Belgian Ale

This recipe takes inspiration from the lighter, easier-drinking blonde ales that the Belgian Trappist monks brew largely for themselves—but you can have some, too.

Much of the attention often goes to bigger beers—such as the famed dubbels and tripels from Belgium’s monastery breweries—but don’t let that keep you from appreciating the smaller ales in life.

Based on discussions with Rochefort brewmaster Gumer Santos, here’s a homebrew-scale recipe inspired by the Trappist abbey’s strongest dark ale—with notes on how to adjust the recipe to approximate the 6 or 8.

In Belgium’s Namur province, at the Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy abbey, head brewer Gumer Santos shares some of the methods that go into the Brasserie des Trappistes Rochefort’s highly regarded dark ales—as well as its newer blonde triple.

From Shawn Cooper and Joran Van Gingerachter of Atlanta’s Halfway Crooks, here’s a recipe for their own “brewer’s beer”—a dry, bitter, quenching pale ale packed with Belgian-grown hops and accentuated by careful yeast expression.

This Belgian-style amber ale should serve as a fine vehicle for any “concrete” sugar such as panela, piloncillo, rapadura, tapa de dulce, or jaggery.

De Dolle Brouwers has a reputation for colorful branding and characterful, high-gravity beers that hold up beautifully in the cellar. Yet their process is intentionally laborious and layered, from the coolship and Baudelot cooler to the open copper fermentors and more in an old, classic Flemish brewhouse.

The diversity and creativity of the beers that come out of this small country are justifiably famous, yet often it’s the wilder side that draws all the attention. Let’s renew our friendship with the foundational ales that first put Belgium on the beer map.

This homebrew recipe is based on everything we know about how Duvel brews its iconic golden strong ale.

Duvel, Belgium’s iconic and elegant golden strong ale, is pale, dry, highly carbonated, and it boasts a distinctive fermentation profile. What are the stories, ingredients, and processes behind the archetype?

As a niche style, bière de garde doesn’t always medal at the Great American Beer Festival—but Munkle’s 5 Branches took home gold in 2018, then Echo’s Junebug did it again in 2019. Here, the head brewers from both breweries sketch out the blueprints.

In this pick from our Love Handles department for beer bars we love, here’s a classic Belgian pub experience—on the American West Coast.

For the cofounder of San Diego’s Societe Brewing, beer should be flavorful, easy to find, inexpensive, and beautifully crafted. His six-pack neatly mirrors Societe’s focus, with Belgian inspiration and a nod to the dark, hoppy beers of Southern California.

Let’s get rustic: Justin Wright and Justin Kruger, a.k.a. "Two Fat Justins," show how French and Belgian country ales can lighten and brighten savory main dishes, while a splash of cherry lambic adds complex juiciness to a simple berry crumble.

Don’t think of this as a clone of Dupont’s Avec Les Bons Voeux—think of this as a beer inspired by it. It’s the right blend of earthy, hoppy, fruity, spicy, and dry, and it makes for sweet dreams.

From the legendary Cantillon lambic brewery in Brussels, fourth-generation brewer Jean Van Roy chooses a six-pack of beers that have influenced him over the years. They feature the bitter, the dry, and a lifelong appreciation for good old-fashioned pils.

We bring you the sordid tale of a love triangle: One brewer, two beers, and a lot of feelings. C’est la vie.