If there's any more fitting reason for beer diversity in the land of "lager hell ", I'd like to…read moreknow. A line of ten people at the cash register at 2 pm. And having an ipa or triple is so special that almost all customers were requesting a gift wrap. Living in the Seattle area, I'm Spokies by hundreds of local breweries, each with 10 or more styles. I like a lager occasionally, but seeing a can of the Swiss national beer: feldschlossen embossed with "lager hell" seemed an apt description of the beer situation, as well as the style. Hopfen and malz has dozens of beers from around the world, including some from Germany. And about 6-8 on tap, with a happy hour during the week. I'm aware of craft beers in Berlin getting around the strict reinheinsgebot law by simply calling themselves something other than beer. Hoping more do so! And that we see more places like this.

From the owner: In Deutschland wird seit über 500 Jahren mit den gleichen Zutaten gebraut:  Hopfen+Malz, Wasser und…read moreHefe. Doch es gibt Länder, in denen auch andere Zutaten im Braukessel landen. Schon mal ein Bier mit Sauerkrautsaft oder Wachholderbeeren probiert?   Wir möchten Euch gerne in die Welt der Biere begleiten und deshalb haben wir uns so einiges einfallen lassen: Ihr könnt zusammen mit unserem Biersommelier kreative   oder auch alt bekannte Biere brauen oder an einer Bierverkostung teilnehmen, bei der 6 verschiedene, internationale Biere vorgestellt und genau unter die Lupe genommen werden oder die Welt der Biere in Kombination mit Essen kennenlernen. Diese Events sind reservierungspflichtig. Wir haben zudem einen Gastraum mit ca. 50 Sitzplätzen und einen Bierladen mit einer riesigen Auswahl an Bieren aus der ganzen Welt. Wir freuen uns auf euren Besuch. Prooost!

Whimsical, but then again one would expect that from a brewery that features a little hop-seeking…read moregnome on its labels. A lot of Belgian breweries are surprisingly tiny operations, but that can't be said about the Chouffe. In 2006, the brewery was purchased by the much larger Duvel Moortgat, and it shows. This brewery and its surrounding area is really quite the enterprise by rural Belgian standards - there's the brewery itself, a tap room, another tap room that serves food, an adjacent full-service restaurant with a stocked trout pond behind it, and a gift shop. This all seems a bit "commercial" and United States/Disney-esque, especially after you've been traipsing around Belgium and rural France visiting decidedly non-commercial breweries that half the time were closed, much less have a freakin' gift shop. There's even a pond with a little island with a gnome-hut on it. It would have to try pretty hard to be more cutesy. Still, there's something to be said for this kind of corporatist professionalism, even if it does somewhat resemble visiting the Epcot Center, if it had a "Belgium" pavilion. You don't have to worry about it being open, which was a constant problem in visiting other breweries throughout the region. There will always be a wide, complete range of its beers available, both for on-site consumption and to take home. And of course, plenty of merch and swag featuring that lovable gnome! A Chouffe tulip glass is a must - and there's even Chouffe coffee and cream liqueurs available, of which we purchased a couple small samplers. Of course, there's also the beer. Even after the Chouffe's purchase by a larger brewery, the flagship La Chouffe strong blonde ale hasn't suffered all that much - it's still one of the better examples of the popular "Belgian Strong Pale Ale" style. I think it's got more going on than either Duvel and Delirium....more fruity, spicy, yeasty, while at the same time being a little cleaner than a La Fin Du Monde. I'd still rank it as my favorite easily-accessible example of the style.

