Today had a frustrating beginning, but ended up being a pretty great day. We were scheduled to tour two breweries in two different towns outside of Brussels. First we visited DeBuisson Brewery where we watched a video about the history of the brewery and tasted some of their beers. The coolest part of this visit is that we can buy their beers in Portland. The tour was somewhat of a letdown because we did not actually get to see the brewery; rather we just watched a video.
The next tour was at Het Anker Brewery. This was a great tour, and I wish we could have spent more time at this brewery. We got to see the brew house and also visited the barrel room where they were aging their very own Whisky. The beer that this brewery produces is quite strong and very flavorful. They are able to use herbs, spices and other additives to strengthen and flavor their beers. This is because unlike Germany, Belgium does not have a purity law so brewers here are able to use all different kinds of spices. Het Anker uses spices such as dried orange peels, licorice, start anise, and coriander. They also add port wine to some of their beers. These spices add complex flavors to the beer. It was very interesting to taste these types of beer. I really enjoyed this tour and the tasting.
Although the day began in a slow and frustrating way, it was still a great experience to see Het Anker brewery and see more of the Belgium countryside. I look forward to the next few days of our stay in Belgium.
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