I am back in Belgium and though there more than enough opportunities to have my choice of European wines, it’s almost sinful to sip wine here. I am in Antwerp for the fermented and fizzy beverage. Are you with me yet? Beer. Belgium Beer. Mind the two capital letters ‘B’, please. The residents of Belgium are sticklers about this and they have every right to be. There are a minimum of 1200 different styles of Beer from Belgium, and that number rises annually.
If you are curious about what to do in Antwerp, I have a few suggestions. Since the city is very bike friendly with paths that stretch for miles around all the neighborhoods, hop on your two wheeled transport, go for a ride and visit the pubs to see what you can sip from local taps. While you can try a fair share of Belgium Beers that are imported around the world, we all know it does not compare with a fresh pour.
The Achouffe brewery has been around since the late 70s and is found in the Belgian Ardennes, founded by two brothers-in-law, Chris Bauweraerts and Pierre Gobron. The duo started up with only €5,000 and the first La Chouffe beer was made in a humble mash tub of only 49 liters. That hobby transformed into a lifetime adventure. The dwarves on the labels and the beer became part of Belgian culture and over thirty years later, attracted an investor and now you can find the Beer all around the world.
International Sommelier and Chef Christie Kiley has over a decade of combined experience in both restaurants and wineries. While working in kitchens under talented chefs, she spent nights off serving guests in the dining room.
Her passion for food began overflowing into the wine industry and while laboring during wine harvests in Napa, she learned the nature of the product from soil to bottling. Experience working the back- and front-of-the-house in restaurants, wineries in sales, and as a food and wine educator, Christie has vast knowledge of the two industries.
Christie is currently living in Buenos Aires, where she received her Fourth level International Sommelier Certificate from the Escuela de Argentina Sommeliers (EAS) after two years of study. She is now travelling to fine-tune her knowledge and delve into the gastronomy and cultures around the globe. She works as a freelance writer to share her cultural experiences. Find Christie on Facebook