Belgium is a small country sometimes overlooked when planning a European adventure, but if you are a beer lover you absolutely cannot miss it!

I recommend staying in Brussels and taking day trips to Ghent and Bruges. Eat a Belgian waffle with chocolate. Or 8. We're not here to judge.

Brussels:

The capital city of Belgium, Brussels is surprisingly tiny. You can walk the entire city center in probably 30 minutes. The gold shrine buildings make your adventures very pleasing to the eye. The city is very difficult to navigate with curving streets that go every which way, so be warned! I walked in approximately 15 circles.

Adventures & Ales Top Brussels Recommendations:

Cantillon Brewery Tour: historic brewery making traditional lambic beers. A tour comes with tastings and a semi-guided tour of the facilities.
Moeder Lambic Brewery: just outside the main center of the city, Moeder has a huge patio, delicious food and incredible beer.
Palace Square: incredibly beautiful and the center of the city, this square is filled with gold encrusted buildings and historic architecture.
Delirium Campus: so. many. beers. The Delirium Campus is famous for it's vast array of beers from across the world. It is 8 beer bars all in one area where you can get a sample or the largest beer I've ever seen.

Other Things to do in Brussels:

Beer Museum: conveniently located right inside the Palace Square, the Beer Museum is popular with tourists. You can check out the "museum" which is really just a video and a couple posters and the drink a beer.
Mannekin Pis: the famous statue of the little boy peeing. He gets his costume changed frequently. Very strange little thing to be so famous.

Ghent:

A cute little Gothic-style town outside of Brussels filled with cafes and historic buildings.

Adventures & Ales Top Ghent Recommendations:

Graffiti Street: exactly as it sounds--a street covered in graffiti. Very cool looking
Meander the streets: the Gothic architecture and canal make for a beautiful city to just wander around by foot
Check out the castle, the churches, and the Town Hall

Bruges:

Also a cute small town outside of Brussels, Bruges is definitely the more common destination for tourists. Overall it was too touristy for me, but still cute and they have some good beer!

Adventures & Ales Top Bruges Recommendations:

De Halve Maan Brewery: solid beer, cool courtyard
Bourgogne de Flandres Brewery: right on the canal, solid beers here as well (better than De Halve Maan in my opinion)
Minnewater lake and park: a beautiful area to soak in some nature after a couple beers!

Other Things to do in Bruges:

Belfry Tower: the icon of Bruges, you gotta see it if you are in Bruges!
The Markt: the center of the city, not actually a market as the title would seem. Belfry Tower is on one edge of the square
Wall of Beers: literally a wall of beers. Near Bourgogne de Flandres so it is a quick stop if you visit the brewery.

The Best US Cities for Beer Vacations:

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond has a ton of breweries and some that are truly fantastic. Scott’s Addition itself is jam packed with breweries but the rest of RVA has some great beers to offer as well. Highlights here include Triple Crossing, The Veil, The Answer and Tabol for breweries and Mekong for a great beer bar. Check out my Richmond beer and travel guide here.

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville has long been deemed one of the best beer cities in the country, so it is no surprise that I would agree. This picturesque city is home to some huge breweries like Sierra Nevada, Highland, and New Belgium, but also more localized spots like Burial, Dssolvr, Zillicoah, and New Origin. Don’t miss The Whale for a great beer bar! Check out my Asheville beer and travel guide here.

Denver, Colorado

Of course Denver is on the list. With superb breweries like Cerebral, Bierstadt, Our Mutual Friend, and TRVE it’s hard to beat the brew scene here. Pair that with everything else the city has to offer and the surrounding scenery and you’re absolutely in for a good time. Check out my Colorado beer and travel guide here.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

As a Michigander this addition should be no surprise, but it’s not just me and my home state biases—Grand Rapids is constantly in the running for any “beer city” competition. Don’t miss Speciation Artisan Ales, Arvon, and City Built for breweries and for Seven Monks for a beer bar. The city is exploding with breweries to explore. Check out my Grand Rapids beer and travel guide here.

