Brussels Belgian Beer Festival 2011

I can not believe how fast time passes by these days ...

It's insane!

Anyway - we have been tasting some amazing beers but honestly I don't know when I'll get aorund to post some tasting notes. In the meantime though it's time for the Belgian Beer Weekend again. In principle we should make it there on one of the days as well ... Enjoy!

Villaggio della Birra - Italian Beer Festival

Villaggio della Birra. Ok, it's Italian. And it's in Tuscany (I wish!). But here's the deal: the festival is sort of a Brassigaume or a Zythos Italian style. And the breweries present, or at least some of them: Achilles, Boelens, Blaugies, Cazeau, Den Hopperd... and the Italians, Olmaia, Petrognola, Lambrate, Montegioco.

All you have to do is:

- be in Bibbiano-Buonconvento on the 6/7 September 2008;

- like beer;

- purchase your tokens, get a glass and visit the various stands;

- drink and meet the Master-Brewers;

- taste their products.

Personally, if I would be in the area I'll go. OR if I would plane a Tuscan holiday. Or really if I would have enough money for a round trip ticket Brussels/Siena. However none of the above apply. So if you do go, or happen to be an Italian reader (ciao!) and go - could you let us know? Take some photos, taste, write a review or two?

Grazie and Cheers!

Session 16 and a Beer Festival

Where did the time go? Really! Last time I took part in The Session it was way back in December. And now, here we are, already at The Session 16. This time around, The Session is hosted by Geistbear Brewing Blog and it is all about beer festivals.

Now of course I could tell you all about the Belgian Beer Festival(s). Or you could look up my Google Calendar and see what is coming up next. BUT. We just got back from a long weekend in Prague. And guess what? Without us even as much as trying we were there during the very first Czech Beer Festival. Talk about coincidence!

Ok, I know this post kind of goes against the whole 'Belgian Beer' blog idea, but bear with me. We did go to the Czech Beer Festival and we did have some beer. I do like beer, and I do like Pils. However I think somewhere in between this blog and our quest to try all the Belgian Beers out there our taste buds 'forgot' normal beers. All the beers we tried at the Czech Beer Festival were more or less ... the same! Very pleasant. Wonderfully refreshing for the heat we had. But really, kind of the same. Except a quite decent Budějovický Budvar dark (Budweiser dark).

I feel this is going to be a controversial post!

Now, the actual beer festival: more Oktoberfest than beer festival. Again, I can only compare to things I know. Such as a Zythos, or a Bruxellensis. Brewers, sharing their beer and the art of tasting. The Czech Beer Festival? Endless tables and benches and lots of massive beer mugs. Very Oktoberfest'ish. Confession? I am not a big fan of Oktoberfests.

And almost all the beers were served at all the stands. Which kind of (for me at least) made the whole beer festival/ discover brewers a little confusing. How come everyone was serving the same beer? Or did I get it all wrong.

Did we have fun? Of course we had fun. It was great to discover something a little different, and see the Czech Beer Festival at work. Then we made it all up for and went to the best ever beer pub in Prague. The Pivovarsky Klub. Absolutely fantastic!

Normal Belgian Beer blogging will resume tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone.

Zythos Beer Festival

Zythos. Of course!

With a Belgian Beer Blog, of course we went there. And of course we drank a lot (!!!) of Belgian beers. Good thing we were two and the glasses were small and the Belgian public transport was a-ok. So be prepared for a lot of beer reviews to come from Zythos and a new, favorite Belgian beer.

Beer Weekend ...

... one down, one to go. Bruxellensis starts today.

Beer Weekend

Ooohhh! Rough!

Franco-Belgian Beer Festival

Another weekend, another Belgian Beer Festival. This time around we stopped at the Franco-Belgian Beer Festival. I didn't even know there is such a thing as a Franco-Belgian beer festival in Belgium.

Of course we tasted French beers as well. Yet for the purpose of the Belgian Beer Blog I will only focus on the Belgian Beers (new ones !!!) tried with this occasion. There were an equal number of French and Belgian brewers.

What was interesting to discover though is that given the location of the festival (south of Belgium) we came across Belgian breweries I never heard of ... so more beer, coming close to 100 Belgian Beers!

Tagged with: Beer Belgian Beer Bier Biere Brussels

Bruxellensis Festival

The last beer festival we went to was Bruxellensis. A must for every real Belgian Beer lover. The concept of Bruxellensis is to make smaller, artisan breweries known . The main aim of Bruxellensis (as stated on their website) is to support ‘those who have turned their back to the easy commercial gain’, and thus produce lesser known, specialized beers. You can read more on Bruxellensis, beer and food here.

Tagged with: Beer Belgian Beer Bier Biere Brussels

Brussels Beer Festival 2006

1-2-3. The first weekend of September was under the sign of Belgian Beer. 48 breweries, big and small, famous and not, served Belgian Beer to the willing and thirsty.

Starting Friday and ending Sunday, we made our way through some of the Belgian Beers on offer. Our attitude was pragmatic and very ‘blogger’ friendly: we will only try out beer we don’t know or which can’t be found in you every day shop/ beer bar.

So bear (beer?) with me while I am taking you through the Belgian Beer Weekend and the beers we tried. Some are very vivid in my memory, others less, but overall the weekend scores a 10 out of 10.
Tagged with: Beer Belgian Beer Bier Biere Brussels Beer Festival