the place on its website and on the menu card, etc, in Kluizen (Ertvelde), so, so do I.

The building was previously home to a Turkish Pizza place, but which had been shut for two years before Gert commenced renting it from its owners, the Bios/Van Steenberge brewery; Gert opened it as De Bierkamer on the 6th of August, 2004 . Bios is fairly close by – two bus stops away - see below. On the bus from Ghent, one notes many establishments badged with Bios's Sparta Pils (5%), which unusually for such a beer is unpasteurised; it is a four star beer in the Tim Webb Good Beer Guide Belgium (www.booksaboutbeer.com, White Beer Travels Web page); the maximum is five stars. However Gert has decided not to stock any Pils; his target clientele is the more discerning beer drinker.

De Bierkamer translates into "The Beer Room". There is a meaning sourced from the van Dale dictionary, in Dutch, in the menu book, the following being my translation of this: Room/Place in a ship where beer was stored.

The first part of the superbly laid out and illustrated beer menu has an extensive list of Bios beers, including the not-often-seen Pierre Celis Fruit Beers (Brussels Kriek (Cherry), Brussels Framboos (Framboise, Raspberry) and Brussels Perzik (Pêche, Peach), which are based on his Wheat Beer. These are all 3.5%, apart from the 4% Peach one, and cost €2.40. There is also an excellent selection of non-Bios beers, including, for example, rarities from Alvinne, Rulles, Regenboog (all this superb Bruges brewery's permanent beers are available), the cream of the Lambic brewers/blenders, le Petit-Orval, etc, etc. Le Petit-Orval (3.5%) (€2.80) (Orval Verte (Orval Green)) is the beer drunk within the Orval Monastery by the monks, click here for a White Beer Travels Web page that provides more details of it.

The description of De Bierkamer on its menu card, etc, is Bierkaffee & Brocante. The latter is not in my large van Dale Dutch dictionary; indeed, it is a French word meaning second-hand goods (more antique-like than Oxfam), that is usually seen on shops selling Bric-a-Brac, in France and in Wallonia, the French-speaking half of Belgium (which, unlike many places in Flanders, is very well represented in Gert's beer list). In the case of De Bierkamer, there is an area which is, in the main, filled with old beer glasses, including some very old-looking Trappist ones, an example having a sticker on the bottom of its base stating "€5", this being its price; all items with stickers on are for sale. Most of the Bric-a-Brac is thus Breweriana, which would be in Gert's garage if he did not have this place! In the photo at the top right of this page, Gert and I are standing in front of this breweriana.

The beer list has exactly 100 different beers; 117 if you count 33cl bottles of a particular beer as being different to 75cl ones of the same beer, etc. The following are some examples of the bottled ones from Bios, all the prices being from the March, 2005 visit, and, unless indicate otherwise, for 33cl measures: Bios Export at €1.60; Bornem Dubbel and Tripel at €2.40/2.80; Bruegel Amber Ale at €1.60; Leute Bokbier at €2.40; Gulden Draak at €2.80; Boukanier Blond at €2.80; Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne at €1.60 (25cl); Bios Vlaamse Kriek at €2 (25cl); Celis White at €1.60 (25cl); and De Leyerth's Urthel Novicius Vertus, Tonicum Finiboldhus, Hibernus Quentum and Quadrium Samaranth, all at €2.80.

The photo to the left, which was taken by John White, in March, 2005 shows Gert pouring one of a number of glasses of Alvinne Tripel (9%) (€3), the beer that is also featured in the photo at the top right of this page. This was a popular choice with the White Beer Travels Beer Hunters, on the March, 2005 visit to De Bierkamer, as they had been informed that it was a new beer that was to be officially launched the next day at the Zythos Beer Festival, in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders (www.zbf.be, White Beer Travels Web page); Zythos is Belgium's premier beer consumers' organisation. Click here for a White Beer Travels Web page providing more information on the Alvinne Picobrouwerij.

