Gent Local Custom Tips by toonsarah

Enjoy some beer

Even if you don’t normally drink beer I would recommend that you try one or two while in Belgium. The variety is huge, and with a bit of help from a friendly waiter (the ones we met in Gent were unfailingly so) you should be able to find something to your taste. After all, when a bar can claim to be a “Bieracademie” and offer 250 varieties (listed in alphabetical order to make it easier to find your favourite), there has to be something for everyone.

The beers I sampled in Gent were:
- Petrus blonde (my favourite of the lager styles I tried)
- Leffe blonde (also very good)
- Bavic (another lager - OK but less good than the above, I thought – though cheaper)
- Barbar Winter Bok (a warm dark beer made with honey but not as sweet as that would suggest – my very favourite)

If you’re looking for a good dark beer, a friend who was with us really liked the Petrus Brun which might be more readily available than the Barbar, while Chris and I have enjoyed Chimay Bleuw on several occasions. And the website below has loads of other suggestions.

Website: http://www.beermad.org.uk/writings/belgianbeer.shtml