In the past, Brussels stood synonymous with +100 breweries and its very own beer culture: think Faro, Lambic, Gueuze,… While yes, you can still enjoy these all-time favourites, many new breweries emerged the scene, experimenting their way into the Brussels’ brewing history. Today, there are around 20 breweries. Don’t know which one to pick? Well, we’ll get you started.
Starting with L’Annexe which is part of our Brussels Craft Brewery Tour (shared tours on Mondays or Thursdays)
and Brussels Beer Project, which is part of our Brussels beer Tasting Tour (shared tours on Fridays)
For the other breweries, we have put down an itinerary in the order taking into account locations and opening hours.
The best day to follow this itinerary would surely be on Thursday, Friday or Saturday due to closing days.
Enjoy!
This blog is a rewrite of the blogpost “12 breweries to visit in Brussels” from 2021, a lot has changed over the past 3 years. So here it is, our 2024 update on the must-visit breweries in Brussels.
1. L’Annexe
If you’ve been on one of our guided tours, you know that I have a soft spot for brewery L’Annexe.
We have a partnership with them and we always go there during our all-year-long Brussels brewery tour.
Looking for a non-alcoholic alternative? Make sure to stop by L’Annexe where they create – aside from delicious beers a wide variety of tonics in their fermenterie.
As many breweries do nowadays, L’Annexe collaborated with 10 different breweries to celebrate their anniversary: Vandekelder, Cohop, and Beerstorming, … just to name a few.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: Saison de Bruxelles, which is also their flagship beer
Address: Metaalstraat 19, 1060 Sint-Gillis
2. Brussels Beer Project
Brussels Beer Project, or BBP in short, founded its first brewery in Brussels in 2013.
They are very accessible (some weeks, they are open 7/7, depending on the holidays). They started brewing in Dansaertstraat (Dansaert Street), now infamous with its very own Instagram page.
A few years ago, they opened another brewery on the outskirts of Brussels (Port Sud), which makes them the largest brewery in all of Brussels (with a capacity of 35 000 HL).
If you visit BBP today and return the next week, their offer might have shifted. They brew a new beer almost every other week– with popular ones joining their All-Star collection. Most beers are IPAs, which I like very, very much.
There’s more to unpack in our BBP blog post.
They also have been our beer box partner in 2021.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: No doubt: Triple Bertha, a ix of wheat beer and triple. 😋(the new name for their Grosse Bertha )And our copy writer went on out tour; “I enjoy their Pico Bello and Brewster gang – BBP’s yearly collab beer to commemorate Women’s Day”
3. Wolf
Lunchtime = WOLF TIME! Let’s grab a bite to eat at Wolf Sharing Food Market/Microbrewery. It’s in the city and center, on the same street as our beloved beer spa Bath & Barley.
Wolf is huge, there are 18 trendy restaurants, 2 bars, and 1 microbrewery, all under 1 roof.
Delicious burgers, fresh homemade pasta, and the best sushi you’ll ever eat. 10/10 👌
The microbrewery is in the back of the food market – and you’ll find everything over there: gaze upon their huge fermentation tanks where the wort is transforming into beer. They host their very own brewery tours.
Year-round, they brew white and blonde styles of beer. And to top it all off: they have their very own ‘surprise beer’. Ask for it while at Wolf. Now; they have a delicious amber on tap, so hurry!!
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: Wolf’s white beer, but try their surprise beer!! 😍Can’t wait for the next one!
Address: Rue du Fossé aux Loups 50, 1000 Bruxelles
4. Cantillon
To visit Cantillon, you’ll have to stroll to the suburb of Anderlecht. The legacy of this brewery is worth the visit – Cantillon is truly an icon in Brussels brewing history.
When lager was invented in the Czech Republic around 1842, these first temperature-controlled beers came to Belgium. And they disrupted the Belgian beer culture, especially after WWI. If you were a brewery and wanted to stay in business, you had to shift to lager. Luckily, Cantillon picked a different road. And guess who still exists today?
Founded in 1900, at the height of the lager craze, Cantillon had the guts to continue brewing so-called ‘spontaneous fermentation beers’.
Now, 100+ years later, their lambic beers are still highly praised by beer geeks in Belgium – and across the globe. Beer connoisseurs are queuing for their limited editions.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: Sang Bleu. Not available? Try their traditional Gueuze.
Address: Rue Gheude 56, 1070 Anderlecht
5. Brasserie De La Senne
A superb refreshing beer
Up for an after-work? Visit Brasserie de la Senne. If you are on holiday, you’re welcome as well! 😉
Brasserie de la Senne started the renewed Brussels brewing culture, back in 2010. Their philosophy? They are located in Brussels, so they brew beers for the city of Brussels. Tourists and locals alike, when you are in Brussels, you should try a beer by Brasserie de la Senne.
They have a variety of beers: Zinnebir (Belgian Pale Ale), Zenne Pils (Unfiltered Craft Lager), Stouterik, and some seasonal beers.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: Zinnebir – BUT we usually taste this during our year-round Brussels Brewery Tour, since this beer has an intriguing background. So when you are at their brewery, try the triple: Jambe de Bois.
Address: Drève Anna Boch 19/21, 1000 Brussels
6. La Source
La Source is a very cozy and creative microbrewery that offers a variety of beers. IPAs, sour & wild beers, seasonals, barrel-aged or classic styles, … There’s something for everyone’s taste.
Make sure to visit their bar: they have 5 taps connected to their very own service tanks – assuring that you have the freshest beers you can find in Brussels.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer : La Meute and Python
Address: Dieudonné Lefèvrestraat 4, 1020 Brussel
7. Surrealiste
Time to stroll back to the city center … Your hotel may be closer there, right? 😉 In the same street as BBP, in an abandoned warehouse, you’ll find Brasserie Surréaliste which opened its doors in 2022.
You might have tried a beer from Brasserie Surréaliste. For 4+ years, they outsourced their brewing activities. They were called a “beer firm” for a long time.
Now, thanks to outstanding sales, marketing, and design (I cannot stress this enough: check the design on the cans), the hottest bars in Brussels serve their beers. Now, I am so glad that Surrealiste has a brewery, in the heart of Brussels.
BeerSecret’s favourite beer: Surrealiste (Pale Ale), which is the most accessible beer as it’s their flagship one
Address: Nieuwe Graanmarkt 22-23, 1000 Brussels
So, now you’ve been introduced to all the hottest breweries that Brussels has to offer. There are dozens more, but that’s a story for another blog post! And see: as I told you before, Brussels is much more than traditional “Gueuze” and Faro.
Now it’s your turn to explore all these wonderful Brussels breweries.
Or let BeerSecret be your guide. Yes, we can’t wait to share our beer knowledge with you! 🫶
- Visit L’Annexe during our Brussels Brewery Tour
- Visit Brussels Beer Project during our Brussels Beer Tasting Tour
- Before you start exploring Brussels, you may be eager to discover more about the Belgian beer world. Read more blog posts!
Or interested in the history of the Brussels breweries? Last year, we wrote a blog post about Brussels brewing past.
Interested in:
- Surprising someone with an original beer experience? Book a gift card
- Reading/watching more about BeerSecret’s suggestions and visits?
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