New York City, New York

I’m sure most “normal people” wouldn’t think of New York as a hub for craft beer, but the city that never sleeps is indeed a great spot for craft beer lovers. The beer bar scene here tends to shine brightest with spots like Torst, Beer Street, and Proletariat, while breweries such as Other Half, Fifth Hammer, and Evil Twin absolutely crush it. Check out my NYC beer and travel guide here.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has a wide array of breweries throughout their many neighborhoods and suburbs. Heavy hitters include Maplewood, More, Mikerphone and Revolution, plus don’t miss Phase Three in the northern suburb of Lake Zurich. Check out my Chicago beer and travel guide here.

The Twin Cities, Minnesota

The Twin Cities are exploding with breweries! Highlights include BlackStack, Barrel Theory, Fair State, Modist, and Falling Knife. The beer scene here tends to be somewhat IPA heavy, but the beers are superb and there are plenty of spots to explore. Check out my Minneapolis and St. Paul beer and travel guide here.

Portland, Maine

We all know New England is chock full of great breweries and particularly Hazy IPAs, but Portland’s beer scene is unmatched. With OG spots like Allagash, Maine Beer Company, and Oxbow alongside newer (and hazier) breweries like Mast Landing, Belleflower, and Bissell Brothers, you can find an absolutely superb beer of any style. Don’t miss the killer beer bar Novare Res Bier Cafe as well! Check out my Portland beer and travel guide here.

Los Angeles, California

LA might not seem like a great beer city at first glance but this sprawling metro is home to some of the country’s best breweries. LA’s southern neighbor San Diego gets all of the praise for craft beer, but LA’s scene is far superior. Monkish, Bottle Logic, Green Cheek, Homage, and Highland Park all call LA home, along with a ton of other great spots. Windsor Home Brew is a fantastic beer bar and bottle shop that is not to be missed either. Check out my LA beer and travel guide here.

Portland, Oregon

Portland’s beer scene has been exploding for decades. The city is overflowing with breweries and it seems a new one opens almost weekly at this point. There are some solid spots in PDX, and topping the list are Great Notion, Cascade, Ruse, and Wayfinder. Check out my Portland beer and travel guide here.

Charlotte, NC

I wouldn’t live in Charlotte if I didn’t think the beer scene here was superb! There are a ton of breweries in the city, but Resident Culture, Burial, HopFly, and Fonta Flora top the list. CLT is also home to some fantastic beer bars—Salud and Pop The Top should not be missed. Check out my Charlotte guide here.

Tampa, Florida

Tampa absolutely crushes the dark beer game. There are a lot of breweries that make great other styles of beer, but if your a Stout person Tampa is for you! Brewery highlights include Angry Chair, BarrieHaus, Woven Water, and Magnanimous. Check out my Tampa beer and travel guide here. Neighboring St. Pete is also full of great spots!

Notable Mentions:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—Check out my Philly beer and travel guide here! I am excited to be back in May 2024!

Burlington, Vermont—This is the one beer city that I believe will be stupendous that I have not yet visited, but I do think it is probably one of the best cities for a beer vacation. My plans to visit have been foiled numerous times now, but I will finally be there in June 2024!

The Best Cities Abroad for Beer Vacations:

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a gorgeous city with a booming beer scene, especially for Oceania. Stomping Ground, Fixation, Mood Dog, and Mountain Goat are the best of the best here, but there are a ton of spots to visit. Check out my Melbourne beer and travel guide here.

Munich, Germany

Is it possible to think of “beer cities” and not think of Germany? Munich is home to some classic gems like Augustiner Keller, Lowenbrau, Hofbrauhaus, and Paulaner. Pair a cold mug from any of their breweries with a pretzel or sausage and it’s impossible to have a bad time. Check out my Munich beer and travel guide here.

Brussels, Belgium

Another classic beer city! Personally I think the not-so-classic Belgian beers here outperform the dubbels and tripels. Cantillon is obviously the top choice here, but Moeder Lambic and Delirium should not be missed either! Check out my Belgium beer and travel guide here.

Wellington, New Zealand

My beer expectations for New Zealand were low, but the country as a whole is making some killer beers. Wellington in particular has a stand out beer scene. It is home to Garage Project, the country’s best brewery hands down, but Parrotdog is also a must-visit. Check out my North Island beer and travel guide here.