McChouffe was my first, and as such, holds a special place in my heart. You never forget your…read morefirst, and I remember the exact time and place I sampled her greatness. I vowed then and there, at the Brickstore in Atlanta, GA, to travel to this magical land called Belgium. My pilgrimage finally took place in 2011, while I was temporarily living in Stuttgart. I emailed ahead of time, and happily they had a tour scheduled the day I was planning for, albeit in Flemmish. Nevertheless, they allowed this American on the tour. At the time, it was free for Americans. And, with your tour, you received two complimentary glasses of beer in the brasserie, a souvenir glass, and your choice of a bottle opener or gnome hat. I went for the bottle opener and still use it to open all my bottled beers, even twist-offs! All of this, for me, for free. Yes, please! I would easily have paid for all of it. McChouffe on tap is just phenomenal, and so much better than the bottle. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more. I hit the restaurant and the gift shop. Had rabbit for the first time, which featured a McChouffe sauce, and was quite tasty. I scored several awesome additional souvenirs, but I can't say it felt like a commercial wasteland, the shop and grounds in general are very small and reasonably priced. For the beer, their hospitality, and exceeding the already unreasonable amount of hype I made you responsible to live up to, I thank you, Brasserie d'Achouffe.

We stopped by on a Thursday afternoon and managed to snag a table outside. The alt beer itself was…read morelight and very drinkable. I went inside to use the bathroom and the inside is HUGE with tons of seating and very cool architecture.

The pork knuckle (20.80 Euros) is the thing to get here. I could barely finish half of it but it's…read moreperfectly cooked - delicious and crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Super crowded and bustling, which probably explained the brusque attitude of the staff. They will keep bringing you beers when they see empty cups on the table, even if you don't drink.

This is one of the most historical German breweries and I absolutely love its vibrant ambiance!…read moreThey are located in the very heart of Düsseldorf 's Altstadt (Old Town) and have excellent alt beers (the dark, slightly bitter brew which is typical of the Düsseldorf area and almost like a religion here). They also have a wide menu of regional and perfectly executed German delicacies, including the Schweinemett (raw pork) and Schnitzel. It's aways worth a visit while in Düsseldorf. Prices are very fair and the portions are super generous.

We stopped by for a quick beer on Sunday afternoon. There's some standing high top tables outside…read morealong with some picnic tables. Someone came by shortly after we got there and we were able to get beers right away. Definitely a great spot to visit on your Düsseldorf trip!

Good brewery, they have a nice pilsner as their main brew and a small variety of others (blonde,…read moreamber, raddler). Great space, both indoors and outdoors and perfect for group gatherings and events. The actual brewery is located across the street with options to take a tour. Food is solid as well with a selection of good appetizers, sandwiches, burger, pizza, and pies.

From the owner: Alfa Bier is een onafhankelijke Limburgse bierbrouwerij en familiebedrijf, gevestigd in Thull,…read moreSchinnen, ook wel bekend als de poort van het Zuid-Limburgse Heuvelland. Al vijf generaties lang wordt hier bier gebrouwen door de familie Meens, op traditionele wijze en met oog voor kwaliteit. Wat Alfa Bier bijzonder maakt, is de combinatie van een traditionele brouwmethode volgens het Reinheitsgebot en het gebruik van natuurzuiver bronwater uit eigen bron. Alfa Bier vernieuwt regelmatig, maar de traditionele brouwmethode uit het oprichtingsjaar van de brouwerij is onveranderd gebleven. Bovendien is de Alfa Bierbrouwerij de enige brouwerij in Nederland met een door de overheid gecertificeerde natuurzuivere waterbron. Het bronwater vormt sinds 1870 de basis voor alle Alfa Bieren. Eén van de bekendste is het Alfa Edel Pils, dat internationaal werd bekroond als Beste Pils ter Wereld door World Beer Awards. Alfa Bier levert aan horecazaken en winkels, en verzorgt ook bierleveringen voor evenementen. Daarnaast zijn er volop mogelijkheden om de brouwerij te bezoeken. Er worden brouwerij rondleidingen en proeverijen georganiseerd. En in het Alfa Brouwerijcafé kunnen bezoekers in een gemoedelijke sfeer genieten van streekgerechten en natuurlijk een goed glas bier.