VLEZENBEEK/BRUSSELS - Lambic beers are going down a treat across the globe; the same goes for pure tastes. “Look at the Belgians,” comments Dirk Lindemans, co-owner and CEO of Brouwerij Lindemans. “We are travelling more widely and observe how Belgian beer is promoted and served in other countries. This makes us value our own ‘liquid heritage’ even more.” Nevertheless, you have to be initiated into the secrets of appreciating lambic beers, particularly those that are at the more extreme end of the scale. Today’s consumer is generally more familiar with pronounced tastes, largely thanks to the global success of craft brewers. “You train your taste buds, just like you do with wine,” is Dirk’s opinion...

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OOSTAKKER/GHENT - Beer lovers need no introduction to Dranken Geers, a wholesaler and retailer in Oostakker, a village in the vicinity of Ghent. The shelves here are groaning under the weight of around eight hundred different Belgian beers. The Geers family have been ‘doing’ beer for hundreds of years. In the 18th century they set up a village brewery on the site that is now home to the shop. “There used to be six breweries in our village,” Dominiek Geers, the owner, tells us. “My ancestors were brewing top-fermented beers to serve from the tap." "Flip-top bottles were also in use as long as two hundred years ago...

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PIPAIX/MECHELEN - We all know that beer and cheese are made for one another, and to illustrate this Brasserie Dubuisson gathered a panel of beer and cheese experts to discover the best pairings. For our deliberations we headed to the A Table store in Hannuit, owned by cheese affineur Pascal Fauville, and his colleague Harry Schockaert’s cheese deli in Mechelen. For a great pairing with Surfine, the Sainte Maure de Touraine from France is highly recommended. It is a goat’s cheese with a light covering of ash. The slightly bitter, thirst-quenching Surfine makes a perfect combination with the rather dry, mild cheese. The same goes for the Belgian pavé de Soignies, a red-veined cheese with a pungent aroma that makes a fine match for this dry and bitter beer with its citrusy aromas and slightly sour background notes...

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ANTWERP/BRASSCHAAT - For over 30 years Ben Vinken has been a tireless champion of Belgian speciality beers: as a beer sommelier, beer lover, organiser of the annual Bierpassieweekend beer festival (Beer Passion Weekend) in Antwerp and as the editor of Bierpassie Magazine. Ben is also the author of several beer publications; two of these, 'Trappist Beers from A to Z' along with ‘Beer and Cheese’ are available in English. He admits that never in his long career has he witnessed the hype now surrounding Belgian beers abroad. “Nevertheless, Belgian brewers should not rest on their laurels,” is Ben’s opinion." “They must provide a guarantee of quality and uphold our good reputation. Balance and a tradition that goes back centuries, that is what we are aiming for." "But this should not stop us from being creative. Many beers have been improved through re-fermentation or the use of dry hopping...

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Luc De Raedemaeker is a respected and renowned Belgian beer sommelier. He also teaches, organises beer contests, including the internationally acclaimed Brussels Beer Challenge and is a Knight of the Brewers’ Mash Staff. There is no-one more qualified than Luc to comment on the ranking of Belgian beer on the global map. He kicks off by discussing the mergers of the main players in the world of pils: AB Inbev and Sab Miller. “Pils beer is becoming more and more international,” he feels. “Jupiler, Stella Artois, Maes pils… all of these are vying for a spot on the premium pils podium, both at home and abroad...

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