BRUZ BEERS TRAPPIST TOUR ITINERARY

BY BELGIAN BEER ME! BEER TOURS OF BELGIUM

TEN DAYS, NINE NIGHTS | ONE TOUR A YEAR
• OCT. 2-11, 2021 • only several seats remaining.

Welcome to this special edition of the famous Lonely Monks Trappist Tour, where Bruz Beers is partnering with Belgian Beer Me! Beer Tours of Belgium, to produce this eventful tour. Bruz Beers has two locations in Denver. While this is a special tour designed for the loyal customers of Bruz Beers, the tour is open to everyone. It begins in Brussels and ends in Mechelen. We plan to visit at least 18 brewery locations, and or taprooms, featuring prominently the eight Trappist ones: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Achel, Westmalle, Westvleteren, La Trappe and Zundert. We will also visit Cantillon, Rodenbach, de Halve Maan, Bourgogne des Flandres,  des Fagnes, Inter-Pol, Achouffe, Achouffe (gift shop) and Het Anker. 

 We will be staying in Brussels, Bruges, Mont, Tilburg (Netherlands) and Mechelen. Included are all brewery visits, museum visits, hotels, canal boat tour, ground transportation by luxury coach, all breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners. Beer is included during group meals (aka, company meals) and brewery tours, but not informal pub crawls or café visits. The tour does not include airfare or airport transfers.

 Saturday, Oct. 2 • Brussels  This incredible tour begins in the lobby our our hotel in the capital city of Brussels, where we’ll tour the hallowed halls of Cantillon Brewery. This family owned lambic brewery is steeped in tradition and has remained virtually unchanged since it was founded in 1900. This evening, we’ll enjoy our welcome dinner. Evening is on your own to explore the beer cafes of Brussels. (Travelers are encouraged to arrive two days prior the tour to allow for delays and to adjust to the time change). (Dinner #1)

Sunday, Oct. 3 • Brussels This morning we visit a famous local flea market and a famous, if not scruffy, lambic cafe, known mostly to locals. The fun thing about Belgian flea markets is you see everything and much of it is hundreds of years old. This afternoon we’ll have a short walking tour of the city, followed by more free time. We’ll visit the world-reknown Grand Place, which Beer Author Tim Webb of Good Beer Guide Belgium so deftly describes its wow factor as, “...unquestionably one of the world’s finest places for making you feel as though it’s all been worth it.”  He astutely paints a vivid picture of Brussels as, “…every city on earth, unedited and confused, all rolled into one. The whole of modern life is to be found here somewhere, usually unshaven.”  (Breakfast)

Monday, Oct. 4 • Bruges  This morning we visit the famous Rodenbach Brewery, where we’ll have a tour and a tasting amongst the foeder forest, the largest collection of foeders in the world. These large oak vats are where the magic happens and these illustrious Flemish red ales are created. Rodenbach is one of the most unique and impressive breweries in the world and you’ll get to experience is up close and personal. Then it’s on to Trappist Westvleteren for lunch, and to indulge in their famous, exquisite and rare beers. The abbey and brewery are not open to the general public, however, we will be able to see the exterior and if we are lucky buy some beer to go in their gift shop. Next stop is Siphon Brewing. It represents the emerging craft brewing revolution in Belgium and is where Old World meets New World brewing. In 2017, Ratebeer awarded it the Best New Brewery in Belgium. Afterward continue on to Bruges, our home for two nights. Evening is on your own to explore some of the most interesting beer cafés in the city. (Breakfast)

Tuesday, Oct. 5 • Bruges  This morning we’ll tour and have lunch at de Halve Maan Brewery, brewers of Zot, and  Straffe Hendrik Tripel and Tripel Wild. Then we’ll take a canal boat ride and learn more about the history of Bruges. It will be followed by a short walking tour to show you the center of the Old Town and give you the lay of the land so you are comfortable exploring on your own. This afternoon and evening, you’ll have some more free time to take in the many sites of Bruges, rent a bike, take a carriage ride, visit museums, or just people watch, while savoring a Belgian beer in a sidewalk café. As a suggestion, visit  Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery, enjoy their fine mixed fermentation ales. Dinner is on your own in one of Bruge’s many romantic and cozy restaurants. See which one speaks to you and enjoy!  (Breakfast & Lunch #1)

