Belgian beer, Belgium, Belgian beer glasses, Beer Travel, Global Beer Network

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Planes! Trains and Automobiles! Welcome to the Global Beer Network Fun and Beer Tour 2010!!! The tour participants came from New Hampshire, Massachusetts,Pennsylvania, Canada, Kansas, and California. We were a group of ten but it was still a fun and interesting bunch of people. There was Jef and Sharon from Kansas who are both pharmacists. Ben and Donna were from Canada and they were also pharmacists.The kitchen manager (Dennis) and the general manager (Gino) from Sharp Edge in Sewickley, Pennsylvania joined us. There was also Ken and Matt from Silverado Brewing Company in California. Finally, two of the Global Beer Network crew (Marissa-Graphic Designer and Cassandra- Administrative Assistant) was onboard for the tour.

We arrived in Brussels on Sunday September 12th, 2010 at 4pm., we met Regnier (our tour guide) at our first hotel (Hotel Novotel) in their bar. The tour was kicked off by enjoying our first beer and getting to know one another.

After meeting everyone, we went on a sightseeing tour. The first stop was The Atomium. (http://atomium.be/) It was presented at the World Fair of Brussels in 1958. It consists of nine spheres and stands at 334.65 feet and is just a spectacular site to look at. The Atomium also has a hotel inside of it. The next stop on our tour was the The Cinquantenaire Park Monument. The Monument commenrates Belgium's 50th Anniversary of their Independence. We took some pictures of it and then hopped back on the bus. We also drove past the Royal Palace.

After the sightseeing tour, we walked to to the Grand Place and had dinner at the La Rose Blanche Restaurant. Our first dinner was fun and a delicious one.

Aperitief Beer: Brugs with Black Currants

First Course: Salad with goat cheese over toast drizzled with Balasmic dressing
Beer: Brugs

Second Course: Salmon with rice and vegetables.
Beer: Grimbergen Dubble

Third Course: Belgian Waffle with whip cream and cherry sauce with whole cherries in it.
Beer: Morte Subite Cherry Beer Beer

After the dinner, there were some of us that were sill awake enough to go on a pubcrawl. The Hotel was within walking distance for those who were too tired.However, the nightowls of the group got to see the Mannekin Pis statue. Then we crawled to “Poesjenellekelder” Bar, a former puppet theater now beer bar with an excellent choice of beer, also to “ A la Mort Subite” Bar meaning "At the Sudden Death"-- a former lambic brewery located next to an undertaker, hence the appropriate name and “The Delriium Cafe” Bar. We headed back to the hotel after our pubcrawl and tried to get a goodnight's sleep!!!

Day Two