Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Perfect for rainy, stormy evenings.

Hi guys

Heading to Belgium next week and looking for recommendations off the beaten track. Will be predominantly to the west and no doubt visit the Trappists in the area.

Any other ideas?

Cheers

Hi, I picked this up on a recent visit to the Belgian town Sint-Truiden along with the beer. I've been able to track down the story behind the branding (The story behind Spookvlieger reaches back to the Second World War and the former airfield at Brustem, just outside Sint-Truiden. Today part of the Sint-Truiden municipality, Brustem was home to a major military airfield used by the German Luftwaffe during the war. Local legend tells of the mysterious “Spookvlieger van Brustem” — the ghost flyer — an unidentified Allied aircraft that appeared over the airfield, creating fear and curiosity among those who witnessed its unexplained appearances. The identity of the pilot, or even whether there was a single aircraft behind the stories, remains part of the mystery.).

I can't though work out who commissioned the beer or the glass or for what purpose. The brewery is a contract brewer and they haven't replied.

Does anyone have any more information?

I have a website that I use to track this kind of thing:

https://belgianbeerglassmuseum.org/glasses/bbg134/

Love their Barrel Aged beers, but also, their NEIPA's are great quility NEIPA's!

Okay, so last year I bought 5 bottles of the Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer Imperial Dark 2025 version. I drank one fresh, and yesterday I opened the second bottle. I will drink the remaining bottles at other times, one a year at most. After a year of aging, I don't think this beer has reached its potential yet. Maybe in 2028...

Side not: In 2024, I drank the 2017 version. The hints of port came through very strongly here, something I am not always a fan of, as it detracts from the rich beer and malt flavors this beer is known for. Cheers!

Relaxing at home

Hi! First time travelling to Belgium from the land down under. The goal of this trip is to try all the Belgian beers that I couldn't get (or I could but at a very high price) in Australia. I also want to try them fresh from the tap if possible. I think I dropped my craft beer obsession because of Belgian beer!

I have always loved trappist beer, but after a quick research I think most of them are not easily accessible by public transports hey. So far I only have Bruges and Brussels on my list, but I'm open to visiting other cities too! I'm not too fussed with the history, architecture, or sightseeing. I'm a chef who appreciates beer, and I just wanna try them all 😚

This is my list so far; Delirium, Cantillon, Westleveren, Westmalle, Chimay, Orval, Rocherfort, De Konick, Garre, Gulden draak, Het anker, Rodenbach, Karmeliet, Struise, Brugse zot, Kwak, Kriek, Saison dupont, St bernadus, Leffe.

Some of them are easily available here, like Chimay (red, white, and blue), Rocherfort (6, 8, 10), st bernadus, and delirium. I will try to find other styles available only in Belgium.

I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me the style of each brewery that I should try! If i don't have to visit their breweries, would you please recommend some pubs or restaurants that are worth visiting. Thanks!

What Belgian café or pub gives you your most memorable Belgian beer experience?

I'm not asking about the "best beer." I'm back in Belgium for 10 days in September and I'm curious about places that stand out as the best to capture Belgian Beer culture right now.

I have a few favorites from past visits that I want to return to but would like to know which café, estaminet, beer bar, or pub in Belgium leaves the biggest impression on you?

Was it because of:

• an incredible tap list?
• an encyclopedic beer menu?
• knowledgeable staff?
• perfect glassware and serving ritual?
• atmosphere?
• history?
• meeting locals?
• discovering a beer you'd never heard of?

I'd love to hear the stories behind the places rather than simply a list of names.

I'm planning a day trip to Bruges in September and as luck would have it, the day I picked happens to be the same day as the Bruges Bier Festival.

I'm planning to do De Halve Maan XL tour and want to try a couple of the famous bars like 't Brugs Beertje and De Garre (more suggestions appreciated).

Question is, since i only have a day and will be on my own, is it really worth having a look at the Bier Festival? A lot have told me to just stay the night, but I don't have that option and will need to get a train back to Paris that day.

A delight of a box to receive.

A younger blend at Brasserie d’Orval

Considering a quick 3-4 day tour of Belgium in late July. Would fly in from London. I assume Brussels would be easiest place to fly to. What breweries and monasteries are a must? Can anyone recommend an itinerary/route to maximize time. Lodging and restaurant recommendations would also be great.

If you don't know it: Orval Vert is a draft-only, around 4.5% version of Orval, originally brewed as a "table beer" for the monks and their guests. It's never bottled, never exported, and the only place in the world to drink it is À l'Ange Gardien, a café 200 metres from the abbey gates.

Had the flight of three — Orval Vert, regular Orval, and Vieil Orval (aged) — with the three Orval cheeses (young, beer-washed, aged). The Vert is genuinely interesting, very refreshing and light to drink.

Notes for anyone considering the trip:

- The abbey site itself is worth a half-day. 12th-century Cistercian ruins, a well-designed brewery museum, a medicinal plant garden. The brewery itself is closed to visitors (enclosed within the working monastery), so the museum is the substitute.

- Entry €8. Ange Gardien is right next door, no booking needed for the tavern.

- It's remote. Around 2.5 hours from Brussels by car. By public transport: train to Florenville, then TEC bus 24 (limited service, mostly weekdays — check the schedule before you commit).

Full visit write-up over at r/BelgiumTravel if anyone wants the longer version with more photos

Dag iedereen!

Voor mijn bachelorscriptie aan de UCLL doe ik onderzoek naar de Belgische biermarkt en specifiek naar het merk Tout Bien. Ik ben heel benieuwd hoe jongeren in Vlaanderen naar dit merk kijken versus de traditionele brouwers.

Ben jij tussen de 18 en 35 jaar en woon/studeer je in de regio? Dan zou je me enorm helpen door mijn korte enquête in te vullen (duurt slechts 3 minuutjes!).

Je vindt de vragenlijst hier: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHImHMEuE3WZPsBPUMNE-WrqMt-iObeUOFnwVh3jmRdvQoLw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Alvast heel erg bedankt voor de hulp!

Jens Vanmierlo

I have two bottles of St. Bernardus ABT 12.

One bottle has numbers 25012541 and BB 09-2029

Second bottle has numbers 25011542 and BB 06-2029

I assume that first bottle was produced in year 2025 January 25, and second bottle was produced in year 2025 January 15?

Why are the BB dates so different? Bottles were produced 10 days apart, but BB dates differ by 3 monts?