The above photo was taken in front of the brew house vessels in the marvellous Brasserie Val de Sambre (www.valdesambre.be), in Gozée (Thuin), in the Belgian Province of Hainaut. The brewery is located within the former stable block of the Abbaye d'Aulne (ADA), which was once a Cistercian Monastery. The photo was taken by Val de Sambre's Master Brewer, Frederic Colinet. The visit to this brewery was part of a trip undertaken by members of the British Guild of Beer Writers (www.beerwriters.co.uk). Click here for more photos taken on the Val de Sambre visit. The trip was organised by Sophie Bouallegue of the "Belgian Tourist Office Brussels - Wallonia", in London, who have the cleverly named website, www.belgiumtheplaceto.be. The Belgian equivalent, the Office de Promotion du Tourisme Wallonie-Bruxelles (OPT Wallonie Bruxelles) (www.belgium-tourism.net, www.opt.be), is based in Brussels.

From left to right in the photo are the trip participants: Pete Brown (www.pete-brown.co.uk) of Storm Lantern (www.stormlantern.co.uk), a marketing Consultancy, author of Man Walks into a Pub), and a Guild Committee Member; our guide on the trip, the Tourist Office's Giovanni Ciraolo: yours truly, John White, who is also a Guild Committee Member; Ben McFarland, who was voted the Guild's 2004 Beer Writer of The Year; and Adrian Tierney-Jones (www.beeralewhatever.com), the Guild's Secretary and author of a number of beer books, including The Big Book of Beer (2005, CAMRA Books, ISBN 1-85249-212-0), who organised the trip from the Guild's end. Ben covers this Beer Hunt in the November/December, 2005 edition of beers of the world (www.beers-of-the-world.com).

A Specialty/Speciality/Craft Beer Hunt in Brussels and Wallonia, Belgium

The above photo was taken by John White, in July, 2005. It features a classic Wallonian Artisanal Beer, in a 75cl bottle, along with its special glass: Augrenoise (6.5%), which is brewed by the Brasserie Augrenoise, in Casteau, in Hainaut Province. Jean-Marie Rock, the Head Brewer at the Orval Trappist Brewery (www.orval.be, White Beer Travels Web page) is involved in the brewing of this top-class beer; Orval yeast is used in its production. This was sampled during a visit to an elegant bar/restaurant, in Mons, the Excelsior (29 Grand'Place (a building with a splendid wooden façade (with interior to match), in the middle of a block between Rue des Clercs and Rue d'Enghien), tel 065 36 34 52, GPS: 50.454107^o N, 3.951902^o E). The Excelsior has by far the best selection of Wallonian Beers in Mons (for example, La Binchoise Blonde, La Montagnarde and Augrenoise in 75cl bottles at €8, along with other interesting beers, including a number from Unibroue (www.unibroue.com), in Quebec, in Canada, such as L'Eau Bénite at €4; it also serves very good food (examples including Filet de Lotte (Monkfish) at €15, and Escavèche de Chimay at €7). The upstairs room is a Jazz venue (www.exceljazz.be). Mons (www.mons.be) is the capital of the Province of Hainaut; it is a well-worth-a-visit, most attractive city. The Excelsior was selected from Tim Webb's don't-enter-Belgium without Good Beer Guide Belgium (www.booksaboutbeer.com, White Beer Travels Web page). This will point you to other places that are worth checking out, such as: the 150+ beer La Cervoise, at 25 Grand'Place (tel 065 31 46 06); and just outside the city centre, just off Junction 24 of the E19-E42 Motorway, Le Brasse-Temps, a Brew Pub owned by Dubuisson (www.br-dubuisson.com, www.bush-beer.com), in a cinema complex, the Complexe Imagix (www.imagix.be), in Les Grands-Prés Shopping Complex (Centre Commercial), at 1 Boulevard Initialis (tel 065 84 94 14). Between 7am and 9pm on Monday to Friday, this is served by a free bus, the Circuit A Mons Intra Muros (MsIM) bus, operated by TEC (www.infotec.be), which goes from the city centre via the main railway station.

