Belgian Beer

Brewing's place in Belgium's cultural pantheon can't be overstated. No other country offers so many distinct and sophisticated styles of beer, each suited to a particular taste, occasion, or meal. Belgian brewing took off in the early Middle Ages, when hops cultivation was introduced and monasteries got in on the act. Today some of the country's top beers are still produced by monasteries, the best known being the Trappist beers, and the Leuven-based company Inbev has become the world's number-one brewer with a yearly production of 161 million barrels. Lambics, fruit beers, "white" or wheat beers, dark brown ales, seasonal beers—a plain lager will never seem so drab as it does in such company. In addition to such large industrial breweries, plenty of small artisanal factories still excel in creating special brands. Beer lists in pubs and restaurants run from the dozens into the hundreds. Some breweries have guided tours and tastings; at the smaller, family-run operations you'll generally get the best sense of the local traditions and taste some truly unique beers to boot.