As far as beer goes, Belgium is one of the best countries you can travel to. Accordingly, the capital of Belgium, Brussels houses numerous breweries and craft-beer bars.
However, since there are so many in Brussels, it can be slightly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff in this department. Hence, if you want to find out which of these breweries and bars should be on the top of your bucket list, keep reading to find out!
Now, here is the list of the best breweries in Brussels, that you have to visit during your trip to Belgium.
Table of Contents
11.Brasserie de la Senne
First and foremost, Brasserie de la Senne is a very renowned brewery in Brussels. This brewery was founded by Yvan De Baets and Bernard Leboucq, two brewers with a passion for beer and Brussels. Even more so, they mixed these two loves together to create a beer called Brussels Calling, their very own anniversary beer.
Brasserie de la Senne is a local, authentic brewery par excellence and this translates into the beer. That is, this brewery is known for its pure ingredients and its unfiltered nature. The high-quality beer is also unpasteurized and additive-free. De Baets and Leboucq are specialized in brewing beer that’s predominantly bitter and has a complex taste. The brewery mainly wants to let the beer circulate in Brussels itself, but over the years, they have slightly expanded their territorial scope to include other regions.
10. Brussels Beer Project
The mission behind Brussels Beer Project is clear: brewing beer in an environment-friendly and durable way. For instance, one of this brewery’s bestsellers is Baby Lone Beer, which is made of bread leftovers. The owners of the brewery, Olivier de Brauwere and Sébastien Morvan met each other for the first time in Canada, but ultimately, they decided that they wanted to settle in the heart of Brussels as the perfect place for their brewery. The brewery was founded in 2013 and currently, the owners have two breweries in Brussels.
The Brussels Beer Project is very creative and innovative as far as breweries go. Concretely, the brewery isn’t associated with standard beer and basic tastes. Instead, de Brauwere and Morvan like to continuously experiment with designing new beers by incorporating modern, characteristic and daring tastes.
9. No science
Another brewery that was recently added to the Brussels beer scene is No Science. This microbrewery has been producing high-quality beer since 2016 when Maxime Dumay and Manual Mengonii decided to give brewing beer a shot. They chose Brussels as the starting point and consequently, their brewery is located on the site of Tour & Taxis. The name of the brewery derives from the fact that both brewers call themselves amateur brewers since they don’t have any scientific knowledge of brewing beer.
However, they might not have any scientific knowledge, but that doesn’t mean that their beers aren’t noteworthy. It’s quite the contrary. The No Science brewery produces 7 different types of beer and even though all of them are true to the Belgian tradition of brewing beer, there are clear English influences noticeable as well. The most prominent examples include the beers Psycho, Heavy Porter, and Nom de Zeus!. Each of these beers is equipped with a stunning foam collar and the perfect amount of fizz. They are all made completely by hand and are characterized by a malty aftertaste and a slightly floral, yet bitter undertone.
8. Cantillon Brewery
One of the oldest breweries in Brussels is the Cantillon Brewery, which was founded in the early 1900s in Anderlecht. The owner of the brewery is Jean-Pierre Van Roy. Another striking thing about the brewery is that it’s a true family business.
As mentioned, the brewery is one of the oldest in Brussels. However, this has proven to be a huge advantage. That is to say, the traditional brewing process has remained the same ever since 1900. The brewery is especially specialized in producing lambic. This authentic beer is extremely primitive, yet astoundingly tasteful. Besides lambic, the brewery also offers “kriek”, “geuze” and “faro”.
An added bonus in this department is that the Cantillon Brewery also comes with a very interesting brewing museum, which is absolutely worth checking out.
7. Beerstorming
If you’re looking for a brewery with a more original and creative concept, Beerstorming might precisely be what you’re looking for. To be more concrete, Beerstorming is a microbrewery that doesn’t only brew beers of high quality, but also offers customers a one-of-a-kind experience. At Beerstorming, you’re invited to walk through an entire brewing process yourself. The goal in this aspect is to design and brew your own beer by experimenting with different tastes and creations. Even more so, every once in a while, Beerstorming puts together a professional jury to decide which beer is the best. Then, the selected beer gets produced and marketed on a very big scale.