 Wednesday, Oct. 6 • Mont  We depart Bruges and enjoy lunch at Brasserie des Fagnes. You may have never heard of this regional brewery, but you will soon be a fan. Then it’s on to  Chimay for a  tour of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont grounds and the cemetery, followed by a beer tasting. Through an inside connection, we may be able to have a tour of the brewery, the barrel room and the vintage cellar of aged Chimay beers. This will depend on the brewery’s ability to accommodate us as they do not offer tours on a regular basis to the general public. Note at press time, we are optimistic about this brewery tour, but cannot guarantee it. At the very least, we’ll be able to visit Chimay brewery taproom, Auberge de Poteaupre, featuring cheese from the Abbey and of course the entire lineup of Chimay ales. The company buys the beer at Chimay. Next, we transfer to Rochefort to take a look inside the church and at the exterior of the majestic abbey, which is not open to the public. From there we drive to the scenic village of Achouffe, where we will have a company dinner at a cafe owned by Brasserie d’ Achouffe and featuring their full line of beers. Afterward, we continue on to nearby Mont, where we will be staying for the next two nights at some rustic stone farmhouse inns, typical of the this Aredennes Mountain region. We’ll also visit the nano Brewery Inter-Pol and its taproom, Aux Grand Cafe. It’s the cutest little cafe (man/woman cave) you’ve ever seen. (Breakfast & Dinner #2) 

 Thursday, Oct. 7 • Mont  This morning we journey through the scenic Ardennes Mountains to Trappist Orval for a brewery tour, to tour the ruins of the old abbey and see the exterior of the new one. Only through special connections are we being granted this tour.  Lunch will be at the Guardian Angel Taproom. This evening, we enjoy a home-cooked company dinner at one of our inns where we’re staying. (Breakfast, Lunch #2 & Dinner #3) 

 Friday, Oct. 8 • Tilburg, Netherlands: – Morning begins with a visit the Chouffe Shop, the gift shop of Brasserie d’Achouffe. Then, we head north to  Trappist Achel Brewery at the St. Benedictus Abbey for lunch and to enjoy their famous bruin ale. This will be followed by a special guided insider tour of the Abbey, where you’ll learn about its fascinating history. Next we travel to Tilburg, Netherlands, where we will spend one night. Here we’ll have a tour and tasting at Trappist La Trappe Brewery at the Abbey of Our Lady of Koningshoeven. Dinner and evening is on your own in beautiful Tilburg.  (Breakfast)

 Saturday, Oct. 9 • Mechelen, Belgium   This morning we visit  Trappist Zundert (De Kievit Brewery) at Abbey Maria Toevlucht (Our Lady of Refuge Abbey), one of the newest Trappist breweries, to see the exterior of the Abbey.  We’ll enjoy a company lunch at the nearby cafe, which serves as the unofficial taproom for the abbey. This family run cafe will delight. We’ll also have a special billiards demonstration by champion Louis Havermans. Louis, was one of the world’s top-rated players in the 90s. Louis and his family own and run the cafe. From there, we drive south back into Belgium to visit the Trappist Abbey of  Westmalle brewery tap Café Trappisten, where we’ll enjoy their superb beers. You’ll experience all the Westmalle beers as fresh to the source as possible. They are most famous for their Tripel, which is the benchmark of the style used by beer judges around the globe. Westmalle Extra is the lower-alcohol session beer of the monks and available only here and on special request because of our relationship with the cafe. They also have a great short film about Westmalle, narrated by a guy, who puts James Earl Jones to shame.  Listen for my favorite line in it, “At Westmalle, time is a reluctant servant...”  Across the street, we will see the beautiful exterior of the Abbey and its spectacular tree-lined driveway.  Afterward, transfer to Mechelen, where we’ll be staying within walking distance to Het Anker Brewery. Dinner and evening are on your own in Mechelen. The Mechelen Beer Festival will be taking place in the Grote Markt all this weekend and this will be a perfect opportunity to sample a wide range of beers. (Breakfast & Lunch #3)

