Gourmet products local specialties and wines Wallonie

Nathalie and Jacques Pougin set up their micro-brewery in 1998 in the town of Bouillon, a tourist jewel of the Belgian Ardennes. After a move necessitated by the crampedness of the first building, the brewery was able to increase its production capacity. Today the couple brews several beers, including La Cuvée de Bouillon blonde, La Médiévale ambrée, La Bouillonnaise brune, and a Blanche. They also make seasonal brews and custom beers. The brewery's shop, the adjacent Marché de Natalie, offers more than 300 beers.

In this shop, located in the historical centre of the city, you will find several hundred references of artisanal beers only, but not necessarily Belgian beers. The national references are the most numerous with a particular affection for small structures. It is also the only real beer shop in the centre of the Walloon capital. Ideal for shopping for gourmet gifts. Organisation of tastings, gift baskets and gift packages such as the amusing Crafty XMas Box, the brewery version of the Advent calendar.

More than 400 different beers, impeccably arranged, gift baskets, glasses, await the barge in this shop a stone's throw from the cathedral. The owner buys her beers directly from local brewers, which gives an idea of her passion for hopped beverages. Anyone with a little nonnette will be in a hurry to make her blush with envy! Passing through the City of the Five Bell Towers, pay a little visit to Marianne, which offers a very friendly welcome to visitors. And it's been going on for thirty years!

Quality and freshness is "the new insurance of the former broker". Moving from insurance to chocolate maker: this is conversion! It was in 2002. A success! At the key, a second address, in Mons. Claude Legast's specialities include spices and miniature dragons, symbols of Mons and his «Doudou». Claude's son, Thibault, joined the house.

It can be found in all the festivities in Liège such as the Christmas Village, the Gallic Village and of course during the 15th of August in Outremeuse... What's that? The Lilimus, of course! This "liqueur", if we can call it that, is Lionel Graindorge's idea. Typically manufactured in Liège, Lilimus is the result of a clever blend of pecan and lime juice (without the addition of any additives or chemicals!). With a temperature of 17.5°, this drink is consumed very cold and can therefore be drunk on ice or in a cocktail preparation. Cheers!

Certainly one of the best-known names in Namur, but also one of the most discreet, nestled in a corner of the Place Saint-Aubain. The Grafé-Lecocq house has been selecting, maturing and bottling wines from the most prestigious regions of France for four generations. Some of the 500 wines in the catalogue are aged for 24 months in one of the 1,200 oak barrels. In its 16th century building, the Oenotheque offers, in addition to the range of wines and champagnes, 200 fine spirits and numerous accessories, books and other documents.

De Marche in Namur. In addition to their boutique, WINE&MORE also offers events and Master Classes to deepen your knowledge of wine. Check out their website for upcoming events. Don't hesitate to visit this wine cellar for a unique tasting experience.

A flagship winery in the province of Namur, its success is resounding! Jeannette moved to Lustin (Profondeville) with her family from her native Holland in the early 2000s. The first female cellar master in Belgium, she has raised her wines to international level. Starting with a few basic skills, Jeannette is recognized by her peers. Her wines are made from 14 grape varieties, the most famous of which are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Acolon. Present on the region's finest tables, her wines can be enjoyed on tours with or without a meal.

The restaurant is located in the lower town on the banks of the Vesdre river and has a pleasant terrace. The owner can't stop talking about the wines. No wonder, since Bernard Visé is a sommelier and also has a wine library. He also organises a monthly wine tasting, the theme of which is posted a few months in advance on the website (French country wines, summer wines, European wines...). As for the main course, the sole meunière with caper butter melts in your mouth. The menus also give the opportunity to taste a nice selection of wines.

Roger Caulier and his three sons are the heirs to a family business, founded in 1933 and since 1980 housed in the former Tensier tannery in Peruwelz. They immediately made a name for themselves by selling their production in retro bottles with mechanical corks. Classics include Bon Secours and Paix-Dieu, billed as the first abbey beer brewed every full moon. It's served in a rather original glass, featuring the roundness of the moon but cut at an angle, "to highlight its aromas", explains the brewer.

