Podge’s Belgian Beer Tours

The Black Beer Tour

Wednesday 10 March – Sunday 14 March 2027

This five day Tour is designed for those who love dark beers! We first created this Tour in 2023 and it sold out, so Siobhan thought it high time to have another crack at the best of Belgian dark beers - some different ones this time!

Black Damnation, Struise Brouwers

We are based for five days and four nights in the lovely and astounding new Hotel Van der Valk**** in the city of Mechelen in Antwerp Province. It has a Presidential Suite, which Siobhan is hoping they'll allocate to her! Mechelen is a well situated city from which to fan out in search of the blackest of black beers and their creators. The hotel is situated near the water and is very luxurious! Mechelen is the home of Het Anker brewery, and we are a two minute walk from the brewery tap! Local people are known as “Moon-Extinguishers” or Maneblussers, so have a Het Anker Maneblusser beer and find out why the local inhabitants are proud of this dubious historical episode. Each evening of the Tour is free for you to explore this ancient city armed with a copy of Podge’s Mechelen Bar Guide and accompanying map.

Here are the breweries which Siobhan has got her eye on for a visit on this Tour:

Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal, Tildonk

A beautiful farm brewery producing quality beers.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Donker, a brown beer at 7.5% abv.

They also brew occasional Stouts including

• Tempelhof 11.2%abv

• Hof ten Darth Maul at 9.7%abv

Brewery De Landtsheer (Malheur), Buggenhout

I have very, very fond memories of this wonderful brewery. We haven’t taken the group here for a few years, and I am delighted to be going there.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Malheur 12 at 11.5%abv

• Malheur Dark Brut ( à la méthode originale) at 12%abv

• Novice Tripel Black at 8.5%abv

Brouwerij The Musketeers

This is a great quality brewery, with great products. We have never visited, and I’ve been trying to fit them in for years, and am really looking forward to this one! Their main brand is the Troubadour range of beers.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Troubadour Imperial Stout 9% abv.

• Troubadour Obscura - dark reddish-brown beer 8.2% abv

• Troubadour West Coast Black IPA 8.5%abv

Vleesmeester Brewery, Edegem

This little brewery lies within the lovely Hoogmis (High Mass) Culture café. They have 8 taps with their own beers and in bottles too. Apparently, they like Russian Imperial Stouts.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Black Pudding Imperial Stout 11%abv – part of their standard range

• Ambtenaar Op Rust Belgian Dubbel. A reddish-brown beer with notes of caramel, hints of dark fruits such as plums and figs…8.5%abv

Cabardouche Brewery & Taproom, Antwerp

Brewery and taproom installed under the railway arches in Borgerhout, on the eastern approaches to Antwerp station. They are a craft brewery in the sense that rather than classic Belgian styles they brew innovative combos.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Stout Mokke - a 9%abv black beer with a creamy, satin head

Coureur Microbrouwerij & taproom, Kessel-Lo, Leuven

Bicycle-themed brewery with a nice little tasting room. The beers can only be drunk onsite as they do not bottle their beers. They have a series of regular beers and special editions on tap, including:

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Zwart Voor De Ogen (Black Before My Eyes) – an imperial stout at 8%abv

• Slijkduivel (Mud Devil) Imperial Stout 8.1%abv

In de Vrede, Westvleteren Iconic Trappist brewery in Oostvleteren. We will visit the renovated brewery tap/café restaurant.

What to taste here for dark beerlovers:

• Westvleteren 8 Blue Cap 8%abv.

• Westvleteren 12 Yellow cap 10.2%abv.

We'll also visit some brilliant beer cafes such as the rail side (Ou)de Statie in Sint Gillis Waas, with 130 beers on the card. Also the Wastobbe (Washtub) in Laarne and the lovely Rozenkrans (The Rosary) in the Abbey at Kessel-Lo.

Join us, you know you want to.

Vicaris Generaal, Dilewyns Brewery

Abt, St Bernardus Brewery

Rochefort, Rochefort Brewery (Trappist)

Bierkasteel Beer Taps at Van Honsebrouck Brewery

We are based in Chelmsford in Essex and we use a UK hired coach to travel. We try to use Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) from Folkestone to get to and from Belgium, but if not available we go by ferry from Dover to Calais. Most of our Travellers join the Tour at our main pick up point outside The Woolpack Pub, 23 Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN and most come from other parts of the UK, and some from further afield, especially USA. Lots of our Travellers stay the night before a Tour (and often the night of our return) at Chelmsford Travelodge, only a few minutes walk from The Woolpack or at the Premier Inn, near the Railway Station, about a 10 minute walk to the pick up point at The Woolpack. Podge's Central Chelmsford Map shows suggested accommodation and pubs! We all usually pop in to The Woolpack the night before departure for a meet, greet and a few beers with Siobhan who is your Tour Manager, Tour Guide and drinking pal for the duration.

Our Galloways luxury coach (49 seater coach with toilet) starts from Suffolk and on the way to Folkestone (or Dover if we go by ferry) and picks up at several points, as agreed with Siobhan, as below:

Ipswich, Bus Stop, Tesco Store, Pinewood, Ipswich IP8 3TS.

Colchester, McDonald's, Tollgate West, Stanway, Colchester C03 8RG.

Chelmsford, The Woolpack, 23 Mildmay Road, CM2 0DN.

Dartford, BP Garage (formerly Esso) 474 Princes Road, DA1 1YT. On the return leg we drop off at Dartford Railway Station DA1 1DR.

Swanley, Unit 4, Moreton Industrial Estate, London Road, BR8 8DE.

Ashford, pull in Outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opposite Premier Inn, Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

Folkestone, Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

This Tour is currently being built, and the detailed, timed itinerary will be set out below at least six weeks before our departure date. If you want to find out about general updates on this and all Tours you can subscribe to our monthly email newsletter - there is a form to do this at the foot of this page. If you would like to join us please send Siobhan an email or call on +44 (0) 7722 724 558 for details on how to secure a place and pay the deposit of £325 per person. The Tour price is at the foot of this page.

Tour Price is £1200 per person price sharing a double or twin room.

Single Supplement is £395 if you would like a room of your own.

The deposit payable to secure a place on this Tour is £300 per person.

Send Siobhan an email to find out how to pay the deposit.

Included in the cost of this Tour are:

Hotel accommodation and breakfasts;

Hotel city taxes;

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 items marked with an asterisk above and on the individual detailed tour itinerary when issued;

Copies of Podge’s City Bar Guides and Maps for the town where we stay or spend some time;

Free bottled water on the coach;

Pick up from one of our agreed joining points on the way to Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel.

Courier Services from Siobhan McGinn, your Tour Guide.

Travellers are responsible for the costs of all food and drink apart from items marked with an asterisk on the detailed itinerary plus all passport and insurance costs.

All itinerary times are local and approximate.

Personal insurance is not included in the Tour price but is required to be taken out by Travellers on Podge's Belgian Beer Tours, as is carrying the free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which is the 2021 replacement for the old EHIC. You can still use your EHIC card so long as it is in date, then you need to apply for the GHIC replacement online.

All Tours are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

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