Food & Beer Culture

West Flanders is home to the estaminet, the simple village pub with wooden tables where beer and food naturally belong together. There, you order a dish every Fleming knows: Vlaamse stoverij, slow-braised beef cooked with beer.

Why does Flanders Red pair so well with this braised dish? The acidity cuts through the fat, and the malt's sweetness harmonizes with the sauce. In the kitchen, the beer stands in for wine or vinegar; many recipes call for a dark Flemish beer with acidity, and Flanders Red fits the bill perfectly.

Frites belong alongside it, which Belgians eat with mayonnaise. Fried in beef fat, they're crisp outside, soft inside, and the beer rinses the fat from the palate. A Brugse Zot Blond pairs just as well, especially alongside meatballs or sausages on the plate.

Along the coast, mussels and North Sea crab join the mix. A tart beer acts there like a squeeze of lemon, keeping the flavor crisp. For dessert, a Flanders Red also pairs nicely with dark chocolate or cherry cake.

The same principle applies when cooking with beer: acidity needs a counterpart. A spoonful of apple syrup or an onion slowly browned in butter takes the edge off the sauce. If you like, drink the beer alongside the dish afterward—it ties sauce and glass together into one flavor.

In Bruges, people sit along the canal; in Kortrijk, on the market square; and in Roeselare, in one of the brasseries around the Grote Markt. Drinking happens slowly, in small glasses, and almost always with something to eat. A beer that's aged for two years doesn't tolerate haste.