With about 180 different beer references on offer: Pils, flavoured beers, special beers... Everyone will find what they are looking for. Different capacities are proposed, just like these 6-liter kegs adaptable to private machines. Other alcoholic beverages such as aperitifs, wines and softs are also available. Finally, the gift boxes and baskets will please in any circumstance. Beware, the abuse of bad beers is dangerous for your health, the consumption of good beers in moderation is recommended.

Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8, Rochefort 10 There are three versions of this admirable Trappist beer: the 6, the 8 and the 10. Rochefort 10 is the most celebrated; Rochefort 6 is the rarest, sold mainly in shops near the abbey; Rochefort 8 is the most widely available.Production has doubled in recent years to meet the strong growth in demand, both in Belgium and overseas. 26,000 hl were produced in 2010. The whole brewing process, including the bottling, takes place inside the abbey walls.The brewery is the abbey's main economic activity, but for all its success, its role remains one of supporting the monks' main devotional activities. The abbot himself has said that the abbey is first and foremost an abbey, one of whose activities is brewing beer.The abbey, or l'Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy (to give its full name), is about a mile (2 km) from the Ardennes town of Rochefort, halfway between Brussels and Luxembourg. It has been on the site for centuries and there is evidence to show that monks started brewing Rochefort beers as long ago as the 16th century.The brewery is not open to visitors, but the services at the abbey church are open to all.

This craft beer cellar opened in spring 2022. After an internship at the Brewery du Clocher in Malonne, Diego decided to open a specialized store. He offers Belgian beers and a small selection of foreign beverages. In any case, he has banished the beers available in supermarkets from his shelves, in favor of craft beers. Small tables are set up inside for tasting one or other of the beverages. And tasting workshops are provided by a guest zythologist.

The Drink des Primevères is one of the most representative of the region. You'll find no fewer than 300 references! In addition to the inevitable beers, the drink also offers almost 150 wines and 160 aperitifs and spirits. Of course, you'll also find softs and a vast selection of delicatessen products and snacks. If the choice is too difficult, or if you want something unique, it's also possible to put together a packed basket, ready to take away. Ideal for a gift or to take a little of Wallonia's terroir home with you!

Saison Pipaix, Steamed in Madness, Vapeur Cochonne

It was a brasserie but also a sawmill: it was necessary for benefitting from the driving force delivered by the steam engine which animated the facility since 1896. Typical example of close-brasserie, the brasserie with vapor of Pipaix goes back to 1785. In 1983, Jean-Louis Dits and his wife, thirty year and impassioned teachers local produce, take it again a few years after Gaston Biset hung up again the fourquet at a advanced age.

The business is not simple because equipment and the buildings are more than outdated. After several months of efforts, the first mash tub leaves the venerable tanks miraculously. Jean-Louis brews then old-style local beers, including the venerable Saison Pipaix, of which it adapted the recipe. That does not prevent it from offering many wines with picturesque names and labels often illustrated by his friend Louis-Michel Carpentier, the author of the cartoon who tells the colourful adventures of the owner of bistro of Brussels' Poje”.

In the meantime, the brasserie was partially equipped with modern equipment, to better sticky to date. And it is that the Vapor Makes a mess of comes to give it a boost, to become its reference product in 1992. Also declined in 33 Cl Cochonette., this dark amber 9% alc. flight is now the largest part of the production.

Next door, thus Saison de Pipaix (fair, hair, spicy, 6%), the Steam in Madness (strong of 8%). Very high fermentation, of course. But Jean-Louis offers regularly and in limited quantities of the most amazing mash tubs, including a beer or pumpkin leaves fig trees. It also made a Steamed Aquilon struck a label with lips… Jean-Louis Dits organizes during meal-tasting and public mash tub with restoration all last Saturday of the month. It also made exudes a Spirit of Vapor Makes a mess of, strong alcohol of 40% flight.

Founded in 1850, the brewery now produces a wide range of beers that combine contemporary and traditional tastes. In 1975, the small family business took over an old brewery in Enghien, owned since 1858 by the Tennstedt-De Croës family, and relaunched its production of Double Enghien Brune. The Double Enghien Blondewas added in 1986. As early as 1950, the family began producing a pilsner. From the 1990s onwards, the brewery expanded its range to appeal to a wider public, and now even offers an excellent organic beer.

