Podge’s Belgian Beer Tours

Tour 67 / Totally Trappist 2013

Tuesday 1 October – Sunday 6 October

Back by popular demand is our long awaited Trappist Tour. This is an unusual opportunity to come on our superb five night, six day tour for an exceptional experience of beers from all the Trappist beer producing monasteries in the world. We will visit some monastery breweries, some monastery brewery taps and a Trappist beer festival. This tour will take us to the far corners of little Belgium, and beyond to La Trappe in the Netherlands.

Tuesday 1 October 2013

05.45 Coach pick up Chapel St South Layby Southway, Colchester CO2 7BA.

06.15 Coach pick up The Woolpack, Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN.

07.00 Pick up at Dartford Service Station DA1 1YT.

07.10 Coach pick up 7 Mays Siding, London Rd, Swanley, Kent BR8 8EE.

07.35 Coach pick up and change driver Maidstone Services, J8, M20, ME17 1SS.

08.00 Pick up at Stop 24, J11, M20, Kent CT21 4BL.

09.20 Eurotunnel Train Crossing from Folkestone.

11.00 Arrive Calais.

12.00 Our first stop is to the abbey at the summit of Mont des Cats, a hill near Godewaersvelde, for a panoramic view and an opportunity for a taste of our first beer* and a pre-booked meal at the perfectly situated ancient hostelry outside the monastery walls l'Auberge au Mont des Cats. Here they offer one of the newest “Trappist” beers which is brewed by Chimay at Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont.

15.15 Call in at Microbrasserie Brasse-Temps in Mons for a quick beer. Brasse-Temps uniquely only serve beers that have been brewed on site (Cuvée des Trolls 7%, Ambrasse Temps 5.5%, Blanche 4.5%, Brasse Temps des Cerises 5% and Brasse Temps Citron 3.5%, Temps des Brunes) as well as the Bush range of beers from the Dubuisson Brewery.

15.45 Leave Mons

17.00 Arrive at Auberge de Poteaupre in Bourlers. This is the Trappist Chimay Brewery Tap. We will have the “Total Taste Experience”* which consists of the four Chimay beers - Chimay Rouge (a copper-coloured 7% beer), the Triple (a golden 8% beer), the Bleue (a dark brown 9% beer) plus the Chimay Dorée a 4.8% golden beer, served from the cask at this café, exclusively in Belgium. The beers are accompanied by bread and a board of four accompanying Chimay cheeses:

Classique, with an authentic flavour of fresh milk and bread.

à la bière which tastes of hops and mushrooms.

Grand Cru an intense flavour of spices and full-bodied white wine.

Vieux Chimay with a fruity flavour tasting of hazelnuts and apricots.

19.00 Leave Auberge de Poteaupre for the journey to the Hotel.

20.15 Arrive at Hotel Porte de France in picturesque Bouillon for a relaxed evening in the town and its bars, using Podge’s Bouillon Bar Guide*.

Chimay beer tasting at Potaupre

Chimay beer tasting at Poteaupre

Wednessday 2 October 2013

10.00 Leave hotel by coach.

11.00 Arrive at the Saint Monon Brewery in Ambly, a farm brewery started in 1996 by Pierre Jacob. The brewery is named after a Scottish monk, who came to the village to convert the locals in 636AD but who was murdered by them. We will have a look around this small brewery and a tasting of three of their beers*.

12.30 Leave Saint Monon Brewery.

14.00 Arrive in the town of Rochefort and pay a visit to the centrally located La Gourmandise Restaurant where we will have a pre-ordered beer cuisine two course meal, based on Trappist beers.

17.00 Leave La Gourmandise Restaurant.

19.00 Return to Hotel Porte de France in Bouillon.

Chimay beer tasting at Potaupre

Orval Monastery Ruins

Thursday 3 October 2013

10.00 Leave Hotel Porte de France in Bouillon by Coach.

11.00 Visit to Trappist Orval Brewery for a tour* followed by a tasting* and an opportunity to eat at Auberge de l'Ange Gardien, the Brewery Tap. We should have time to walk round the beautiful Abbey ruins and grounds.

15.30 Leave Orval Monastery.

16.00 Arrive at La Rulles Brewery in the Gaume region for a brewery tour* and tasting of a range of their fantastic beers*.

17.00 Leave La Rulles Brewery for a journey north through the picturesque Ardennes countryside.

18.30 Arrive at another brewery with outstanding beers, Jandrain-Jandrenouille for a tour and beer tasting*.

19.30 Leave Jendrain-Jandrenouille Brewery.

20.15 Arrive at Ibis Hasselt Centrum Hotel for a one night stay. Podge’s Hasselt Bar Guide will be provided*.

Orval Brewery Tour October 2013

Orval Brewery Tour October 2013

Friday 4 October 2013

10.00 Leave Hotel Ibis Hasselt Centrum.

10.30 Pay a visit to Ter Dolen Brewery in the lovely castle complex at Helchteren for a brewery tour and beer sampling*.

12.00 Leave Ter Dolen Brewery.

12.30 Arrive at Achel Trappist Brewery and Monastery for an informal look at the brewery and an opportunity for a sample of their beers in the Abbey Café and a look at their great Abbey shop, with a selection of food and drinks.

