We recently returned from Podge’s 127th Belgian Beer Tour and a stay in Ypres (West Flanders). Belgium was its usual slightly eccentric self: the Tri-annual Poperinge Bier and Hoppe Feesten providing the highlight.
This included knitted street-furniture, a two-hour procession with about 1,300 participants: lots of dressing-up, horses, several marching bands, flags, a flock of sheep and copious hops … only in the Low Countries …
On other days we visited bars and breweries and also a hop farm – Belhop, where Saison Belhop (5.5%) substituted nicely for our morning cuppa. Terrest Brewery (Houthulst) provided an enjoyable morning. Here, father and daughter, Vader Johan and Valerie, brew from ingredients cultivated on their farm: barley and hops grown on the slopes of the Terrest hill. The short chain ends with direct sales to consumers, retail and hospitality. Valerie led an interesting tour with lots of samples and copious hops. Beers produced include Terrest Golden Tripel (8% abv) and the De Plukker range of organic beers.
Also visited were Deca Brewery (Vleteren range of beer), Den Gouden Arend (the tap for Brouwerij Werbrouck), and, possibly the best bar in West Flanders, the Molenhof in Oostvleteren. Our final visit was to In de Vrede, the brewery tap of Westvleteren monastery, where we sampled what has several times been voted ‘best beer in the world’ – Westvleteren 12.
In addition to several bars, Ypres also provided the daily 20:00 pm rendition by the local Fire Brigade of the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial. Unveiled in July 1927, this imposing structure includes 54,348 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient during WW1, and whose graves are unknown.
As ever on a short organised Belgian tour, we had a heady mix of good beer, good food and interesting company. Good to be joined by Barnsley CAMRA stalwarts, Alex and Mick.
Paul Ainsworth and Dave Pickersgill