As a Belgian abroad, you get asked quite a lot what your favourite Belgian beer is. Quite a difficult question to answer considering the sheer amount of Belgian Beers and is there really a beer that’s always right for the occasion? Everyone certainly has a different opinion on it, maybe the question that we should ask ourself is “What is your favourite Belgian Beer?”. Let’s break it down, what makes a beer someone’s favourite?
There’s a lot of different factors, before you call a beer your favourite:
- One of the key factors is obviously the taste. If you don’t like the taste of a particular beer, there’s no point in considering the beer as your favourite.
- You might also consider the beer style, if you prefer lagers over a hoppy IPA, you might favourite a group of lagers to get to the ultimate favourite beer.
- Not related to the beer itself, but the weather & temperature does play a role as well. Do you really want to drink that oatmeal stout in the middle of summer?
- Finally, what about the beer’s availability? Can you really call a beer your favourite if you have only been able to drink it on a few occasions?
Did you taste this Belgian Beer yet?
The beer’s taste is by far the most obvious factor in defining what your favourite beer is. If you like the taste, you can consider it as your favourite Belgian Beer. If you don’t like the taste at all, try another one and maybe check out some of the other beer styles. Possibly it’s the beer style that you don’t like in general.
The wide variety of Belgian Beer styles
With the wide range of different beer styles, there will definitely be some styles that you like and some styles that you might even hate.
If there is a particular beer style that you have grown very fond of, it might be worth checking other beers in that same style to see if there’s any others that stand out and that you prefer more.
Don’t forget, there are a lot of different beer styles, keep exploring and see if there’s any other styles that you like.
The right Belgian Beer for the right time
There is a beer for every occasion. In the summer months you might like a really cold pilsner, while in the winter months a Dubbel at almost room temperature might be better too keep you warm. There’s no need to disregard a beer if you’ve only tried it once, maybe it wasn’t the right occasion for it. Try a few other beers and try the beer again a few months later to see if you can taste a difference.
Where is my Favourite Belgian Beer?
This is a factor that might not generally be considered in the UK as, unfortunately, Belgian Beer is harder to come by. With selecting a favourite Belgian Beer, you might want to consider how easy it is to get your favourite beer delivered to your home. Do you really want to have a favourite beer which you can only drink a few times a year? Or should your favourite Belgian Beer beer one which you can easily order in the pub or online?
Now, my favourite Belgian Beer
All of the above considered, my current favourite Belgian Beer would be La Chouffe. As a strong blonde beer with notes of coriander, it is great for a drink in the summer months when served at 4°C and the strong 8% makes sure that even in the winter months, you will get to enjoy the beer in the warm pub. Just be careful, not to drink to many of these in row, as the 8% will get to you. You might want to have a pilsner or lager in between.
What’s your favourite Belgian Beer?
If you have one already, what is your favourite Belgian Beer, add yours in the comments below! We want to make sure that we have have all of your favourites, if we don’t request your favourite Belgian Beer!