All you didn't know about Belgian Beer...

It’s tough to pick the catalyst that sparked the grand revival of Belgium’s beer industry. It might have been the swinging sixties and the flower-power generation or beer guru, writer Michael Jackson (Not MJ!) who put the spotlight on Belgium’s unique beer culture in the 1970s. Almost all beer fans know of Stella Artois or Duvel, brands that have been instrumental in shaping the halo that surrounds Belgian beer. However, the unsung heroes of the re-emergence of Belgian beer are boutique family-owned breweries that are now ready to take their place in the sun.
My first stop along a four day trail is also the world’s oldest Lambic brewery–Timmermans just outside Brussels. Yeast was an unknown commodity when this brewery commenced operations in 1702; Timmermans has been using spontaneous fermentation to this day and its beers get a boost from two micro-organisms unique to this area (Senne Valley). Their young, six-month-old Lambic beers are truly unique with their tart flavours; Timmermans’ fruit beers like the Kriek use natural fruit juices. It takes just one brewery like Timmermans to come to terms with Belgium’s beer traditions. 
The country’s brewing techniques can be traced back to the Abbeys. Monks in Europe were permitted to drink stipulated amounts of their regional beverage as drinking water was unsanitary in most parts, then. So while monks in Southern Europe focused on wine-making, their counterparts in Belgium turned to beer. During the French revolution the Abbeys lost their exclusive privileges leading to a whole new wave of beer entrepreneurs around Belgium.

Bosteels, a 40-minute drive from Brussels, has been a family-owned brewery since 1791. I’m introduced to the seventh-generation scion, who greets me at his imposing residence with a glass of bubbly. This is not Champagne, but the brewery’s exquisite DeuS (Brut des Flandres) combines the traditional beer-making process with sparkling-wine techniques such as disgorging. The product description calls them ‘divine grain bubbles’. And who am I to disagree? Bosteels is one of the 22 companies is part of Belgian Family Brewers (BFB), formed in 2007; each BFB brewery boasts at least  50 years of continuous brewing.

Duvel (translates to devil), one of the more high-profile BFB members, is Belgium’s third largest beer company, yet proudly family-owned. Its trademark beer undergoes an additional six-week cold fermentation process, doubling its production time. It’s also one of the palest strong (8.5% alcohol) beers out there. Duvel’s Moortgat brewery has become a popular stop among beer nerds.

The Duvel bottling facility

Just like oeno-tourism, beer tourism is gradually becoming a top reason for travellers in Europe to make the drive to Belgium. Visitors don’t just get to watch the massive bottling facility from a specially constructed gangplank, but also get to indulge in cheese and beer pairings. This is no sales gimmick; beer has been part of Belgium’s culinary experience for ages. Himmelhof in the heart of Belgium’s hop country is one of the restaurants that pioneered beer gastronomy in the 1980s. I make my way to this iconic restaurant after a sombre evening at Ieper, a WWI battlegroung, where thousands (including large numbers of Indian soldiers) lost their lives. The Tyne Cot war cemetery is a stark reminder. 
The highlight of day three was Rodenbach, part of the Palm Belgian craft brewers, who claim to be one of the only breweries to use four types of fermentation - top, mixed, spontaneous and mixed fermentation. Each of these brewing methods creates subtle differences ensuring that every beer varietal has its own distinct personality. The visit made me realise that Belgium’s beer culture lays more emphasis on tasting than drinking. 
I was disappointed that all these beer stops left me with no time to visit Bruges, one of Belgium’s picture postcard towns; that was until I discovered Ghent. It's historic architecture and winding waterways combine with a youthful vibe to make it one of Europe’s truly special experiences. Huyghe Brewery nearby operates the Delirium Cafe, one of Brussels’ best known beer bars. It takes its name from the company’s iconic Delirium beer with the Pink Elephant mascot. I get a crash course in bartending and learn how to pour a glass of beer with ‘two fingers of foam’; each Belgian beer brand is served in its ‘individual’ glass–the same beer can taste different in the wrong glass. There are at least 1500 types of beer glasses in Belgium; that’s more variety than you'll probably sample in your entire life. A three-day trip might be a good starting point though. 

Duvel beer is often paired with cheese