Beer flight at the Chimay visitor center and restaurant

What is a trappist brewery, you ask?  Trappist breweries are breweries which are tucked away in monasteries and produce high quality craft beers brewed by Trappists, also known as Cistercian monks.  Sales of these beers support the monasteries and missions of the monks who reside within them.  There are fewer than a dozen trappist breweries in the entire world, most of which (and the oldest of which) are in Belgium.

Westvleteren Abbey

Westvleteren Abbey

During our stay in Belgium, we had the pleasure of visiting trappist breweries in Chimay and Westvleteren.  You may be familiar with the Chimay label, as Chimay beers are widely exported and can be found in many US markets.  If you’ve never heard of Westvleteren, there’s a very good reason… the monks of Westvleteren do not sell their beer anywhere except at the monastery gates… it is one of the most rare and collectible beers in the world.

The monks of Westvleteren sell a few cases of beer every day. You need an appointment to make a purchase. Don’t bother arriving early – you will be asked to wait!

In addition to sampling delicious trappist beers, we were able to sample products made from beer.  The tasting menus at both Chimay and Westvleteren offered excellent cheeses for sampling and also for bulk purchase.  Both locations also offered beer-laced desserts including ice creams and pies.  As you can see from the photos below, we sampled many items.  Each was more delicious than the last!

Even if you don’t fancy yourself much of a beer aficionado, visiting at least one trappist brewery during a visit to Belgium is a must-do.  Enjoy this uniquely Belgian experience!