Angélus (Blonde, Brune, Spéciale Noël), La Sambresse This brewery was set up ten years ago by Alain Brootcoorens at Erquelinnes, a small town close to the French border in the Walloon province of Hainaut. Run by Alain and a team of volunteers from the local area, the brewery produces about 150 hectolitres of beer per year. Its main beers are Angélus Blonde and Angélus Brune,with more limited quantities of Angélus Spéciale Noël (a Christmas beer) and Sambresse Blonde also being produced. In addition, the brewery produces a number of specially commissioned beers for other organisations and individuals.The brewery grows its own hops in a hopfield across the road. (According to Alain Brootcoorens, this is the only "educational hopfield in Wallonia".) It also organises the Sambre Valley hop festival every September. This includes a contest to find the best hop-picker.Meanwhile, an association called the "Jurande d'Angélus" has been set up by the brewery to promote the region through local products, tourism and, of course, the local beer. The association's logo depicts a boat hook and a brewer's mashing rake.

A passionate promoter of fair trade, Belvas goes back to the duchocolat origins and has pure and simple flavours: many depralinés, subtle mixed of Saint Domingue beans, Sao Tomé Oud'Ecuador), coconuts… With special care to larecherche, chocolate chocolate is an innovative and fièrementle seal seal. When he bought Lachocolaterie Devas in 25, Thierry Noesen was resolved to "développerle organic products and fair trade sector". Raw materials are natural (Bio when estpossible), beans come from recognized cooperatives (commeKuapa Kokoo in Ghana) and everything is designed with desproducteurs respect. Bio, good and good, we sail!

The Brasserie de Brunehaut was founded in 1891 in Guignies, a neighbouring village, under the leadership of the Allard-Groetembril family. Brunehaut and Extra Vieille Guignies are brewed here, whose nostalgic memories remain moving. But a century later, the brewery closed its doors. After several years of international peregrinations, a couple of brewers, Guy and Marie-Christine Valschaerts, bought it back but it was too old. They are now rebuilding a new one. The Brunehaut beers then regained their strength and a Bière du Mont Saint-Aubert was already created. After fifteen years at the head of "his" baby, Guy Valschaerts hands over to Marc-Antoine de Mees. Traditional brewing methods led to a complete range of beers, including gold or silver medals brought back from Chicago, which are certainly proof of excellence. Today, all production is certified organic and the Brunehaut range does not contain gluten. Marc-Antoine de Mees has refreshed the brewery's image with new bottles and redesigned labels, while the Abbey of Saint-Martin has become a fully-fledged range.

This small store on the edge of the main road in Marcinelle transpires the belgian spirit. Numerous photos of stars from the Flat Country adorn the walls and there is something for every generation (Remco Evenepoel, Jacky Ickx...). The business opened in 2015 and offers nearly 300 brewery references. Note that the boss has his own beer produced in the Fou du Roi facilities in Thuin. Belgian spirits are also to be discovered as well as cured meats, cheeses, without forgetting the chocolates! Don't miss the tasting days!

With the famous "plops" that its old-fashioned mechanical opening bottle emits (earthenware stopper and rubber washer) when opened,Quintine does not go unnoticed. It was created in 1993 thanks to the good care of Philippe Gérard. In December 2006, the Brasserie Ellezelloise merged with the Brasserie des Géants in Ath. This allowed the Brewery of the Hills to increase its production and new investments in equipment were made. The small brewery-farm also offers a nice tavern.

La Bigote was launched by Thomas Monserez, accountant by training and brewer without facilities. Here he is housed at the Authentique Brasserie in Blaton. Since 2015, Thomas develops his own recipes. Initially, a Blonde (6% vol./alc.), with a controlled roundness and bitterness, and a Dry Stout (4.5% vol./alc.) completely different from the current criteria. Since then, other beers, all with a moustache on their label, have joined the range: Puerh Tea (7% vol. alc.), flavored with tea as its name indicates, Noble Village (8% vol. alc.) scented with yarrow and Saison des Poètes (organic, 4% vol. alc.), a surprising winter beer as light as it is blonde, reminding us that "seasons" are truly a specialty of Hainaut. On sale in a growing number of nice places in Tournai, Mouscro, Dottignies, Brussels and even Paris (and elsewhere)!