6. L’Ermitage Nanobrasserie
L’Ermitage Nanobrassery is located very close to the Cantillon Brewery. Even though the brewery is located in Brussels, there is a clear American vibe present as well. This is especially true in terms of the brewery’s interior, but also in terms of the hoppy beers. The brewery was founded on the initiative of three amateur brewers from Brussels, but don’t let that fool you. The brewery has brought some very high-quality beers onto the market. Particularly “Laterne” is very popular. This beer was one of the first beers brewed by L’Ermitage Nanobrasserie and is meant to represent a lantern, quite literally. This lantern was their silver lining through their first steps in the brewery world.
5. La Fleur en Papier Doré
La Fleur en Papier Doré is not so much a Brussels brewery as it is a craft-beer bar in the spirit of brewing beer. The café has a very rich history and is linked to many national and international artists. This bar has always been known as the meeting place par excellence for artists to exchange thoughts and ideas with each other.
At La Fleur en Papier Doré you will find a very wide assortment of books. But more importantly, you will be able to get a taste of the most prominent and tasteful beers from the fertile ground of Brussels.
4. La Porte Noire
Next up, it’s time to discuss La Porte Noire. This bar is very similar to La Fleur en Papier Dore since it can also be regarded as a bar that’s all about displaying the most wonderful beers. It’s also located right beside La Fleur en Papier Dore . Besides beer, you can also enjoy fine whiskey and rum at La Porte Noire.
La Porte Noire is often used as a venue for international music artists to play phenomenal shows. As a result, it’s the perfect meeting place for music enthusiasts who like to drink beer while they listen to music. The bar offers more than 100 different kinds of beer so if you’re in the mood for a decent beer, you’ll find that you’ll have a variety of beers to choose from. The interior of the bar is some sort of wine cellar from the 16th century, which all adds to the authentic vibe that’s always present there.
3. A la Mort Subite
Keeping up with the trend of famous craft-beer bars in Brussels, A la Mort Subite absolutely deserves a place on this list. This bar is located in the heart of Brussels and serves more than 30 different kinds of beers for you to enjoy. Among these beers are several kinds of “kriek” and “faro”. When you enter the bar, immediately get the sense that you’re catapulted back in time. That is to say, the bar is equipped with high ceilings, antique furniture and a lot of wood. This assortment of beers together with the authentic vibe has caused numerous famous people to visit the bar.
2. BrewDog
Moreover, BrewDog is an international brewery and bar. The brand has breweries and bars all over the world, including in Brussels. Thus, when you step foot in the BrewDog bar in Brussels, you won’t only be able to enjoy beers from Belgian breweries, but also from Danish and Finnish breweries. Most importantly, you will be able to enjoy the signature BrewDog beers as a cherry on top.
The owners of BrewDog, James and Martin used to brew beer in their garage, but nowadays, they have built an internationally successful brewing company. Their brand is very alternative, creative, and slightly rebellious. This is clearly reflected in the taste and vibe of their beers.
Also, they have amazing hamburgers with belgium fries. They are located right next to Centrale Brussel Metro station, this makes it super accessible.
1. Delirium
Last, but certainly not least, the Delirium café; in Brussels definitely deserves first place. I’m going, to be honest this is my favorite place to go in Brussels. I’ve been multiple times and their Floris beer range it’s my favorite beer in the entire world. If you are like me and have a low tolerance to alcohol this beer only has 3,6% and comes in a wide variety of flavors: apple, peach, cherry, and even cactus.
This bar is very original and even is the proud owner of a true world record. That is to say, the café; offers a selection of 2004 beers. As a result, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the bar attracts customers from all over the world. Among this selection of beers are several kinds of beers, ranging from light to dark and so on.
Yet, if you go to the bar, you should absolutely try the Delirium Tremens beers. You can recognize these beers by the pink elephant on the logo. Delirium Tremens is a beer brand that’s not only immensely popular in Brussels, but basically in every Belgian region. Therefore, you absolutely can’t miss out on enjoying the beers’ taste!
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.