In the morning we left for Rodenbach, in Roeselare. This town is situated about 35 kilometres westwards of Bruges.

The red beer that is being produced here is famous; they’re the largest producers of aged oak Flemish brown ale. We saw a movie about the history (founded in 1836)  and learned that the family also played a role in the independence of Belgium.

We didn’t get to see the brew house (for hygienic reasons) and so no activity, which was a bit of a disappointment but the oak vessels and the tasting, were fabulous and this place is always great to visit! The brewery has been taken over by Palm in the recent years and has gone on a larger scale but their beers, especially the Grand Cru, are (were?) Belgian classics.

We believe that the regular Rodenbach has regained some of its original acidity although the friendly good-looking guide Nancy assured us that the blend had stayed the same.

We gave her the bottle of bad Grand Cru and she promised to have it analysed in the lab.

After the visit we left to go to Ertvelde, first for lunch at De Bierkamer and then for our last visit of the trip, the brewery Van Steenberge. The lunch was a cheese plate consisting of eight Belgian cheeses and four different beers. What a great and original way to taste both very different cheeses and beers!

The final visit was to be a grand finale to end a wonderful week. Brewery Van Steenberge, or Bios (Greek for life) as they call it sometimes, has become a very modern middle sized brewery in the last decade. Their brew house, fermentation and bottling facilities are among the most modern ones you will find in Belgium. First reference to a brewery here goes back to 1784 and it’s still run by the family Van Steenberge. Nowadays, three generations are still working together in the brewery, as the grandfather, Mr. Joseph, who is in his nineties (!) is still coming to the brewery every day and the grandson, Jef Versele, is working his way up the management.

Jef Versele

We got to see every detail of the place, including the brew house, where they had just replaced a boiling vessel that had imploded due to a malfunctioning valve. It is entirely computer steered. They brew famous beers like Piraat (qualified as one of the best beers in the world, it is a golden ale of 10.5 %) and Gulden Draak, and Augustijn and Bornem. Their pilsner beer, Sparta Pilsner, a nice un-pasteurized lager, finds its way to the chain of bars that they own.

After the tour, we had an extensive (!) tasting of all their beers in the cosy bar next to the office building, which used to be the stables as this was a farmhouse brewery in the old days.

We also got to taste the exceptional Vlaamse Bourgogne, which is a Vlaams Oud Bruin aged on oak (Sold as Monks Café Sour Flemish ale in the USA) and the Leutebok, a very nice brown bock ale

After this wonderful visit, we headed to a Dutch village, just over the border, called Phillipine, famous for its mussels. We all sat down in the Oud Haven (Old Port) for a fabulous mussel fest, accompanied by a special reserve, called Cuvee Phillipine, brewed by Van Steenberge.

Menu Mussels all you can eat Cuvee Phillipine, brewed by Van Steenberge. Coffee

After diner, we drove to the Ibis Airport Hotel, in Brussels, and this wonderful tour came to an end. Most of the group flew back to the States the next day, with wonderful memories to a tour that had shown the best in Belgian beer and gastronomy.

Regnier De Muynck
Your tour guide, translator, entertainer.
September 24, 2005