 Sunday, Oct. 10 • Mechelen, Belgium  Mechelen is the perfect city in which to spend our last nights. It’s an attractive, but much more intimate, historic city than Brussels.  This morning we’ll have a short walking tour to get you acclimated to the town, then you will have most of today to explore it on your own. I suggest packing a couple cold beers in your BBM! cooler (and a glass) and climbing to the top of the tower of the cathedral. From the modern observation deck, the view is outstanding and on a clear day you can see both Antwerp and Brussels. Also, there is a regular brewery tour at Het Anker you may join on your own if you choose. You can try all their beers at the Het Anker Café without taking tour, too. You’ll have time on your own to take another crack at the Mechelen Beer Festival, too. Dinner is on your own. I suggest the brewery taproom Het Anker Café featuring the mind-blowing Goudon Carolus beers. This evening, we meet for our Farewell Beer session. By now everyone will be “beer heavy” and need to jettison some beer before heading to the airport, so bring a glass and your extra beer, and let’s share some memories of this grand tour as it comes to a close! (Breakfast)

Monday, Oct. 11 – Breakfast concludes this most memorable and satisfying Bruz Beers Trappist Tour. Rail service between Mechelen and the Brussels International Airport is frequent and 20 minutes or less.  (Breakfast)

* This itinerary is subject to change

TOUR INCLUDES

• Nine nights accommodations in nice, friendly, centrally-located hotels often in the old town section of the city and some in bucolic rural settings.

• All breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners with gratuities.

• Beer during brewery tours, taproom visits, festivals and company meals as listed on the itinerary.

• Ground transportation via private luxury coach with professional driver. Leave the driving to us!

• Professional and courteous BBM! guide services.

• All tours and admissions.

• An instant group of interesting and fun, beer-loving friends you haven’t met yet.

• Plenty of unstructured free time to relax, shop and explore on your own.

• Custom BBM! name badges.

• Souvenir BBM! luggage tags

• One souvenir BBM! soft-sided cooler per household.

• Flexibility in the event you need to transfer or cancel your tour.

NOT INCLUDED

• Airfare

• Airport transfers.

• Some meals and beer on your own.

• Free-time sightseeing. Our guides are available to provide suggestions.

• Fine Print: You are responsible for the costs of your free-time sightseeing. Be sure to read our Terms & Conditions Agreement for important details.

• Gratuities, at your discretion, for brewery tour guides and coach drivers.

BRUZ BEERS TRAPPIST TOUR COST

Deadline to sign up is Sept. 1, or when the maximum of 34 people is met.

$3195/per person + Air, $575 single supplement*

* Prices based on double room occupancy.  If you are a solo traveler and would like to have a private room all to yourself there is a single supplement fee of $575 in addition to the base price of $3195 per person. We can also work with you to pair you with other single travelers to avoid the single supplement. Better yet, recruit a friend to come, too! Unless, of course, like Rick Steves says, you prefer to “snore alone.”

Bruz Beers is Denver’s artisanal brewery dedicated to brewing traditional Belgian-style beers and innovative Belgian-inspired brews. 

The Belgian passion for breaking the rules to produce truly adventurous brews inspired us to open Bruz Beers in America's craft beer capitol. From traditional Belgian styles to innovative Belgian-inspired creations, Bruz Beers is bringing a passion for excellence to Colorado with two locations in Midtown and on Colfax.

We invite you to join Bruz Beers owner Ryan Evans, and brewers Charlie Gottenkieny and Dave Olson on this special tour.

Cheers from Bruz!

Ryan Evans, Right: Charlie Gottenkieny, Dave Olson and Cooper (Brew dog)