Styles of Belgian Beer

Brewing beer in Belgium is an old tradition with its origins back in the Middle-Ages, when monasteries began producing beers. Belgian beer production was assisted by the 1919 Vandervelde Act that prohibited the sale of spirits in pubs, inducing the market to produce beers with a higher level of alcohol. The Vandervelde Act was lifted in 1983.

Only in Belgium beer is brewed according to four different fermentation processes :

• bottom fermentation (Pilsner beers or lager) : a world-wide used method
• top fermentation (Belgian special beers, white beers, abbaye and Trappist beers, strong blond, regional beers – some of them are already imitated in other countries)
• spontaneous fermentation (gueuze, lambic and other fruit beers)
• combined fermentation (brown-acid beers South Flemish beers)

The art of serving a good glass of beer is part of the Belgian beer culture : each beer has its proper bottle and glass (imprinted with a logo or name)and is served according to the rules of the art. The brewer provides on the back label of each bottle, information regarding the conservation and the pouring of the beer in question.

Nowhere else in the world you can find a larger choice of regional, authentic and colourful beers. Each of these is divided into particular styles.