Any trip to southern Belgium entails a discovery of various different beers, with the region priding itself on its brewing tradition, talent and variety.
Wallonia, a region which revolves largely around malt and hops, now finds itself on the bucket list of many travelling ‘foodies’, wanting to explore the region with the guarantee of a delicious, locally-brewed beer around every corner.
Wallonia is brimming with culture, nature and history, but it’s the region’s food and beer routes that attract thousands of tourists every year, hoping to delve into the Wallonia beer universe: a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site.
A “spiritual” route that encourages tourists to discover the most authentic side of Wallonia, deeply connected to the area and its local customs.
Hainaut province
The Hainaut province in eastern Wallonia is a great starting point for this beer route. This province is noted for its Saison beers, which have been brewed in practically the same way for centuries.
This
style of brewing is notable for its traditional, hands-on approach. With their
pale orangey shade and fruity notes, a cold Hainaut beer is great for a hot
summer’s day.
In each beer sanctuary found along the way, tourists can see how history and
tradition have adapted to a constantly changing world.
Wheat beers and the concept of “slow life”
Another jewel in the region’s beer-brewing crown is found in Namur: a province that wears the “slow life” philosophy on its sleeve, even when it comes to beer brewing. Here, wheat beers are favoured by locals and tourists alike, noted for the bitter aftertaste and the use of spices in their brewing.
New
creations
Modernity is the order of the day in the province of Liège, where
experimentation and a deep desire to cross into new culinary territories pave
the way to the creation of unique beers, such as the Val Dieu and Brasserie
varieties. These are brewed by young entrepreneurs who decided to establish
their new brands in Liège, many of which were created in the 1990s.
These
beers are brewed in a way that aims to set them aside from the rest; namely,
for their abundant but delicious head, intense colours, acidic notes and the
fact that they are to be enjoyed in unconventional glasses.
Each of these flavours go together perfectly with a wide variety of
gastronomic styles. For example, the acidic and citric beers are a perfect
accompaniment to seafood, mussels and clams. The malt beers go well with white
fish. Dark malt beers, meanwhile, go great with red meats. Lastly, the toasted
malts—with traces of dark chocolate, espresso coffee and liquorice—go down
amazingly with typical Belgian desserts such as waffles.
A
flavour of history
Some of these routes introduce key historical facts about Wallonia, allowing
beer tourists to gain an insight into Europe’s past. One of the tours takes
visitors to the site of the Battle of Waterloo, fought in 1815; an event which lends
its name to Waterloo beer, brewed in the province of Brabant, where
it is much more than the region’s most popular beer.
This region is noted for the production of Lambic beers, brewed using fruits from the worts of other products, such as local plums. This beer is fermented in the open air and is exposed to wild yeasts and bacteria.
