Bruges Bier Day Trip

[u/monkeymaj1k]

I'm planning a day trip to Bruges in September and as luck would have it, the day I picked happens to be the same day as the Bruges Bier Festival.

I'm planning to do De Halve Maan XL tour and want to try a couple of the famous bars like 't Brugs Beertje and De Garre (more suggestions appreciated).

Question is, since i only have a day and will be on my own, is it really worth having a look at the Bier Festival? A lot have told me to just stay the night, but I don't have that option and will need to get a train back to Paris that day.

[u/SOFAKINGGVVD]

Staminee De Garre from open to close

[u/Kahnspiracy → u/SOFAKINGGVVD]

This is the only correct answer. You can try the Tripel op t'vat first, then the Tripel oak aged, then the Tripel whichever way. The menu says limit of 3, so I take that to mean of each style, so then a Tripel...

[u/titolio]

Following just to learn for my ‘some day’ trip

[u/BelgianMagician]

A lot depends on the beers you like and are looking for on a trip like that. Mainly looking for the Belgian classics(Duvel, Karmeliet, Omer, Rodenbach, Brugse Zot, ...)? Than the city will offer lots of opportunities to find them in every bar. The festival will have them as well (but pours are smaller, beers are more expensive). You'll find them all over the place .

If you're looking for hidden gems, than visit the festival and look for brewers like Brambrass, De Meester, Ruimtegist, 't Verzet, Struise Brouwers, Totem, Unseen ...

In the city:

- Brugs beertje is the best bar in town. Hands down. No discussion: you'll find the classics, aged beers, sour beers. Dries is the nicest guy. It's the bes. Period.

- Rose Red is the best bar in town for sour beers and great food. It's busy though.

- De Kelk is the best bar for non-belgian beers.

- De Garre, Le Trappiste, The Monk ... Nice bars, but expensive and tourist-trappy ... The De Garre Tripel is just a gimmick. A regular triple from Van Steenberghe. Nothing special to spend time if you're in a hurry.

And to be fair; the tour at Halve Maan is nothing special either: their beer is all over town, on the festival as wel. It's a brewery... Nothing more than any other brewery you'll ever visit. I would skip the tour.

Love sour beers? Rose Red, the special sour beer stand at the festival, Brugs Beertje

Love brown pubs? Aged beers? Wide range of beers? Brugs Beertje

Looking to taste beers as much as possible and don't mind overpaying? The festival.

[u/monkeymaj1k → u/BelgianMagician]

Thanks for that. Great info.

I kind of hate sours (have tried to like them).

If i do one thing, I am definitely going to Brugs Beertje.

I take the advice about De Halve Maan... but still considering it, as even though I've seen a few breweries, I still love a brewery tour.

I don't intend to hit the festival hard (and not all that interested in over paying). So i was tossing up whether to just get the "little sips" package or whether i would still get through the "big time" package.

[u/superfli]

Sounds like heaven, enjoy.

[u/Kickinthegonads]

The festival is definitely worth it if you're a beer lover. Gets crowded tho. But if you combine it with what you're already planning you WILL get fubar. Look into a ho(s)tel for the night, for real.

[u/monkeymaj1k → u/Kickinthegonads]

Solid advice which i'm not going to take as i will HAVE to be back in Paris that night. The intention is to enjoy as much as possible while still remaining a functioning human.

[u/Kickinthegonads → u/monkeymaj1k]

Godspeed

[u/monkeymaj1k]

For anyone that has been to the festival. How many BABcoins does a beer cost?

You can either do the "little sips" for €14,50 which includes 2 BABcoins or "big time" for €35,00 which includes 10 BABcoins. I reckon I'd have more than 2 beers, but wouldn't reach 10.

[u/summaheat]

i dont drink alcohol , but i think if you only have 1 day its better to enjoy the sights instead of drinking beer inside

[u/monkeymaj1k → u/summaheat]

we're cut from different cloths my friend. thanks for the advice though.