A crate of the famed Trappist Westvleteren 12 and blond beers (Tim W.)
It’s my spouse’s birthday coming up, and what better gift for someone who enjoys beer than a case of Trappist Westvleteren 12, “The Best Beer in the World?”
A map of where to find Trappist beer in Belgium and across Europe (Katie Wells)
Brewed by the monks of the Saint-Sixtus Abbey, Westvletern in Belgium, this beer is a smooth, full-bodied dark amber with notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts and raisin. It is fermented twice for a refined flavor and is considered a rarity. Lucky for me, it is an easy 90-minute day trip from Chièvres Air Base, plus there is a restaurant for a rest stop.
I conspired with a friend to order the beer for my spouse’s birthday festivities, and a week later, we waited eagerly for the online queue to open. The Trappist monks brew a limited supply each year. We placed our order and selected our pick-up time for the upcoming week.
Saint-Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren, Belgium (Katie Wells )
Upon arrival, we followed the signs to the pick-up area, which operates like a drive-through. We waited for the light system to turn green before pulling up to a station where a monk confirmed our order’s QR code. Then, he loaded our trunk with the wooden crates of beer.
After our success, we parked nearby and visited the restaurant, In de Vrede, for a Mazarinetaart, a local warm pastry served with vanilla ice cream, and a glass of the famed beer. We concurred that our beer purchase was indeed a good decision.
A glass of Trappist Westvleteren Blond with a Mazarinetaart (Mandy Mills)
On the way out, we stopped at a gift shop selling other products produced by the monastery and region like honey, hats and gin. I enjoyed a drop of the honey in my morning coffee long after the trip.
A regional shop is located in the visitor center and restaurant near Saint-Sixtus Abbey (Katie Wells)
While the process is fairly simple, here are some tips on how to order and pick up your own holy grail of brews:
You must register at trappistwestvleteren.be and make an account to place an order.
There will be an additional deposit fee on the bottles and crates due with the online payment, which you can return for reimbursement.
One order per vehicle is allowed per day.
You can select up to four crates per type of brew, and a maximum of eight crates of various types of beer are allowed per vehicle.
Check the schedule on the website to ensure pickup is available on the day you will be traveling.
Pick-up times are typically between 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. on select days.
Once on-site, photos and videos in the pick-up area are not permitted.
Go in with a friend. We each bought a crate of 24 and mixed and matched based on preferences. We got the Westvleteren 12 and the Blond. Both were Belgian liquid gold.
Make time to stop at the restaurant and regional shop.
Home delivery is possible only in Belgium.