This drink centre near the French border celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2009 and attracts customers from far and wide. It sells some 340 different beers and a range of glasses and other accessories designed to please beer lovers. You can also put together your own gift baskets, filling them with the many gift ideas on offer - candles, incense, liqueurs, spirits, pâtés, tobacco.

Ultra (blonde, brune, ambrée), Ultramour, Ultra Délice, Ultra Fraîche, Ultra Soif, Cookie Beer, Penneffoise, Florilège (hibiscus, rose, pensée) The current Ecaussinnes brewery (in the village of the same name, south-west of Brussels) was founded by Isabel and Hugues Poucke in 2000.Its Ultra range takes its name from a beer made until 1973 by the village's previous brewery. Other beers are rather more exotic: versions of Florilège (9% abv) made with hibiscus plants or roses, Penneffoise (8%) flavoured with plums, or even Cookie Beer (8%) with cinnamon and speculoos biscuits.98% of all production is exported (mainly to the United States, Italy and Russia). Some beers are made only for the export market.

A family chocolate factory, Maison Léger is the fruit of the association of three brothers. Know-how and quality products are the secret of their success. The chocolate factory is located in a beautiful 18th century house. Ballottins of pralines, chocolate to spread or break, filled baskets, truffles, gingerbread... the hardest part will be not to leave with a bit of everything! All products are made on the spot by the master chocolate maker. It is also possible to personalize the packaging on request. A perfect gift idea!

The Brasserie des Légendes bears its name well because it is a true legend in the region! Thanks to its know-how, its history and a very respectful relationship with raw materials, this family business offers high quality beers. You will discover the whole Quintine range (blonde, amber with organic beer), but also the Gouyasse range, with in particular the Goliath. The shop also offers gift boxes with glasses, coasters and even "valisette" with an assortment of five different beers. An obligatory stop!

Winner of several awards in Europe and the US, including "Distillery of the year" in New York, this artisan distillery specializes in quality spirits made from local produce, such as Binche Gin, one of Belgium's finest, Bintje Vodka and Bonespéreuse, distilled in the tradition of the great abbey liqueurs using angelica, a staple of the Bonne Espérance Abbey plains. Installation in the superb Binche railway station, renovated as a microbrewery and distillery, is scheduled for 2024.

A few years ago, the "Vaudrée" concept from Liège was exported to the university town. This adventure now has a name: the BeerLovers' Shop, while the BeerLovers' Café remains in the Principality. The BeerLovers' hops are also available on the Net, enabling them to reach new heights. Available in this store, virtual or otherwise, are more than 750 beers (not all Belgian), as well as a wide range of pékets, liqueurs, absinthes, rums and other beverages in the same vein... And even beers on tap.

Gueuze Tilquin à l'ancienne This new gueuzerie (gueuze blender) opened its doors to the public for the first time in May 2011, causing a minor sensation in the world of spontaneously fermented beers. It is the first gueuze blender - or "blendery" - ever to open in Wallonia and is in the village of Bierghe, a few miles from Brussels and a few hundred yards from Flanders. Crucially, it is still in the Senne Valley and thus well placed to exploit the wild yeasts in the valley that are so important to the production of lambic and gueuze. The gueuzerie was founded by Pierre Tilquin, a Walloon. He likes to present his Gueuze Tilquin à l'ancienne as a model of Flemish, Wallonian and Brussels collaboration. As a blender, he doesn't make his own lambic, but he buys wort from Boon, Lindemans, Girardin and Cantillon and lets them ferment and mature into lambic in his 220 oak barrels. He then blends the different lambics to obtain the gueuze he is looking for.The plan is for the gueuzerie to produce on average 500hl of gueuze per year. 30-40% is likely to be sold in Belgium, 40% in the United States and the rest in other export markets. There are ambitions, too, to produce a kriek one day, but Tilquin doesn't rule out working with other fruit before turning to cherries.

