Ramee

Enojyed at El Cafe, this was a late night selection that was easily my favorite of the evening. Again, the picture isn't great but the beer was very drinkable. I will have to try it again in the future and give a full report ;-)

Hopus

I tried this one at Le Corto. The picture isn't great. It was dark in the cafe and since I was attempting to use my Samsung Galaxy (first generation), I didn't have a flash. I've since given up on that phone and switched my Belgian sim to my newest phone, so I should have nothing but the best in photo quality here in the future. Unlike the name would suggest, this beer isn't very hoppy but had a lot of flavor. Really the only beers I don't like are strong IPA styles, so this good for me. It's produced by Brasserie Lefebvre and comes in around 8% ABV...now you see why this 50 beers in 5 five weeks was perhaps not so smart. Beers here are strong, so it's nice to enjoy them slowly (and as always, in moderation).

Chouffe

A good friend of mine, and wonderful French speaking guide to Belgium pictured here with me, suggested this one as one that is quite popular in Belgium. It's a bit fruity and light (8% ABV) so I will probably get drinking it again if I get a chance. It is best  known by its gnome mascot, pictured below on both the glass and the sign, and on the website of Brasserie d’ Achouffe.

St. Feullien

Thursday night I met up with some friends (and made a new one) at Le Tavernier. They had a nice covered patio which made up for the cold weather and I tried yet another blonde :-) This blonde was the St. Feullien at 7.5% ABV. You can see from the picture that this had a nice foamy head and it certainly had a refreshing quality to it...but maybe this was just because it was my first beer after my first day of interviews at the European Parliament :-) This brewery, Brasserie St. Feuillien, has really great website that has an English version if you are interested.



Check out .le-tavernier on the web. The site is in French but Google Chrome will translate for you. 

Moinette

Round two for the night, another blonde. This one from Moinette. This one was about the same price and is 8.5% ABV. It comes from Brasserie Dupont

La Divine

Dinner with friends and the start of my Belgian adventure at Houtsiplou. This was a cute little restaurant in the center of Brussels. There were several burgers on the menu that looked amazing, but I had a fantastic steak and enjoyed this blonde from La Divine. La Divine is  9.5% ABV and a 33cl bottle was around 3.20 Euros. Check it out the brewery's website below.
Brasserie de Silly



Here is the restaurant's website if you are interested:
Houtsiplou

Welcome to my new blog: Five weeks in Belgium

Hello and welcome to my new blog that chronicles my next five weeks in Belgium where I will be continuing my fieldwork for my dissertation and sampling all that this country has to offer. This blog will be simple. I am going to post each new Belgian beer that I try along with a little information about the beer and where I enjoyed it. It's not going to be fancy or incredibly informative, but it is going to be a fun way for me to keep track of my experience and serve as a reference after my return to the USA. For more details on my travels life abroad, etc. you can keep checking out my other blog: Andrea u Zagrebu. This one is thoroughly behind real time, with the latest post reflecting on half of my trip through Bosnia in March, but it will be updated eventually as well. I welcome any comments, questions, or recommendations/suggestions for beer.