Belgian Beer Primer

Decoding the world’s most acclaimed (and confusing) brews.

The CHOW Guide to Eating and Drinking in Austin, SXSW edition

From Tex-Mex to high-end, CHOW brings you the best eating and drinking locations in Austin.

This subtle spice mix adds dimension.

Atlantic City offers little to note on the casino side, but a few great treasures for the belly.

and Westmalle Triple.

of traditional Flemish dishes. Not haute cuisine, just good, hearty food. He’ll probably try to sell you a bottle of Augistijn beer, which is worth drinking. Reservations essential. Afterwards go to Den Engel for a draft...

Brawley’s in Charlotte just got a big shipment of Belgians (Orval, Westmalle, Duvel) and others. Chimay is available in all of the wine/beer shops and even in Harris Teeter here.

I’m looking for a store to buy some good beer, preferably Belgians (Chimay, Delerium, Westmalle, Rochefort, etc). I know about Brickskellar and go there from time to time, but I’m talking about a place where I can buy...

, Orval, Westmalle, or Westvleteren (the latter is extremely hard to find in the U.S. these days). -Nick

If your name is Belgepunk, then you are probably in the middle of the Battle of the Belge, with large Belgian beers as part of the weaponry. Whatcha got? Chimay, or Westmalle or even Rochefort 10? Curious minds on the East Coast of...

ending in -ator: Paulaner Salvator, Spaten Optimator, ... Trappist ales such as Rochefort, Westmalle, Chimay This time of year you’ll find lots of Oktoberfest beers, usually amber (but some blonde) with a toasty malt flavor...

Cant think anything could be found easily, after Chimay I would guess that Westmalle and Rochefort would be the next most common Belgians but still these would be in finer or more boutique stores. Now, if you want the belgian...

(Orval doesn’t categorize and you could pick it out blind easily) we liked: Westvletern Blond Rochefort 8 Westmalle Tripel LaTrappe Quad

Brouwer’s and Über Tavern are the best for beer geeks. The Hopvine has a great rotating selection of microbrews. Beveridge Pub has (or at least used to have) Belgian Tuesdays, where beers like Westmalle Tripel are only $6.

, Stella Artois and Hoegaarden – to great beers like St. Bernardus Abt 12, Karmeliet Triple and Westmalle. The Hopleaf definitely has the more extensive selection of the two bars with about 40 belgian beers in bottles and...