Unlike these days, when one can guzzle water from a tap in Belgium, water was once a medium through which most diseases spread. Monks in abbeys brewed beer using ground water from uncontaminated sources and hence the beer was safe to drink. Today, these traditionally brewed Belgian beers are classified as Trappist and Abbey Beers and are renowned for their rich and intense taste.
In fact, Didier, my guide around Brussels who looked at me with a loaded, dangerous expression when I asked him if he knew his beers well (every Belgian knows his beers well!) told me that these brews were quite nourishing too. "Often a flagon of beer would have the same nutritional value as a loaf of bread."
If you were to equate various alcohols to music, most would think of fine single malt as the maestro and beer as the shirtless brash boys of a heavy metal band. And, Oktoberfest with its buxom ladies with forearms as thick as a normal men's calves, slamming down beer in mugs that could hold enough water for a bath, sort of reinforces that impression. But in the Flanders region of Belgium, beer is like a talented string quartet.
The cherry brew
Belgian beer is full of character and life. It dances on the tongue bursting with taste which changes as it travels from your lips through your mouth and down your throat. Most of us consider beer as a drink to quaff thirst, but in Belgium, beer is a celebration of the brewer's passion and enthusiasm. It is revered like wine. Each different beer is served in a glass that is specially shaped to enhance its bouquet and taste. Each sip is pondered upon and like a living thing, some Belgian beers change taste as they sit in the glass and air.
So a trip around Flanders is intricately linked with sights and sounds of the region and the taste and temperament of the local brew.
The peeing boy
I arrived in Brussels on a beautiful day and headed straight to the Manneken Pis or the 'peeing boy,' the city's most celebrated sight. It is dressed up several times a week in different costumes. And should you want to dress him up, you need to apply to The Friends of Manneken-Pis, a non-profit organisation, who will review your application and if accepted, give you a date.
When I was there, the bronze sculpture of a little boy peeing was being dressed up in a baseball uniform to the fanfare of a brass band. After the ceremony, the fountain is retubed so that the boy gives out beer which you can fill up and drink.
Our walk through Brussels ended in front of the grand town house in the centre of the city. After that, Didier took me to his favourite watering hole hidden away in an alley near the town house and asked me to try the Westmalle Tripel, a much loved golden yellow Trappist beer. It was soft and creamy with a long lingering aftertaste and a touch of bitterness.
Antwerp
The next morning saw my day start off at Antwerp and our guide there was quite the party pooper. He gave me a very stern look when I suggested we have some beer for breakfast. So I had to put that idea on hold as we sauntered through Antwerp's famous diamond museum whose main soundtrack is that of women hyperventilating when they see the dazzling displays of diamonds in the treasury room. Right next to the museum is the Zoo and right next to it is the gorgeous Antwerp Grand Centraal Station which very palace-like. In fact, it won the 2010 Europa Nostrum prize for the best restoration.
From there, we walked through the city's Sunday markets that were bordered by pavement cafes. The populace was found sunning themselves while sipping on all kinds of beer.
We had lunch at the Brasserie Appelmans in a cozy corner amidst other cafes behind the cathedral. This is where I sampled a beer from De Koninck, an Antwerp brewery. They have a range of six beers — I sampled the Triple d'Anvers. It had a nicely balanced hop fragrance and a sweet aftertaste.
But one of my favourites was the Grimbergen — again an Abbey beer. I had the optimo bruno and it is just the right kind of beer you can linger over while sitting out in the sun and laughing with friends. An easy beer that was first brewed in 1128, I strongly recommend you try it.
Ghent
My meandering through Flanders ended in Ghent, the city of lights and a student populace that really knows how to live it up. There is a pub here called the De Dulle Griet where you can get a Max, a 1.2 litre beer, in a special glass. Since these glasses have a tendency to 'disappear,' the bartender demands a shoe before handing it over. The shoe is then put in a basket and winched up to the ceiling. It is returned when the glass is returned. Another great beer cafe is the Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant on the waterfront, a few steps away from Mad Maggie, a huge cannon that has featured in just one war and innumerable tourist photographs. Next to the cafe is a place that you absolutely should visit for a nightcap. It's called 'tDreupelkot and run by a stout, bald man called Pol — who is the heart and soul of the little hole in the wall bar. He has 200 various flavoured jenevers (gins) on the menu that he pours out in shot glasses till they overflow. And his jokes will crack you up as you knock them back.
It's the soul of Ghent's nightlife. Belgian beer is a joy to discover and bartenders are usually knowledgeable about the beers they stock. You can't know them all, so ask for the kind of taste you are looking for and they will help you choose the brew to match your mood. The key is to not think of your time in Flanders as an alcoholic adventure but as a tasty trip, where you savour and cherish the beverage that the Belgians brew with passion, enthusiasm and pride.
The facts
To really pamper yourself fly Etihad Airways Business Class to Brussels via Abu Dhabi. Book at www.etihad.com
In Brussels stay at the very charming and cosy Hotel Montgomery. Go to www.slh.com to get good deals and book online. In Ghent you should definitely consider Hotel Harmony for its fabulous rooms and ideal location. Go to www.hotel-harmony.be Eat at the Bord'eau Brasserie and the Belga Queen in Ghent www.oudevismijn.be and www.belgaqueen.be.
Visit the small and charming microbrewery Gruut in Ghent - www.gruut.be. Go to www.visitflanders.in for more information.
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