The beer market - Belgium

Beer is considered the world's best-selling alcoholic beverage. It is mainly produced from barley malt, sometimes supplemented by other cereals. It can be consumed in bottles, cans or kegs. There are several types of beer: lager, white beer, red beer and brown beer. This difference in color results from the choice of malt and the temperature at which it is boiled. Belgium's brewing sector is particularly diverse, ranging from large industrial brewers to artisanal micro-breweries. Some of the country's oldest breweries date back centuries, while new ones continue to spring up. There are some 430 breweries throughout the country, all of which help to renew the range of products on offer and bring certain innovations to beer. Beer is an important part of Belgian culture. It's a hallmark of national know-how, which is reflected in the product's extensive exports. Today, we can count between 60 and 110 hop producers, which proves that this sector is extremely rich and varied. Belgian beers are distinguished by their variety of styles, each with its own distinctive taste: Among the most famous are the following categories:

Abbey beers Lambic beers Gueuzes White beers: brewed with wheat and pale malts; Blonde beers: brewed with pale barley malts; Rousse or amberbeers: brewed with more roasted barley malts; Brown beers: brewed with highly roasted brown malts.