Discover Belgium's culture of brewing and serving a variety of beers, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage
Learn about Belgium's rich culture of drinking and brewing beer.
© CCTV America (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
ELENA CASAS: The pouring technique, the right amount of foam, and even the shape of the glass used for each beer-- all these things here in Belgium are now part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
JEAN-LOUIS VAN DER PERRE: It's a kind of guarantee that it will be protected over time, and will be transferred from generation to generation. And it's great that UNESCO, a United Nation organization, recognize that. So this is fantastic news for Belgium. And all Belgians are proud today about their beers.
CASAS: Belgium has over 2,000 traditionally brewed beers, from sour lambic to fruity creek, and dark beers brewed by monks to light lagers. But the established names are now being challenged by startups.
The Brussels Beer Project was set up by two Belgian friends who developed a taste for craft beers when they lived in Canada. They raised money via crowdfunding, and opened in central Brussels a year ago. They're inspired by the hoppy IPAs made in American microbreweries. And they've tried everything from cocoa to stale baguettes in their brews.
OLIVIER DE BRAUWERE: I think Belgian people are a bit like French people with their wine. So we are extremely proud of the beers we have. But sometimes we lack a bit of curiosity. And I think we have a lot to learn also from what's happening outside Belgium, because breweries and consumers are very curious at trying to understand what they drink, how it's made. And this is happening now in Belgium.
I mean, we are all born with a beer. I think we have beer in the blood. But I think we need to stay curious and discover new stuff.
CASAS: Their experiments are going down well with locals and tourists.
CUSTOMER: The barman has given me lots of different beers to try. And I've chosen this grapefruit one. It's sweet, but it's got lots of character at the same time.
CASAS: The number of small breweries in Belgium has grown 50% in the last 10 years. So the traditionalists have UNESCO recognition. But they also have competition.
This is a a Christmasy pumpkin spice beer, a long way from traditional Belgian flavors. But brewers here hope the UNESCO designation will help attract new fans to both old and new Belgian beers. Cheers.
Elena Casas, CCTV. Brussels.
JEAN-LOUIS VAN DER PERRE: It's a kind of guarantee that it will be protected over time, and will be transferred from generation to generation. And it's great that UNESCO, a United Nation organization, recognize that. So this is fantastic news for Belgium. And all Belgians are proud today about their beers.
CASAS: Belgium has over 2,000 traditionally brewed beers, from sour lambic to fruity creek, and dark beers brewed by monks to light lagers. But the established names are now being challenged by startups.
The Brussels Beer Project was set up by two Belgian friends who developed a taste for craft beers when they lived in Canada. They raised money via crowdfunding, and opened in central Brussels a year ago. They're inspired by the hoppy IPAs made in American microbreweries. And they've tried everything from cocoa to stale baguettes in their brews.
OLIVIER DE BRAUWERE: I think Belgian people are a bit like French people with their wine. So we are extremely proud of the beers we have. But sometimes we lack a bit of curiosity. And I think we have a lot to learn also from what's happening outside Belgium, because breweries and consumers are very curious at trying to understand what they drink, how it's made. And this is happening now in Belgium.
I mean, we are all born with a beer. I think we have beer in the blood. But I think we need to stay curious and discover new stuff.
CASAS: Their experiments are going down well with locals and tourists.
CUSTOMER: The barman has given me lots of different beers to try. And I've chosen this grapefruit one. It's sweet, but it's got lots of character at the same time.
CASAS: The number of small breweries in Belgium has grown 50% in the last 10 years. So the traditionalists have UNESCO recognition. But they also have competition.
This is a a Christmasy pumpkin spice beer, a long way from traditional Belgian flavors. But brewers here hope the UNESCO designation will help attract new fans to both old and new Belgian beers. Cheers.
Elena Casas, CCTV. Brussels.