This British Guild of Beer Writers' trip took place in July, 2005. In 2005, the "Office de Promotion du Tourisme Wallonie-Bruxelles", see above, has an excellent initiative called Beer 2005, for which there is an associated booklet, Beer 2005 a Festival of Flavours in Wallonia and in Brussels; there is also a corresponding website, www.beer2005.be, which has a lot of useful info on beer events in Brussels and Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium. Both the booklet and the website provide a lot of information on breweries, beer museums, bars, etc. The booklet and website are also available in: French (Bières 2005 Chemins de Saveurs en Wallonie et à Bruxelles), www.biere2005.be; Dutch (Bier 2005 Bruisende routes in Wallonië en Brussel), www.bieren2005.be ; and German (Köstliche Augenblicke in der Wallonie und Brussel) www.bier2005.be.

The Breweries visited were: the Brasserie du Bocq (www.bocq.be, White Beer Travels Downloadable Guide), in Purnode, in the Province of Namur (4 Rue de la Brasserie, tel 082 61 07 90, GPS: 50.311415^o N, 4.943472^o E); Brasserie La Caracole (www.caracole.be, under construction), in Falmignoul, in the Province of Namur (86 Côte Marie-Thérèse, tel 082 74 40 80, GPS: 50.203055^o N, 4.892292^o E); the Brasserie Val de Sambre (Abbaye d'Aulne (ADA)) (www.valdesambre.be), see above, in Gozée (Thuin), in Hainaut Province (273 Rue Vandervelde, tel 071 56 20 73, GPS: 50.365815^o N, 4.329800^o E (brewery entrance), 50.365195^o N, 4.329772^o E (drive from main road)); the Brasserie Lefèbvre (www.brasserielefebvre.be), in Rebecq-Quenast, in the Province of Wallonian Brabant (Walloon Brabant) (54 Rue de Croly, tel 067 67 07 66, GPS: 50.674378^o N, 4.151978^o E); the Brasserie de Silly (The Silly Brewery) (www.silly-beer.com), in Silly, in Hainaut Province (2 Rue Ville Basse (on the corner of Rue de la Station, in Place Communale), tel 068 55 16 95, GPS: 50.649335^o N, 3.924175^o E); and the Brasserie Cantillon (www.cantillon.be, White Beer Travels Web page), in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht (56 Rue Gheude Straat, tel 02 521 49 28, GPS: 50.841525^o N, 4.335677^o E). What can one say about Cantillon. In Tim Webb's 2005 Good Beer Guide Belgium, his highest star rating is five, but he wanted to give six to most of Cantillon's beers.

The photo, above left was taken by John White, in July, 2005. To the right of the "Brasserie de Silly" (Silly Brewery). In the same photo, on the right, is the Café de la Brasserie, the Brewery Tap. Above the window is a plaque with the legend "Bières Meynsbrughen Silly", the long word being the brewery's original name. The photo on the right was taking in Silly's old brewery, by Giovanni Ciraolo, in July, 2005. I am with our host on the Silly Brewery visit, its General Manager, Didier Van der Haegen, whose Mother has the maiden name of the original founder of the brewer, Meynsbrughen; she lives in a house within the brewery grounds; Didier lives just across from the brewery. Note that the Café de la Brasserie, is an excellent, "old" locals' bar, which actually only commenced operation in May, 2005. It is open every day except Wednesday, from 11am to 10pm (4pm on Thursdays). It has around eighteen different beers. The Silly ones include: draught Silly Pils at €1.10 (a marvellous, unpasteurised example of the style); draught Titje Blanche (4.7%), the brewery's wheat beer at €1.40; draught Saison de Silly (5%) at €1.40; La Divine (9.5%) at €2.20; Scotch Silly (7.5%) at €2; Printemps de Silly (6.5%) at €1.80; Double d'Enghien Blonde (7.5%) and Brune (8%), both at €1.60; and Pink Killer (4.7%), a Grapefruit Beer based on the Wheat Beer, that was introduced in 2005, at €1.60. Non-Silly Beers include Orval at €2.50. The prices quoted, as per all others on this page are, unless indicated otherwise, July, 2005 ones, for 25cl measures of draught beer and 33cl bottles. Note that the Grapefruit Juice in Pink Killer actually ferments, unlike the Apple Juice in du Bocq's Applebocq (3.1%), see below, which is also Wheat Beer-based. Pink Killer is thus significantly stronger than beers such as Applebocq, these typically being marketed as refreshing, light summer drinks.