Diabolici, Dominus (Double and Triple), Gordon Finest (Scotch, Copper, Silver, Red, Gold and Platinum), Gordon Five, Gordon Xmas, Martin's Pale Ale, Martin's Blond Ale, Timmermans beers and Bourgogne des Flandres. (See also Timmermans.) John Martin moved to Antwerp from the UK in 1909, setting up a drinks company which, from 1912, specialised in importing Guinness from Ireland. Martin even managed to persuade Arthur Guinness to brew Guinness Special Export (GXS, 8% abv) specially for the Belgian market.John Martin quickly set up his own communications company and then built a new factory at Genval in 1934. It is no coincidence that the John Martin group soon became known for its strong advertising campaigns and marketing strategies.The move to Genval allowed the company to diversify into the hotel industry. The brewing division's headquarters are still in Genval today. One of the company's flagship beers, Martin's Pale Ale, first appeared in 1950. It is still available today but is now less well known than the Gordon range of beers. The first of these were a Scotch ale and a Christmas beer, which were joined in 1991 by the Finest range. In 1993, the group bought the Timmermans brewery in Itterbeek and its range of sweetened beers, a move which marked a departure from the Martin tradition of selling "British-style" beers. Since 2004, Anthony Martin, John Martin's grandson, has been in charge of the brewing division; his brother, John, runs the hotel business.

The Beer Bar is a bar. It offers a wide selection of special Belgian beers, including Westmalle Triple, a clear, golden Trappist beer with an alcohol content of 9.5%. This complex beer offers fruity aromas and a pleasant hop fragrance. On the palate, it is silky and velvety, with a touch of bitterness supported by fruit flavors. Westmalle Triple is considered the "mother of all triples" and has been brewed at Westmalle Abbey since 1934. The Beer Bar offers this beer in 33 cl bottles, as well as in quality cafés and restaurants.

Bi'OK Thorembais is a health food store located in Perwez. The store offers a wide selection of carefully selected dietary products. Bi'OK Thorembais is also known for its 8-hectare organic gardens, located just behind the Corbais store. Products from these organic gardens are available in all 4 Bi'OK stores in Wallonia.

This is a real reference in the whole of Brabant-Wallon! This vast space of 150^m2 includes a large counter with 12 beers available on tap (10 of which are fixed) and a long list of 200 Belgian beers (and seasonal beers, ephemeral by essence). The team, very professional, gives advice to the undecided. The place regularly hosts small spontaneous concerts: everything is good for the pop-rock atmosphere of this bistro which attracts both passing beer lovers and local students.

L'Épuisette is a fishmonger's, but as the trend is for multi-functional places, it is also a catering service AND a bistro. Enough to satisfy all your seafood cravings. The chef, Guillaume Vanhalle, has worked in the kitchens of the Villa Lorraine, a Michelin-starred establishment, and is therefore a guarantee of good food. As a result, the soles, lobsters, crabs and other shrimps intended for the croquettes are directly transformed on the spot. The products are respectful of the seasons and the fishmonger's shop gets its supplies from sustainable sources. A beautiful establishment!

Brasseries de Liège is a collective concept where small professionals can create their own personalized beer using professional equipment. Upstairs, an impressive 46-pump bar offers a direct view of the tanks. With so much equipment on the zinc, there's plenty of room for everyone, including custom beer sponsors! You can also order a meal from one of the six food counters set up in the adjoining gourmet hall. Connoisseurs and the curious are welcome!

The {C} brewery already has a bit of bottle age, as do its two managers, François Dethier and Renaud Pirotte. The duo presented their microbrewery project to the cast of a TV show designed to support budding entrepreneurs. Their project was rewarded, along with Curtius (7% vol.), and it was an immediate success. Today, the former Saint-Esprit beguinage houses the brewery and is not only the brewers' laboratory, but also a brewpub. A vast tasting area, enhanced by a pleasant terraced garden, has been laid out.