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In Belgium today there are 125 breweries which are able to produce 500 different kinds of Belgian Beer. Beer has been brewed in Belgium since the Middle Ages when originally it was produced in monasteries only. However today this is a country where the most varieties of beer are brewed and can be drunk.

The alcohol content of these beers is much higher than many other varieties from around Europe and some have a content as high as between 6 and 8 per cent. The reason for this being that a law was brought into force which prohibited the sales of spirits in public houses. At the time beer was classified as being a spirit and to get round this law breweries increased the alcohol content in them. However, this law was then lifted in 1983.

As we have already mentioned there are 500 different kinds of Belgian beer being brewed in Belgium today and they fall into a number of different categories. In this article we take a look at what these different types of beer are.

Trappist Beer - Only a beer where the brewing process has been overseen or carried out by the Trappist monks living in one of 6 monasteries in Belgium can be classified as this type of beer. Each bottle of beer after it has been produced will carry on it the Trappist Product label that clearly identifies that the monastery where it has been brewed have complied with particular laws that are laid down by the International Trappist Association.

Lambic Beer - This beer is unique to Belgium and produced through the spontaneous fermentation of wild yeasts and which grows in abundance near the country?s capital Brussels. The actual fermentation process of this particular form of Belgian beer can take a considerable period of time. Some beers their fermentation period is 3 to 6 months, and for others the period is between 2 and 3 years.

The fermentation process used to make this type of Belgian beer provides it with a very distinctive flavor and is not to everyone’s tastes. The problem is that the beer can taste dry, cidery and vinous and this results in a sour aftertaste when drunk.

Fruit Beers - These beers are a variation of the Lambic beers and are made through adding either fresh fruit or fruit concentrate to the Lambic. The most commonly produced one is known as Kriek which is made using cherries but there are plenty of others made using fruits such as peaches, blackcurrants or raspberries. The fruit when added to the Lambic beer causes a second fermentation process to take place in the beer.

White Beer - This is the final Belgian beer we are going to be looking at and is made with wheat hops and also contains spices. Most of these beers are generally made using orange peel and coriander in them but dependent upon the brewing method used and what ingredients are included within the process the various different types of white beer have their own distinctive flavors.