Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.36/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3

Easter Monday 2001 was spent in Wallonia. After a trip to the Vervifontaine Brewery in the morning, and a spot of lunch at the Boule Rouge Café in Verviers, we headed North to the Val-Dieu Brewery.

The Brewery is located at the site of the 13th Century Val-Dieu Cistercian Abbey. It is not run by the monks, but rather by a lay partnership that just leases the buildings from the monks. Being Easter Monday, it was very busy. The Brewery is just across the Courtyard from the Tasting Café. Opened in 1997, they have some seriously top rate brewing equipment that looks very impressive. They bottle all of their own beer and export to the UK, USA, Canada and most European countries, this is a serious operation.

They brew three staple Val-Dieu beers, which are always available in the Tasting Café just across from the Brewery, plus a Val-Dieu Xmas beer once a year. In addition to these home-made offerings, they brew beers under contract for several other companies. The contract beers include La Ploquette (ex- Ruwet), Farnières & Houyeux. They make a commissioned beer called Merveilleuse de Chevremont, which is described by Tim Webb’s Guide as like “Duvel with a squirt of lemon squash”, having tried this at the Big Ben Café in Huy recently – I absolutely concur. The best of the Val-Dieu contract beers for me is the rather marvelous high strength Genever-containing Rademacher (available at the Vagant in Antwerp)

After the pre-arranged Brewery Tour, we all headed to the large Tasting Café-cum-Restaurant called the ‘Casse-Croûte’, which opens daily, and is a good place to sample the Breweries offerings. It’s one of those large Restaurant style places where you stand in line, walk down a self-service row of hatches, select any of the food on offer and plonk it onto your tray. At the end of the line you can pick-up a drink – which includes a choice of the three staple Val-Dieu beers. The Café had the Blonde (6%), Brune (8%) and the Triple (9%) on sale when we visited.

This is a large place that can easily accommodate well over a hundred people. Long rooms have many bench-like tables that can seat large separate groups. The beers were above average in quality, the food was also quite good – but this is really only worth for a few tasty samples after a visit if you are going to tour the Brewery to be honest.

Last Visit: Monday 16th April, 2001

06-20-2003 17:50:19 | More by TheLongBeachBum

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $$

Stopped at the complex to pick up some beer while travelling through the area, as we left Germany for Southern Holland and decided to pop into the bar as the ladies needed the loo.

It is not really a beer bar, more a self-service cafe with long tables and plenty of chairs.

Hot and cold food, coffee etc, plus all the normal 3 beers available.

Have a look if visiting, but don't make a huge detour just for the cafe, the shop isn't fantastic either, but it is a 'tick-in-the-box' if you are collecting brewery bar visits.

07-02-2007 20:51:40 | More by BlackHaddock