Sales of the product I make (organic ink for screen printing on glass) is growing a lot in Europe, so my friendly European corporate counterparts are paying my way to visit some customers over there with them. While I am over there, what should I absolutely not miss - from a beer tasting/brewing perspective? So far I have stops in Brussels, Paris, and Istanbul. I haven’t ever been to another continent, so I may be preoccupied with other things, but if I had to guess, I will probably spend some time drinking somewhere along the way.
You could look through the books “Farmhouse Ales”, “Wild Brews” and “Brew Like A Monk” and visit every possible brewery in Belgium and France in these books!!! THAT would be an awesome trip!
When are you hitting up Paris? Drop me a line beforehand and I can give you the personal beer tour. theoman is in Brussels, he can give you good advice for there.
Damn. Brussels? That’s one place I’d like to drink my way through. And Istanbul? How about some Doner Kebab and Raki!
Don’t think I have time for EVERY brewery ;) I may be in Paris in the Monday the 6th to Wedensday the 8th range.
Which month? 
What’s the Brussels plan? I can certainly point you in the right direction, potentially in person.
Brussels is AWESOME.
Do go to Cantillon.
It’s February (leaving this Friday afternoon). Unfortunately, I don’t have a plan yet. Customer visits are still being scheduled, and my Europeon sales buddy will be carting my wife an me around. If we get free drinking time, and I know ahead of time, I’ll try to send some PM’s
You can’t go wrong with Delirium Cafe in Brussels. Somewhere around 2500 bottled beers will meet your needs.
The selection is good, if they actually have what you order. In my opinion, if you only go to one beer bar in Brussels, go to Moeder Lambic Fontainas.
+1,000,000. I only went to Delirium once, and it was filled with smokers, eurotrash and tourists. Moeder Lambic is way, way nicer, laid back, good bar snacks, and super knowledgeable.
If you are making the quick rounds of the world, then some place like Delirium is a decent choice. I am not saying it is the best as Belgium has plenty of good spots but if you do not have the time, then anything with 2,500 choices cannot be bad.
No, it’s not bad. If you’re looking for something specific that’s hard to find, then it’s a good place to look. But, if you’re short on time, then that’s an even better reason to go to ML Fontainas. You’ll still get an excellent selection without having to filter through alcopops, and you can be more certain that your beer was treated well. On top of that the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. That’s something I’ve never noticed at Delirium.
Those should be your two reasons right there.
Well I’m afraid the trip is almost done and I never had a chance to venture away from restaurants and hotels. It’s been a great trip, but not a beer tasting tour 