Other examples from the superb selection of bottled beers include: Moeder Overste at €2.80; Boon Oude Kriek (€4.50 (37.5cl)), Oude Geuze (€4 (37.5cl)), Mariage Parfait Oude Geuze (€4.50 (37.5cl)), and Donkere Duivel at €2.80; the Bios/Van Steenberge bottled Trappist Achel Blond (€3), Bruin (€3) and Extra (€8 (75cl)); Rochefort 6^o/8^o/10^o at €3/3.50/4; Blaugies La Moneuse at €4/7.50 (37.5/75cl); La Rulles Triple at €7.50 (75cl); Regenboog's Guido at €2.80; De Ranke Kriek at €8.50 (75cl); De "Proef" Brouwerij's Gageleer, an Organic Beer; Silenrieux's Sara (an Organic Buck Wheat Beer) and Joseph (an Organic Spelt Beer), both at €2.40 (25cl); Het Anker's Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer at €10 (75cl);  Den Hopperd's Organic Beers, Kameleon Amber and Tripel, both at €2.80; Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek at (€4.50/5 (37.5cl)), and Beersel Bio, an Organic Beer brewed for 3 Fonteinen by De "Proef" Brouwerij, at €2.80; Cantillon Gueuze at (€4.50 (37.5cl)); De Cam Oude Geuze at (€4.50 (37.5cl)); Hanssens Oude Geuze at (€4.50 (37.5cl)); and De Dolle Brouwers Special Extra Export Stout at €2.80. De Bierkamer does not have a selection of aged beers, but Gert is stocking up on different vintages of Het Anker's Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer (11%), this beer being absolutely superb, and particularly well suited to aging. It is brewed once per year on the brewery's annual open-brew day on the 24th of February, the birthday of Keizer Karel (Emperor Charles, i.e. Charles Quint) (1500-58), who was born in Ghent. Interestingly, another great Specialty Beer Bar, De Mug, in Middelburg, in The Netherlands (www.demug.nl, White Beer Travels Web page), also features different vintages of a Het Anker beer: Gouden Carolus Christmas. This is testament to the truly superb beers that Het Anker (www.hetanker.be) produces; click here for a White Beer Travels Web page featuring Het Anker.

De Bierkamer is in the 2006-7 edition of Bob Hendrickx's essential book, 208 Originele Cafés in Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen & Brussel (www.bloggen.be/originelecafes). With the latest versions of this book, one gets a free beer to follow your first beer, in each of the bars featured in it. Further details of this essential book can be found on another White Beer Travels Web page, which can be reached by clicking here.

The house wine in the usual three colours is €2.40/3.80/7.40/11 for a Glas/25cl/50cl/Bottle. Jonge Jenever (Young Low Country Gin) is €1.80.

The picture to the left, which was taken by John White, in March, 2005, features a number of White Beer Travels Beer Hunters, in De Bierkamer. Going round the table can be seen: John's wife, Joyce; Geoff Lowis; Bob Middleton; Paul Wells; and, nearest to the camera, Paul Skinner, who is John's son-in-law. The blackboard above the fireplace has a list of the draught /tap beers available at the time of the visit: Bios's Augustijn €2 (25cl) (see its plaque in the photo above) and Piraat (€2.80 (33cl)); and Leute Bokbier at €2.40 (33cl). Beers that are extremely rare on draught, such as Bios's Gulden Draak, may be available on your visit, including, at Christmas time, the Vintage version. Gluhwein is also advertised on the blackboard at €2.50. The poster above Counsellor Lowis's head is advertising a fully-booked-up, free-to-enter musical evening in the place. At other times, there is excellent, unobtrusive background music in the place.

Food is limited to snacks, such as: a Small Plate (Bordje) of Sausages (Bistro-Worst) at €4; a Portion (Portie) of Trappist Cheese (Trappistenkaas), Gentse Kop (Brawn) and Olives (Olijven), all at €4; Uncooked (Rauwe) Ham at €4.50; and the Cheese, Ham and Brawn with Farm House Bread (Boerenbrood) at respectively €7/7/6. By prior arrangement, for a minimum of four people, one can order a Kaastafel at €12 per person, or a Breughelmaal at €10 per person. The "Cheese Platter" consists of ten different Cheeses, with Fruit, Nuts, an assortment of Bread and Farmhouse Butter. In the "Bruegel Meal" one gets Cooked and Uncooked Ham, Trappist Cheese, Brawn, Cold Meat Balls (Fricandon) with Hot Cherries (Warme Kriekjes), Minced Meat, Paté, Fresh Apple Sauce, Mixed Salad, Tomatoes and a Light Vinaigrette, Belgian Mustard and Pickles, and an assortment of Bread and Farmhouse Butter.

There is a big selection of beer books/magazines to peruse.

De Bierkamer is open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and National Holidays, from 3pm. By prior arrangement, it will open at other times for groups. It also closes when Gert is on holiday; you can be alerted to the dates of these by e-mail. It is also closed on December, the 26th, and January, the 1st.

How to get to De Bierkamer & Bios Van Steenberge Brewery

By Bus

The photo to the left of an electronic bus departure sign, at the Zuid transport interchange, in Ghent, was taken by John White, in March, 2005. The bus at the top of the list is the 14.48 (2.48pm) number 55 bus to Zelzate (14.37 from Gent St.-Pieters Railway Station, 14.58 from the St.-Jacob stop in the city centre). This arrives at the required stop for De Bierkamer, Kluizen Hoogstraat, at 15.15.