14.00 Leave Achel Brewery and Abbey.

15.00 Arrive at La Trappe Trappist Brewery in Konningshoeven Tilburg (NL) for a full trappist experience, This will comprise an included, pre-ordered meal*, a film*, a fully guided tour of the brewery* and some monastic buildings and grounds* and a tasting of six La Trappe beers*.

Evening arrival at Hotel Sandton Eden Antwerp situated near the Central station in this great Flemish City for a two night stay. Podge’s Antwerp Bar Guide will be provided*.

Ter Dolen Brewery Tour

Ter Dolen Brewery Tour

Saturday 5 October 2013

10.00 Leave Hotel Sandton Eden Antwerp.

11.00 Arrive at Café Trappisten in Malle, brewery tap of the famous Westmalle Trappist Brewery, the other side of the road. We will have the opportunity to taste their beers including the Westmalle Dubbel on draft and maybe the rare Westmalle Extra.

12.00 Leave Café Trappisten.

12.30 Arrive at the Het Anker Brewery Tap and Restaurant in Mechelen for our pre-ordered beer cuisine two course meal and a chance to sample from the full beer portfolio of the Het Anker Brewery next door.

14.15 Leave Het Anker Brasserie.

14.45. A visit to our first beer festival of the day, The Trappistenfeesten at Niel.

16.30 Leave festival at Niel.

17.30 Make our way back to Antwerp and the De Koninck Brewery in the city which plays host to the now annual Modeste Beer Festival.

Leave for Hotel Sandton Eden Antwerp at a prior agreed time.

Annual Trappistfestival Niel October 2013

Annual Trappistfestival Niel October 2013

Sunday 6 October 2013

10.00 Leave Hotel Sandton Eden Antwerp.

10.45 Our first stop is at Dranken Geers drink warehouse in Oostakker where we will have the opportunity to buy some beer to take home from their great selection. Here we will also have the opportunity to taste* the two newest Trappist beers from the Austrian Stift Engelszell being the Benno and the darker Gregorius beers, whilst you do your shopping*.

12.15 Leave Dranken Geers.

13.15 Arrive De Post in Oostvleteren, a fantastic new/old café with a stunning beer list, including plenty from the Struise Brouwers opposite.

14.15 Leave De Poste.

14.30 Arrive at our last Trappist experience at In de Vrede café at the Abbey of Saint-Sixtus in Westvleteren. Here we will have a rare opportunity to sample the beers from the Monastery across the road and have something to eat.

16.15 Leave Westvleteren

16.30 Arrive at our last stop of the Tour Kunstmaecker in Steenkerke outside Veurne, another brilliant newcomer to this region of great bars. Again a superb list to choose from.

Drop off Adinkerke Rail Station.

17.45 Leave for Calais and the Ferry home.

18.50 Arrive Calais for the Eurotunnel Train home.

19.50 Leave Calais on Eurotunnel.

19.30 Arrive Folkestone.

19.40 Drop off Stop 24, J11, M20, Kent CT21 4BL.

20.10 Drop off Maidstone Services, J8, M20, ME17 1SS.

20.40 Drop off 7 Mays Siding, London Rd, Swanley, Kent BR8 8EE.

20.55 Drop off Dartford Railway Station DA1 1BP.

21.35 Coach drop off 102 Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0EA.

22.10 Coach drop off Chapel St South Layby Southway, Colchester CO2 7BA.

Tour Price: £535 per person

Based on sharing in a twin or double room. Single Supplement: £168. If you are travelling alone and want to share a room with another traveller please contact Podge as we are regularly able to pair up travellers in twin rooms to avoid the need for payments of Single Supplements.

All detailed itinerary times are local and approximate. All food and drink (apart from those marked with an asterisk* on the detailed itinerary) and all passport and insurance costs are each traveller’s responsibility. Personal insurance is not included in the Tour price, but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card available online, by phone or via the Post Office.

If you would like to join us or have any questions please call Podge on +44 (0)1245 354677 or send Podge an email. Please also contact Podge to get details of how to send a deposit of £100 per person for this Tour. Full balance payable 5 weeks before departure.

Included in the cost of this Tour: Hotel accommodation and breakfasts; Luxury coach travel on a 49 seater coach with toilet; All Brewery visits, tours and brewery beer tastings; Entrance fees to attractions, museums and historical sites; All other items marked with an asterisk on the individual detailed tour itinerary; Copies of Podge’s City Bar guide and Map for the town or city where we stay or spend some time on Tour; Free still and sparkling water on the coach; Pick up from Ipswich (Crown Street Layby), Colchester (Southway Chapel St South Layby) or Chelmsford (The Woolpack, Mildmay Road). Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way to Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel. Please also have a look at our Tour Terms and Conditions.