Tour 58 | Best of Belgian Beer Tour 2012

Thursday 1 March to Mon 5 March 2012

 

This superb Tour is an opportunity to taste some of the best beers from the greatest brewing country in the world. This trip is for both beginners and experienced beer travellers alike. The five-day Tour is based at the fantastic four star Hotel Keizershof in the centre of the beery town of Aalst. Copies of Podge’s Aalst Bar Guide* and a City Map* will be provided. The Tour will take in visits to the Fifth Alvinne Craft Beer Festival* at their new brewery in Moen which features not only the pick of the crop of Belgian beers, but also some of the best European beer from its most innovative brewers. We will visit the Cantillon on their Public Brewing Day where we will see the brewery in action* and taste their superb lambic beer*.  Also for Lambic lovers we will be visiting the great lambic café In de Verzekering Tegen de Grote Dorst in Eizeringen which is opening especially for us.

  
Rodenbach Brewery                             Dubuisson Brewery

 

Brewery visits have been arranged to the following quality Belgian brewers and the Tour price includes all these tours and tastings:

• Dupont Brewery* in Tourpes-Leuze.
• Rodenbach Brewery* in Roeselare.
• Struise Brouwers* in Oostvleteren.
• Sint Bernardus* in Watou (tour includes substantial beer giftpack*).
• Dubuisson Brewery in Pipaix-Leuze, where we will have the full brewery visit* and tasting experience* and a meal at their brewery restaurant.

   
Struise Brewers                                  St Sixtus Abbey, Westvleteren

Visits have also been arranged to the following Brewery Taps where we have the opportunity to taste some of Belgium’s finest and rarest beers:

• Den Hert in Vichte, Brewery Tap of Verhaeghe Brewery, brewers of Duchess de Bourgogne, Echt Kriek and Vichtenaar.
• Casino in Eine, Brewery Tap of Cnudde Brewery, whose three brothers make the rarely found and very drinkable Cnudde Bruin*.
• the brand new Brasserie Tavern in Ellezelles, Brewery Tap of Brasserie Ellezelloise, home of Hercule Stout and the highly regarded Quintine Ambrée and Quintine Blonde.
• In de Vrede in Westvleteren, whose Trappist beers need no introduction.
• Het Anker Brasserie in Mechelen, Brewery Tap of Het Anker Brewery, where we can sample all of their beers and have a meal at this great café restaurant.
• In Den Doorn in Ninove, Brewery Slaghmuylder’s flagship café restaurant where you can sample all their beers, including the rarely found Easter beer on draught. For those that wish, we have an opportunity to have a meal here of Flemish Stew made from the famed Belgian blue beef in a sauce prepared with Witkap Pater Dubbel dark beer from Brewery Slaghmuylder.
• ‘t Rusteel in Gullegem, Brewery Tap of De Gulden Spoor Brewery who make Netebuk beer. We will also be eating here as it is a great place for food too as well as a huge diverse beer menu.

   
Quintine Blonde, Ellezelles      't Rusteel, Gullegem

If that wasn't enough we will also pay a visit to the internationally famed De Heeren van Liederkerke in Denderleeuw, not only one of the very top Belgian beer cuisine restaurants but which also has an outstanding beer menu. It includes a staggering 300 choices, some from small breweries which are hard to find, all of the Trappist Beers and probably the widest selection of Lambic Geuzes and Krieks in Belgium. A visit here is a real treat and there is always something interesting on draught as well. Finally we need a place to buy beer to take home so we are visiting top beer warehouse ABS Drinks at Winksele. We are still working on some further visits on this Tour, so watch this space.

   
Gouden Carolus, Het Anker     Cantillon Brewery, Brussels 

The price of this exceptional five-day tour is £420 per person based on sharing a twin or double room, with a single supplement of £120 if you want a room of your own. Included in the Tour price are coach travel from Ipswich, Colchester or Chelmsford, still and sparkling water available on the coach, hotel breakfasts on Tour and brewery visits and tastings and all items marked with an asterisk. Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way from Ipswich (Crown Street Layby), Colchester (Southway) and Chelmsford (Woolpack, Mildmay Road) to Dover/Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card available online, by phone or via the Post Office.

 

If you have any questions or would like to join us on Tour please call Podge on 01245 354677 or send Podge an email.  This tour is rapidly filling up so if you have already booked, please send the deposit of £100 per person and if you would like to join us please contact me straightaway. Balance due on 26 January, as usual five weeks before departure.