The photo, above left was taken in July, 2005, by Ben McFarland. It features Caracole's Brewer, François Tonglet, our visit host, with John White (mashing fork in hand), in front of the brewery's famous wood-fired brew house vessels. In the brewery's excellent bar, which opened in 2004 to the general public, as well as those on booked visits, we sampled some of the brewery's marvellous beers, including: Troublette, a hoppy wheat beer; Saxo; and Nostradamus. Caracole moved into their present building in 1994, after starting off commercial brewing in Namur, in 1990 (excess bottles from brews from 1986 were just distributed amongst friends). Equipment from their original Namur brewery has been relocated to Falmignoul and is used for test brews, and is also hired out to other brewers, such as B.G.V. (derived from the surnames of its three owners, Jean-Marc Boumal, Philippe Golinvaux and Michael Vermeren), who brew a marvellous, albeit unusual beer called La Forestinne (7.5%) (www.forestinne.be.tf), which is spiced with Pine Nuts. The photo, above right was taken at a Cantillon Open Brew Day in March, 2006, by Joyce White. In it. John White is with two thirds of B.G.V., the G and the V.

Also available in the Val de Sambre bar is a spirit produced from one of the beers, Esprit d'Aulne (40%). Food includes the excellent local speciality, Escavêche, which is a marinated Eel or Trout dish, based on a secret recipe; this particular dish can be eaten on the premises or taken home. After the visit to the Val de Sambre Brewery, we had a meal in a restaurant on the other side of the Abbey: Au Bief du Moulin (290 Rue Vandervelde, Gozée (Thuin), tel 071 51 60 74, GPS: 50.366735^o N, 4.332505^o E). This had a good selection of beers, including, of course, Val de Sambre ones.

The above two photos were taken in July, 2005; the one on the left by Adrian Tierney-Jones, the one on the right by Giovanni Ciraolo. In the one on the left, which was taken in du Bocq's visitor centre, John White is with our host on the brewery visit, Francis Deraedt, the brewery's Administrateur Délégué (Managing Director). In my hand, I have a glass of du Bocq's excellent La Gauloise Brune (8.1%), which is available on draught in the visitor centre. Francis has a glass of the bottled Applebocq (3.1%), which is the brewery's Wheat Beer, Blanche de Namur (4.5%) diluted with Apple Juice. The glass on the right is filled with bottled Triple Moine (7.3%), du Bocq's Abbey Triple. After the visit to the Lefèbvre Brewery, we sampled some of the breweries beers, with our host on the brewery visit, Philippe Lefèbvre, in a marvellous pub called La Taverne du Moulin d'Arenberg, which is housed in a Mill on the River Senne (Zenne) of Lambic fame, in Rebecq-Rognon (6 Rue du Docteur Colson, tel 067 63 88 23, GPS: 50.663372^o N, 4.132583^o E). The photo on the right shows Philippe with John White, in this pub. Philippe has a glass of Saison 1900 (5.2%); I have a glass of the brewery's Wheat Beer, Blanche de Bruxelles (4.5%). The bar in The Mill is open every day except Monday, unless the latter is a National Holiday, when it then opens. The hours are 10am to 10pm (Midnight on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and National Holidays). The Mill is next door to a nice museum, the Musée d'Arenberg (8 Rue du Docteur Colson), which also houses the local Tourist Information Office; the museum features a locally quarried stone, Porphyry (Porphyre in French), which is very hard and thus used for paving.

