Brussels, capital of beer

A paradise for beer lovers

Poechenellekelder© visit.brussels - Marin Driguez - 2022
Poechenellekelder © visit.brussels - Marin Driguez

Beer is part of Brussels and Belgium’s DNA. The country boasts some 200 breweries and 2,500 different beers. In 2016, UNESCO added Belgian beer culture to its list of intangible cultural heritage. And it is buzzing in the capital! Brussels is home to numerous beer festivals, cafés and restaurants with an extensive beer menu, beer tastings, and (micro)breweries brewing beer in artisanal and/or experimental ways.

In the spotlight: Belgian Beer World

The prestigious place de la Bourse was in need of some regeneration. The building was completely renovated and transformed into a multifunctional venue. The main nave now feels like a covered street where you can take a pleasant stroll. On either side are dining and coworking spaces, a room dedicated to the history of the site and a beer museum: Belgian Beer World. The icing on the cake is the Sky Bar at the top of the building, with a breathtaking view of the heart of Brussels. We bet this will become your new favourite place for a drink with a view.

Opening 9 September
Place de la Bourse, 1000 Brussels

Tourisme Monuments et Sites Bourse (c) Olivier van de Kerchove
© En Stoemelings

Brussels breweries

In our capital, we have noticed a renewed interest in craft beer production and craft beers in the last decade.

Want to throw a party in Brussels? You can! Several breweries have packed concert calendars!

Check out the Facebook pages of Brasserie de la Mule, La Source and Brasserie ILLegaaL, among others, for up-to-date news!

Beer museums in Brussels

Contemporary, hip beer spots thrive in our capital: they build on historical richness and savoir-faire.

Those who like to be immersed in a barrel full of history can visit the Beer Museum of Schaerbeek. There you will discover a collection of more than 2,500 Belgian bottled beers, around 5,000 beer glasses and plenty of old machines and objects from the fascinating world of beer.

And if you’re looking for authentic Brussels heritage, you cannot miss a visit to Cantillon Brewery and Museum of Geuze, a stone's throw from Brussels South Station. This family brewery has been brewing gueuze, kriek, lambic, faro and fruit beers, in the traditional way, since 1900!

Schaerbeek Beer Museum

A dip into Belgium's brewing past

More info
More info

Cantillon Brewery

Brussels Museum of the Gueuze

More info
More info

Top addresses where beer plays a starring role

Beer is omnipresent in Brussels. Besides breweries, there are plenty of other places that make beer their trademark. Think of the numerous cafés that boast an impressive beer menu, or restaurants that get creative with beer as a (not so) secret ingredient. Want to stock your own beer cellar or give a few bottles as a gift? Get yourself to the specialist shops that will guide you through the proliferation of beer varieties. At Good Beer Spa, go for a total experience and bathe in this divine elixir.

Culinary venues

Specialising in beer

bar - bière - café - brasserie

Speciality shops

Buy beer here

Abundance of beer brands in a store window in Belgium.

Good Beer Spa

Your skin wants some too!

4 peoples drinking beer at Good Beer & Spa

Beer events all year round

Beer is on Brussels’ agenda all year round. Here you will discover the main events for beer lovers: festivals, incentives, tours, tastings...

  

The Belgian Beer Weekend > the first weekend of September

Every year the magnificent Grand-Place hosts the high mass of Belgium's rich beer culture: the Belgian Beer Weekend. This is when breweries from all over Belgium come together to present their beers to a diverse audience of beer fanatics and beer novices. You will have the chance to taste a broad spectrum of Belgian beers: from traditional Trappist beers and abbey beers to modern craft beers.

   

Wanderlust > September

Wanderlust is brewery Brussels Beer Project's annual event. For this occasion, the brewery covers the Vismarkt with food trucks and stalls where you can taste more than 50 beers, while being treated to live performances.

   

BXLBeerFest > late September - early October

'We are more than a beer festival,' say the organisers of BXLBeerFest. They want to put Brussels at the top, internationally, as a beer city. With this ambition, they transform Tour & Taxis into a beer oasis for a weekend. You can meet friends in a friendly atmosphere and taste artisan beers from thirty breweries from all corners of the world. And, of course, there will also be lots of goodies to make all that beer taste even better.

On the agenda