An invaluable guide for those visiting Belgium has come to Snifter's attention the new Good Beer Guide Belgium.
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) book, published last Thursday, lifts the lid on a country that, says author Tim Webb, is drawing an increasing number of curious visitors in search of the taste for better beers.
"Good Beer Guide Belgium has the edge on other travel books as it can take you to the places where you feel the soul of a place," Webb stresses.
To launch the book, Camra recently treated a group of beer writers to a Belgian beer discovery day in Brussels, courtesy of Eurostar, taking in attractions including the Delirium Café which is in the Guinness Book of Records for offering a new beer to its repertoire every year and lunch at Restobieres, whereproprietor/chef Alain Fayt is as passionate about Belgian cuisine as he is about his beer.
"Brussels is a ragbag of grand architecture, messy streets and semi-detached logic", says Webb. "This is essential in a place of politics. More so than most, to get the best from the city you need to know where to go."
According to Webb: "There is no better place to go sampling than Belgium's own unique blend of cafés, brasseries and tearooms'."
The Good Beer Guide Belgium was published by Camra on 2 June. It is available from Camra (www.camra.org.uk/books) or from bookshops. The book is priced £12.99, or £10.99 for Camra members.