The first time I (the boys and I) traveled abroad was in the fall of 2019. From Austin, we flew to London, took a train to Lille, France, rented a car and drove to Amsterdam, Netherlands. That may be a series of blogs for another day; however, when we left Lille by train back to London, we were early and had some time to kill. We ended up in a cafe above the main train station and ordered two beers. It was one of the BEST beers I have ever had. We took a picture of the glass for future reference. Turns out it’s not a beer you can get in the US. Period.
This particular beer maker began making beer in 1128. The Grimbergen Abbey was destroyed three times, the last time during the French Revolution and rebuilt by the Fathers each time. They continue to brew their Belgian beers to this day. When we returned to France last fall, we decided to find this beer again. While in Toulouse, we saw an advertisement for it but didn’t find it in any of the bars we visited. Then, after spending a day at Carcassone, we stopped by the city center for a drink and viola; it was on the menu. Holding a squeal of joy as I anticipated the beer, we pondered whether it would taste as good as before. The first time we had it was at the end of a long day, in a train station, and we knew we had a 9-hour flight home the next day. Was it just circumstances?
No, it was not! It tasted just as amazing on a chilly fall day in an outdoor cafe in a southern French town. Belgian beers are hands-down one of my favorites, especially those brewed by Fathers, Brothers, or Monks.
On our list of to-try places here in Colorado is Bruz Beers, which we’ve been told has some “Badass Belgian Beers”. And if you are in the Austin, Tejas area, Mort Subite is not to be missed. It’s located on South Congress and serves a selection of Belgian Beers in a chill atmosphere.