For those who have never heard of Brugge, it's a small, well preserved town in the a region of Belgium called West Flanders. The old part of town hasn't changed much since the middle ages (other than the standard decimation by war). It's a pleasant 3-4 hour journey by Eurostar (connect in Brussels) from London.For those who have never heard of Amsterdam, you're probably the type of person who thinks caffeine is bad and you're not going to be reading this blog.
Belgium is the heart of the beer world. Interbrew, the owner of most international beer brands, had their start in Belgium. Belgium has produced more styles of beer than any other nation I can think of. I've had a fair amount bad beer in my days, and I've had a fair amount of Belgain beer. I can safely say that Belgians don't make bad beer. There may be one or two out there that suck (Stella anyone?), but the number beers with an amazing, unique taste dwarf the numbers.
My favourite bar in Brugge is easily 't Brugs Beertje. It's down a tiny little street and is flanked by two cosy Belgian style restaurants. You walk inside and no matter what time of the year, it's completely packed. There are three drinking rooms that stretch down the narrow central corridor. The front room is where the main bar is. That's where the best atmosphere is. To reach the next room, you have to squeeze yourself through the inevitable bottleneck at the end of the bar. There's more tables and chairs and, because its not completely enclosed, doesn't loose too much of the ambiance. The third room is past the second, then past the toilets. You think you're going outside, but there's a door to a back-bar. I have been to this place on three separate trips and the bar in the back has never been open - although you can still sit. You've got to either wait for table service, or go all the way to the front bar to get your beer. Personally, I'd rather stand in the front.If you're lucky to get a seat, search for the beer menu. The menu is a massive, 20-page binder, packed with every Belgian beer you've never heard of. While there are a handful of taps, almost all of the beer selection is out of the bottle, but when the server brings you your drinks, they will pour the beer into the appropriate glass in the appropriate manor. Every beer has its own special glass and its own special pouring method. Belgians take their beer seriously.
Choose your beer carefully; Ask the staff for a recommendation; Tell them what sort of beer you typically like. If you choose too hastily, you'll end up with chocolate covered insect flavoured beer. The Belgians make beer out of anything and everything. Another very important consideration is that there is no standard alcohol level. In most places, the alcohol content of beer is fairly standard and you don't need to double check. For instance, in Canada, 95% of all beer is 4.5-5.5%. This is not the case in Belgium. I've had a 10.5% beer accidentally. I ordered it before looking at the fine print. It was excellent and I probably would have continued ordering it until I woke up in a hospital. Another way they trick you (the bastards) is they sometime use the proof symbol instead of the normal %. Alcohol proof is typically twice the alcohol % of ABV. Normally, when I see something that is 14°, I'll assume it's 7%. Be very careful!
The comparisons to Amsterdam are many. The vast selection, the numerous pubs and bars on every corner, the bicycles, and unfortunately, the British. Amsterdam has the Red Light District, Brugge has the Market area. The area I speak of isn't actually in the market. There is a small square just off the NW corner of the market. There you'll find four "pubs" with Sky Sports showing and jam packed with people who are in Brugge and ordering Strongbow or Guiness or anything that isn't Belgian beer. This is a good thing for two reasons. Firstly, Brits don't just drink beer - they get pissed out of their minds. They'd have to have a detox centre next door if the Brits were getting pissed on Belgian beer. Secondly, because all of the Brits are contained within a small area, the rest of the world are free to roam from bar to bar and avoid that bit of unpleasantness.
Like Amsterdam, Brugge is one of those places that I've been several times and would return at the drop of a hat. Everything about the place is fantastic. The architecture, the chocolate, the beer, the bars, the food, etc. I love Brugge.
10/10
