Discovering and Enjoying Belgian Beer In Bruges

Continued Discussion of Our Recent 2018 Europe Trip

Leaving the Netherlands, we drove to Bruges, Belgium and stayed for three nights. Located near the coast of Belgium, Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Tourists flock to Bruges to view one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Europe and to enjoy the many canal views located throughout the “Venice of the North.”

Beer in Bruges

Bruges is also a great city for discovering Belgian beer, including beers from the West Flanders area of Belgium that are difficult to find elsewhere. Here are a few recommendations of places to visit from my latest trip.

Bierbrasserie Cambrinus

Located in a historic building that dates from 1699, Bierbrasserie Cambrinus is named for the King of Beer – no not Bud. Celebrated in songs and stories, Cambrinus (also known as Gambrinus) is a legendary European culture hero celebrated as an icon of beer and brewing.

In addition to history and legend, this restaurant provides a magnificent and huge selection of beers as well as excellent food. You’ll find rare West Flanders beers like Westvleteren. Food includes mussels, frittes and also a wide range of Flemish dishes. One of my favorite dishes is the smoked duck breast salad.

Cambrinus is open for both lunch and dinner. If you plan to go there for dinner, I suggest making a reservation.

Within the last few years, Cambrinus has also opened a cafe/pub (called Bierproeverij Café Cambrinus) that is located just down the street from the restaurant. If your primarily interest is just having beer, I suggest trying the cafe.

De Garre

Situated in a tiny alley in the middle of the historic center of Bruges, you can find a wonderful pub by the name of De Garre. Finding the elusive small alley and pub is part of the fun of visiting. However, the search is well worth your effort.

A quiet oasis from the streets lined with tourists, this pub is a beer lovers delight. Offering 130 different regional beers, the beer menu includes local beers, draft beers, abbey beers and beers from the barrel.

I recommend trying Tripel De Garre (11% ABV) – available only at De Garre. This outstanding, full-bodied tripel provides slightly sweet and fruity flavors with a light bitter finish.

‘t Brugs Beertje

Opened in 1983 by Daisy Claeys, ‘t Brugs Beertje (Bruges’ Little Bear) has developed a cult following of connoisseur beer drinkers from throughout the world. Located in a building from 1632 this pub offers about 300 different brews, including five on tap (“van ‘t vat” in Dutch). All Belgian beer styles are represented.

Daisy Claeys recently handed over the Brugs Beertje to Dries Brouckaert. However, the pub still offers the same congenial and fun atmosphere accompanied by a fantastic selection of beers. The beer-knowledgeable staff can help you in making a drinking selection.

Any serious beer lover must visit ‘t Bruges Beertje while visiting Bruges. On this visit, I had a 2-year, unblended Oude Lambic from Brouwerij Boon that was on draft. What a tart, refreshing delight!

De Halve Maan

For centuries the Maes family has been brewing beer in Bruges. In fact, today De Halve Maan is Bruges’ only continuously working old brewery. The brewery has two product lines of beers – Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik.

Recently, De Halve Maan completed a 2-mile beer pipeline from their brewing facility to their bottling plant. You can actually see a small part of the pipeline when visiting the brewery.

Tours at the brewery are available and extremely popular. Brewin’ Bill took the tour and really enjoyed it.

Personally, I preferred to sit outside and enjoy my beer.

Duvelorium Grand Beer Café

Located in the Historium on the Grote Market in Bruges, the Duvelorium Grand Beer Café offers a unique experience. The cafe is a creation of Duvel-Moortgat. Here you can sample a selection of delicious Belgian beers while sitting on a patio overlooking the Grote Markt of Bruges.

Beers served include Duvel, Vedett, and beers from breweries Achouffe, Liefmans and De Koninck (all now owned by Duvel-Moortgat). During my visit the cafe also featured a beer from Boulevard Brewing – a U.S. brewery now owned by Duvel-Moortgat.

The interior of the cafe strikes a great artistic balance between historic/traditional and modern design elements.

A gift shop allows visitors to buy beers and various special packages. This includes a Historium Duvel glass that was designed for Historium and which is only available for purchase at the museum.

However, the most fun comes from just sitting on the balcony and enjoying a delicious Belgian beer.

Cafe Vlissinghe

Interested in history? If so, I suggest you visit Cafe Vlissinghe. Since 1515 Cafe Vlissinghe has been a gathering place for locals and visitors to Bruges. In fact, Cafe Vlissinghe is the oldest continuously running pub/cafe in Bruges. Entering the cafe is like stepping back in history. And with a selection of 25 different beers (3 on tap) you can sit down, soak in the ambiance and enjoy a nice Belgian beer.

Struise Bruges Beer Shop

Voted world’s best brewer in 2008 on ratebeer.com, De Struise Brouwers is a favorite of many beer enthusiasts. This beer shop is an outlet for De Struise. Three of their beers are on-tap and there’s a solid range of bottled Belgian and other craft beers from throughout the world available for purchase.

The Bottle Shop

A trip to Belgium would not be complete without bringing home beer – including hard to find beers from Cantillion, Westvleteren, Struise and more. With over 600 different beers in stock, The Bottle Shop is the perfect spot to find these beers. Ask for Jasmine and Louis and your beer buying experience will be fun and educational.

Final Thoughts

With just three nights in Bruges, I barely scratched the surface of fantastic beer stops. Every time I visit Bruges there are new discoveries as well as opportunities to visit old friends. Did I miss your favorite stop? Let me know.