Westvleteren: In De Vrede Cafe

In De Vrede Cafe: Westvleteren, Belgium (2005)

This is the home of the most elusive of the Trappist beers: Westvleteren 6, 8 and 12. Set in the far western part of Flanders, the abbey and adjoining brewpub are well worth the trouble to visit, not only to sample the world-class beers, but to see typical rural Belgium.

The trip from Brussels to Westvleteren is best done by a GPS-equipped vehicle, or get a *good* map of West Flanders if your vehicle doesn’t have GPS. Since the abbey is quite far from the nearest beaten path, there are few train or bus options that won’t consume the better part of your day. If you are a cyclist, the nearby countryside is quite flat and ideal for making the trip on bike (we saw a group of septuagenarians pedal their way to and from lunch at the cafe).

Four this trip, our station wagon was GPS-enabled, which helped us cope with the last 5 kilometers of quick turns on one lane roads (and tractor paths!) that led us to In De Vrede. Plan on an 75 minute or so drive from Brussels to the abbey.

The Best Beer in the World

There is an adage in brewing circles that beer tastes best the closer you are to its source. Our experience at In De Vrede certainly bore that out. I ordered the blond (6), and my friends ordered the quadrupel (12). Both beers were served from bottles (they do not serve draft) in proper glassware and perfect temperature. The blond was surprisingly crisp and hoppy — not something you expect from a Belgian brewer. It was a refreshing accompaniment to the “Croque Hawaii” sandwich I had for lunch. The quadruple — the legendary Westy 12 — did not disappoint either. Dark and luscious, it lived up to the hype that surrounds this beer back in the US. At over 10% abv, I thought it was almost too much to have with the lighter lunch fare that is offered at the Cafe. Looking around the restaurant, it did not seem to deter many people from trying it.

Taking Home the Best Beer in the World

There are two ways to get your own Westvleteren beers for at-home consumption: buy them by the 6-pack at the Cafe, or try the drive-through sales booth around the corner for Westy by the case. There is a hotline — +32 (0)57 40 10 57 — that will let you know what beers are available that day for purchase (assuming you understand Flemish — there is no English translation).

The day I was there was unlucky for me — the 6 was the only beer available for take-away sales at either location. Apparently, the previous weekend was close to a national holiday (All Saints Day), so loads of tourists took advantage of the long weekend to buy up all the available stock of the 8 and 12.

The prices are very reasonable, considering these beers have such notoriety. By the 24-bottle case, the 6 would have set me back 25 Euros (plus deposit), and the 6-packs in the Cafe were just over 7 Euros. The Cafe is a little more expensive per bottle, but you also have the option of buying only 6 beers at a time, rather than a full case of 24 bottles. For suitcase-bound travelers, the sixers are a more packable option.

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