Food & Beer Culture

In the Westhoek, people eat what grows in the fields, and in spring that means hopscheuten. The young hop shoots are cooked and traditionally served with egg and butter, delicate and faintly bitter. A Tripel or Blond pairs well, as the vegetable's subtle bitterness meets the beer's spice.

Winter calls for stoverij, a slow-braised beef stew made with beer. The sweetness of the candi sugar in the beer echoes in the sauce, and a dark Belgian Dark Strong Ale in the glass offsets the richness of the meat.

Central to the beer culture is the estaminet, the cozy tavern with a long bar and a short menu. Across from the abbey in Westvleteren sits Café In de Vrede, where visitors drink the beer right at the source. A cool terrace overlooking the fields is the ritual here.

Poperinge also carries history beyond its beer. During the First World War, the town remained largely unoccupied, lying just a few kilometers behind the front line at Ypres. In December 1915, Chaplain Philip "Tubby" Clayton set up Talbot House there, a place where British soldiers found tea, books, and a chapel in the hop loft. Visitors to the war graves today often stop here too.

At festival time, the Hommelfeesten bring the whole town to life every three years. Even there, though, a single beer in the glass remains a moment to savor, not a competition.