There are other options for getting to De Bierkamer by bus, but the following is one that I have tried that works. Get the number 55 De Lijn (www.delijn.be, White Beer Travels Web page) bus (final destination Zelzate) from Ghent. Do not get the 55S, as this does not stop at the stop required in Kluizen. The bus stop options in Ghent include: St.-Pieters Railway Station (terminus stop); Zuid (a transport interchange, within sight of an excellent restaurant with a very good beer selection, Deus (www.brasseriedeus.be); and St.-Jacob (within sight of a well known Speciality Beer bar, Den Trollekelder (Bij Sint-Jacobs 17, tel 09 223 76 96)). Get off at the stop called "Kluizen Hoogstraat" (GPS: 51.157971^o N, 3.736984^o E), which is on a road called Noordlaan (the N458 National Road). Teeing into this on both sides, is Hoogstraat; join the section to the West of the N458. Turn onto the quickly reached first right off Hoogstraat, and after 200 metres or so, after a street name change from Oude Burggrave to the required Vaartstraat West, De Bierkamer is on the left, a five minutes' walk from the bus stop. For the return journey, one returns to the "Kluizen Hoogstraat" bus stop for the Ghent direction, which, as per the one used for the forward journey, is just downstream of the Noordlaan/Hoogstraat junction. Note that it is worth downloading the bus route and timetable from the De Lijn website (click here to do this directly) so that you can follow the route, picking off bus stops, bearing in mind that if there is no one waiting at the stop, and no one is alighting, that it won't stop. A good bet is to try to sit near the driver and ask him/her to tell you when the stop is coming, and, of course, ask her/him to stop at it.

Note that, only a couple of stops further on the same bus, gets one close to the Bios/Van Steenberge brewery, Lindenlaan 25 (GPS: 51.176760^o N, 3.746228^o E) which has scheduled visits and group ones by arrangement (see the brewery's website), i.e. get off the bus at the stop named "Ertvelde Steenstraat" (GPS: 51.175298^o N, 3.745417^o E) (the stop after"Ertvelde Vaartstraat"), the required stop being on a street called Aardeken (N458), the extension of the Noordlaan of the previous paragraph, just after a TOTAL garage on the right and Steenstraat to the right. Lindenlaan is parallel to Aardeken, separated from it only by shrubbery; the brewery is along this street, on the right, when walking in the direction the bus was travelling; the brewery entrance is not labelled, but its number 25 is prominent. Should you miss the Steenstraat stop, the next one is about the same distance beyond the brewery: "Ertvelde Marktplein" (GPS: 51.177835^o N, 3.746393^o E). Note that the even numbered section of Lindenlaan is on the other side of Aardeken, i.e. Plancheetje, the pub opposite the brewery entrance, is at Lindenlaan 38. This, like a number of pubs in the area, is badged with Bios beer names: Augustijn and Sparta Pils.

Note that the road leading off Aardeken, on the opposite side to Steenstraat is called Kuipstraat. On this, at number 36, is Het Biermuseum (The Beer Museum) (tel 09 344 81 47). This has a massive collection of beer glasses and brewery plaques, and there is a small but interesting selection of beers to drink, including the Lefèbvre-brewed House Beer, Beremietje (5.4%); there is also a locally produced Hop Cheese (Hoppekaas). Het Biermuseum is open on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 6pm, Saturday from 2pm, and Sunday and National Holidays from 10am. It will also open at other times by appointment. Another pub that is well worth visiting in Ertvelde is The Maple, Stoepestraat 50, tel 09 344 46 14, www.themaple.be. This is a very rustic place, opposite a much-visited 16th Century pilgrimage site/chapel: Onze Lieve Vrouw van Stoepe. The Maple has around sixty beers, including a house beer, Maple-Bier (8.5%), a five-grain beer, sixty percent of the grain being wheat. If you carry on going North up Aardeken, there is a name change to Hospitaalstraat, this soon becoming the N448 (signed to Assenede), and then there is another name change to the required Stoepestraat. The Maple is open from 4pm, every day, except Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is essentially walking distance between De Bierkamer and the Bios/Van Steenberge brewery, so, in reality, one would not typically get the bus to go between the two places; I give directions to both, since their respective opening times mean that one of them will not always be the first to be visited in a Beer Hunt that includes a visit to both of them.

Another De Lijn bus that goes to Kluizen on a more scenic route from Ghent is the number 52. This goes between Baaigem/Melle to Assenede, via Merelbeke, Gent, Wondelgem, Evergem, Kluizen, Ertvelde, and Assenede. In Ghent this stops at the Zuid and St.-Jacob stops, but does not go to or from the main railway station, Gent St.-Pieters. Click here to download the timetable for this bus. It stops at the same places mentioned for the number 55 bus, in Kluizen and Ertvelde (for the Bios/Van Steenberge brewery).

There is a Belbus that serves Kluizen. As its name suggests, this is a bus that one books by telephone. for more details of it. click here for a White Beer Travels Web page giving details of how to use it. The telephone number to ring for the Evergem Belbus is 09 210 94 94, this being the number that covers the whole of East Flanders. Click here to get the Belbus telephone numbers for the rest of Belgian Flanders. Note that the maximum number that can be booked on a Belbus is fourteen.

John White (1945-), , March, 2005, updated in June, 2007.

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