The Duvels, Kwaks, Draaks and Great Zythos Beer Festival Tour
Feb. 28—March 9, 2009

To Beer Tours of Belgium

This tour derives its name from some of the beers made by the breweries and places we will visit, and of course, the Zythos Beer Festival (ZBF). For this special tour on day six, we join forces with renowned beer author, Belgian beer expert and beer tour guide, Chris Pollard, better known in beer circles as “Podge.” From England, and easily recognizable in his signature Hawaiian shirts, Podge is the author of “Around Bruges in 80 Beers” and “Lambicland,” considered to be the ultimate book on lambics. He is also a significant contributing writer to Tim Webb’s “Great Beer Guide to Belgium.” We are indeed fortunate to be able travel with and experience Belgium with this beer legend. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people. On the final four days of our tour, we will board Podge’s coach with his British beer enthusiasts, tour some breweries, participate in the famous Night of the Great Thirst Lambic Festival and then the world-famous ZBF.

This is the Grand Daddy of ‘em all. Nowhere near the scale of Octoberfest, it is a much more intimate and personal beer festival where many of Belgium’s diverse, unique and delicious beers and their brewers come together in one place! This ten-day, nine-night tour includes all breakfasts, some dinners and lunches (tbd). Low winter transatlantic airfares make this tour even more attractive.

Deadline to sign up is Jan. 28, 2009.

$2795 land only, $495 single supplement.
$100 discount if you sign up before Aug. 28, 2009.

Itinerary is as follows:

• Friday, Feb. 27--Depart United States to Brussels International Airport (BRU). Meals and overnight aloft.
  
  
• Saturday, Feb. 28--Arrive in Brussels mid morning. At the airport, we will meet at a designated location and time, from which we will board our coach, and exit the hustle and bustle of Brussels to the nearby historic city Aalst, where we will stay in the luxurious, four-star Hotel Keizerhof in the city center. (Can you say trouser press?) This will be our base for the next two nights as we tour the region. Aalst is charming, historic, walkable and full of warm and cozy beer cafe’s and restaurants. On the way to Aalst, we will visit the Duvel Moortgat brewery in Breendonk, where we will take a tour and sample some beers in the brand-new Duvel Depot and the more traditional Brouwershuis. Tonight we dine together in Aalst. Our welcome dinner together will be at the famous Den Refuge in Aalst featuring traditional Flemish cuisine. (Lunch, Dinner)
  
  
• Sunday, March 1--Morning is free to explore Aalst. After lunch, lunch on your own, we take a day trip aboard our coach to the Bosteels Brewery in Buggenhout, home of Kwak and Tripel Karmeliet. We will take a tour followed by snacks and beer in their beautiful hospitality room. This evening you will be on your own to explore beautiful Aalst and have dinner. (Breakfast)
  
  
• Monday, March 2--After breakfast, we say goodbye to Aalst, and aboard our coach, we travel to the romantic, medieval city of Bruges. On the way, we will visit Vansteenberge Brewery in Ertvelde, home of many great beers, including Piraat (Pirate) and Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon). Here we will tour the brewery and sample some beers in their historic tasting room. For the next three nights, we will be staying at the beautiful and inviting Hotel Salvator, featuring old-world woodwork, beams and stained glass, with its own beer cafe, and huge, warm fireplace surrounded by inviting couches. We will be just minutes from the main Market Square, dozens of great restaurants and beer cafe’s. Being in Bruges is like living in a scenic postcard. Every direction you look, is a remarkable photo opportunity. We will base here for the next three nights. As Podge says, “You cannot spend too much time in Bruges.” Tonight we will dine together at the Erasmus Restaurant, famous for its beer cuisine, more than 120 beers, modern decor, all to the backdrop of soothing classical music. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  
  
• Tuesday, March 3--You will have the morning free to sleep in or enjoy the sights of Bruges. You are on your own for lunch, then we meet to take a canal boat tour, then a historic walking tour of the Halve Maan Brewery, brewers of Zot. You will be on your own for dinner. Choosing which great restaurant to eat at is half the fun. (Breakfast)
  
  
• Wednesday, March 4--You will have a free day in Bruges to explore, discover, shop, eat, drink and be amazed. This is a day of rest, which after our busy schedule thus far, will be welcomed. We will meet after dinner on your own, for an informal tour of several of Bruge’s famous beer cafes. (Breakfast)
  
  
• Thursday, March 5--We check out of our hotel and join with Podge’s beer tour, visit De Ryck Brewery in Herzele, then journey to the university town of Leuven and Hotel Novotel, southeast of Brussels, which will be our base for the next four nights. Podge’s coach en route from England will pick us up in Bruges. I like to call the segment of the excursion the “British Equation Tour,” as you will meet and make some new beer friends from England, as well as the famous and likable Podge, in his ever-present Hawaiian shirts! Tonight Podge leads us on an informal “pub crawl” of Leuven. This is going to be a lot of fun and a profound experience you will find nowhere else in the world! (Breakfast)
  
  
• Friday, March 6--Today we visit Malheur Brewery in Buggenhout, and then attend the “Night of the Great Thirst Lambic Festival” in Eizeringen. This is held inside and out of the famous lambic cafe intriguingly called, “The Insurance Against the Great Thirst,” which is typically only open on Sundays from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., on holidays and after funerals (it’s across from a church). Here you will become an expert on lambics, geuzes and faros, and experience their unique flavors. If you don’t know what those spontaneously fermented beers are, don’t worry. It will be all part of the fun of learning about Belgian beer. If you are familiar with these beers, you know what a treat you are about to experience. This festival is very, very unique to Belgium and is a very, very rare opportunity to experience so many lambics in one incredible, historic location. Back to Leuven tonight. (Breakfast)
  
  
• Saturday, March 7--Today we travel to Sint Nicholas, just west of Antwerp, for the Zthyos Beer Festival (ZBF). This is where all your training, hard work and discipline from the previous week pays off. You will be knowledgeable and confident in ordering and tasting the many, many different, unique and rare beers at ZBF. Here, you will have the opportunity to meet the brewers and experience their hard work. You will taste many beers that you have not only never had before, but will have never heard of and simply are not available in the United States. (Breakfast)
  
  
• Sunday, March 8--We board the coach for our final day with Podge and our new British friends to visit a brewery (TBD), after which we will be dropped off in Ghent to tour the city and explore the its famous beer cafes. We say goodbye and thank you to Podge and company, who will be returning home to England. Those of us remaining will have our farewell dinner at the famous and rustic Hopduvel Cafe in Ghent. That evening we will travel by train back to Leuven for our final night. (Breakfast, dinner)
  
  
• Monday, March 9--Depart Belgium. Brussells airport is easily reached from Leuven by rail or taxi, or bus, all of which can be arranged from our hotel. Tip: Book your departing flights for the afternoon, so you can sleep in, then take your time getting to the airport. Or, stay in Europe longer and continue on with your own journey. You are a quick train ride to Paris and Amsterdam. (Breakfast)

(Hotels, breweries visited subject to change depending on availability, detours and acts of God).