Friday, February 20, 2009

Heeren Van Liederkercke

In an effort to pay a visit to as many of the better beer cafés in Belgium before leaving the country, we have been examining the "Beer Book" very closely. Our research has recently lead us to this gem located in Denderleeue, less than 30 minutes from Brussels in East Flanders (Flemish speaking region). I don't know why it took us so long to discover this place, but I'm glad we finally did. The opening line of the book's review is "This is one of our favorite cafés-restaurants in all of Belgium". The "Beer Book" rarely lies! After having some wonderful local beer and aged beer, along with a delicious lunch, I have to say that I agree. The beer list is extensive and includes a lot of old beers that they keep down in their cellar. The menu is quite large as well and most of the cuisine is prepared with beer. Each dish lists the type of beer used. Rick had a 4-cheese lasagne and I had some scampi. The café had a comfy, rustic feel to it and the servers were all very helpful in translating the huge menu.


It was at this café that I discovered my love of Orval after drinking one that had aged for 4 years. I never liked Orval before and now I finally understand why. We were told that Orval is made with a special, slow-working yeast that needs a minimum of one year in the bottle to do it's magic. We didn't take many pictures that day, but I'm sure we will be back to take more.



















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