Also on the agenda was an excellent exhibition covering the Chimay Trappist Monastery and its Beers and its Cheeses, in the Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville), in the main square, the Grand'Place, in the town of Chimay, in Hainaut Province. In a roundabout to the East of the centre of Chimay (where the N939 (Rue du Chalon) and N99 (Chaussée de Couvin) National roads meet, GPS: 50.046888^o N, 4.322087^o E), there is a splendid Copper, that is indeed, made of Copper, that was formerly used in the Chimay Trappist Brewery. The White Beer Travels Web page on Chimay provides further details of the exhibition and photos featuring the Chimay Copper. Note that the town of Chimay is 9 kilometres (5½ miles) North of the monastery, within which is the brewery that produces the Chimay Trappist Beers. The Monastery, the Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont (La Trappe de Chimay), is in the hamlet of Forges; the Chimay bottling plant and offices are a similar distance from the town of Chimay, in Baileux.

In Chimay, despite its name, The Queen Mary (www.queen-mary.be.tf) (subtitled, see its sign in the photo, above right, "An English Pub in Chimay"), has a good selection of Belgian Beers, at very reasonable prices. There are two beers on draught and thirty-seven in bottle (July, 2005), all six Belgian Trappist Breweries being represented including the rare Westvleteren ? (€3.40). Other Trappist examples include: Achel ? at €2.90 (the Dutch La Trappe (www.latrappe.nl, White Beer Travels Web page) is mentioned on the places's website, rather than Achel); Orval at €2.90; and Rochefort 8^o/10^o at €3/3.30. Other bottles include: Rodenbach at €2 (25cl); Super des Fagnes ? at €2.50; and Saint Feuillien ? at €2.90. The Queen Mary is to be found just to the West of the Grand'Place at 22 Grand'Rue (GPS: 50.048691^o N, 4.314303^o E, tel 060 21 23 81). The Queen Mary is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 3pm. The above photos of The Queen Mary were taken by John White, in July, 2005. Another place in Chimay with a good selection of beers (~50) is a splendid bar/restaurant housed in the former Casino, the Brasserie du Casino, at 27 Place des Ormeaux (Place Léopold), tel 060 21 49 80.

The principal tourist attraction in the town of Chimay is the Château de Chimay, www.chateaudechimay.com. This has the 22nd Prince of Chimay in residence (Philippe de Riquet, a descendant of the first Prince of Chimay, Charles I de Croy) and can be visited, with your guide often being one of the family; there are also musical and theatrical events held in the Château. www.ville-de-chimay.be and www.chimaypromotion.be are official websites covering the town of Chimay and the area surrounding it. The Tourist Office (Syndicat d'Initiative) is in the Vieille Tour (Old Tower), the sole remaining remnant of the town's fortifications, off the Eastern end of the Grand'Place, at 4 Rue de Noailles, tel 065 21 18 46.

We stayed in the following hotels on this trip: the Hôtel de Franc-Bois (www.hoteldefrancbois.be), in Lompret, near Chimay, in Hainaut Province (18 Rue Courtil aux Martias, tel 060 21 44 75, GPS: 50.063602^o N, 4.379552^o E), which is one of the prettiest villages in Wallonia; and the Hotel Mercure, in Nimy, near Mons, the capital of Hainaut Province (12 Rue des Fusillés, tel 065 72 36 85, GPS: 50.497447^o N, 3.955265^o E). In Lompret, the restaurant, L'Eau Blanche (27 Rue Gustave Joaris, tel 060 21 18 64, GPS: 50.065023^o N, 4.379535^o E), was the venue for an evening meal.

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