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Top 10 Beer Shops
In a country the size of Delaware with over 125 breweries, one can become overwhelmed on a first visit with the staggering selection of choices. Currently there are over 700 different beers available in Belgium. So where does one go to find the best selection? First I would like to point out that grocery stores in Belgium are where the locals get their beer. It is also available at the Carrefour department stores (similar to Wal-Mart). Both offer a decent selection of the mainstream beers at great prices. But for the best selection of the more obscure beers one needs to get creative. When in a major city, beer shops are harder to find, but in Brussels and in Brugge, there is a Bier Temple shop right off the Grand Place and the Markt respectively. They have a great selection, but are a bit pricey. In Antwerp there is a beer shop on the Grote Markt that states they have 300 beers. There’s another one across from Oud Arsenal café, but I haven’t been to this one. Once again tourist shops. Please be aware that many beer shops in Belgium do not accept credit cards. Also, check the web site for opening days and hours.
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#1) Jan Holemans, 117 Langdorpsesteenweg, Aarschot
This place is amazing! It is very hard to find, but well worth finding. It is right off the center of town on a very busy street and very easy to miss. There is a small entry into the smallish parking lot and the entrance does not provide a clue as to what lies inside. Once you clear the doors and the checkout area you view a long aisle of beer after beer. Walk another 25 feet and a large room opens to your left, also full of beer. This is Beer Nirvana. A huge warehouse with almost every beer one could imagine and at wholesale prices. Over 500 beers available.
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They also sell glasses, wine and a full range of jenevers and liquor.
Remember to download the discount coupon before visiting AND don’t forget to present it after making your selection, like everyone in my party did.
http://users.pandora.be/dvt/holemanse.htm
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#2) Noel Cuvelier’s, 30 Abelstationsplein, Abele
Noel’s isn’t the second largest but I love shopping here. Noel’s is off a main road on the way to France from Poperinge. (It’s about 5 miles outside of town.) The sign is very small so watch on the right for an old barn looking building with a large hedge of trees and lots of cars. Drive down the small lane and enter.
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Noel has over 300 beers and one will find many regional specialties here as well as some old weird beers from time to time.
They don’t take credit cards. Yes, the huge cat on the check out counter is real.
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#3) Brouwershuis, 42 Molenstraat, Baarle Hertog
Very large specialty beer shop with a very large selection.
Baarle Hertog is an interesting town. It is due north of Turnhout, right over the Dutch border. What? You thought this was a Belgium beer site? It is!
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Baarle Hertog was an enigma after WWII. Half the people in town wanted to remain Belgian Flemish and the other half wanted to be part of the Netherlands. So to get here, you leave Belgium, drive about 7 Km and enter Belgium again; but only half the town is in Belgium. There is an actual ‘Border Line’ painted across the main street separating the two countries. The line even climbs up the wall and across the roof of one dwelling. AND it is an international phone call to call your neighbor across the street.
ANYWAY, Brouwershuis has a selection of over 700 beers, but they also carry Dutch, German, U.S. and other countries beers, but their Belgian selection is great.
Don’t forget to visit the cellar. There’s some interesting finds here.
Also, when you are heading back out of town towards Belgium, look on the right about 500 yards down. There is a large white building that is also a beer warehouse with over 200 beers.
www.beterbier.be
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#4) Yves Streekbieren, #1 O.L. Vrouwmarkt, Roeselare
Great beer shop in the same town as Rodenbach Brewery. In fact it is directly behind the brewery. They usually will have some unique beers not seen in other shops. They try to maintain a stock of 700 beers.
www.streekbieren.goedbegin.be
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#5) Comptoir des Fagnes, 34b Route Charlemagne, Couvin
Very large beer shop on the N5. Stocks between 550-600 beers and has one of the largest selections in Wallonia. One will find some great regional buys here and good prices.
They also carry wines, liquor, cheese, meats and chocolates.
www.comptoirdesfagnes.be
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#6) Antre du Vaudree, 130 Rue St. Gilles, Liege
Large beer and spirits shop directly across the street from the Vaudree II café. The original Vaudree café has a beer list of 900 beers; this one has 150.
The beer shop carries around 500+ beers.
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#7) Hopduvel, 625 Coupure Links, Ghent
Yes, same as the famous pub listed earlier. There is a drinks shop attached with over 400 beers. It’s a 10 minute cab ride from the center of town so very convenient for those travelers staying in Ghent. They also carry several Hopduvel branded beers only available here. They also carry a nice selection of glasses, books and souvenirs.
www.dehopduvel.be
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#8) Beer Mania, 174 Chaussee de Wavre, Brussels
This is a fantastic beer shop even if it is a bit off the beaten path, but worth the cab ride (or bus if you’re so inclined).
A nice selection of over 400 beers and other beer related items. One will normally find some selections here that are not available elsewhere. Heavy on Wallonian products.
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One thing nice about this place is that they will ship your selections home for you!
No credit cards!
www.beermania.be
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#9) Drink d’Annevoie, 60 Chaussee de Namur, Annevoie
This is a very small drinks center, but they normally have around 400 beers and very good prices. I found this place after visiting the Gardens of Annevoie, which is a must see attraction. (See Top 10 Places to See)
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#10) Voedingswinkel en Bierhal, Achelse Kluis, Achel
I really considered not listing this one since it is one of my hidden gems, but figured that wouldn’t be right.
The Abdij of Achelse Kluis, where Achel is made is actually ‘user friendly’. By this I mean they allow visitors to their small café AND their small grocery. On my first visit here, I was excited to visit the café and see the small brewing system and taste draft fresh Achel, but walked right by the grocery. On my second visit, I entered and found the ‘secret garden’.
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In the rear of the grocery is a drinks center with over 150 beers and a large assortment of glasses and wines and spirits made by Trappist’s and other Abbeys. Until recently, one could find ALL Trappist beers here. (Due to the new restrictions at Westvleteren, they do not stock beers form there any longer)
On my last visit I found a couple of bottles from a Gueuze producer that had gone out of business 10 years ago.
Achel is not easy to get to, but well worth the trip if you are crazy like me and want to visit all the Trappist sites in one vacation.
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