Sunday 19th of July 2009 04:13:14 PM

link
Though mostly an off licence -- one with a massive selection of Belgian beers, glassware and even some homebrew basics -- Beer Mania also includes a small café at the back where you can drink any beer from the stock or try one from the modest draught selection. Among the offerings is a house blonde ale served in a highly elaborate hand-crafted glass.

Staff are attentive and show a real enthusiasm for beer. The place almost feels like a community centre for beer-lovers, locals and ex-pats alike.

Well worth getting out of the crowded city centre beer stores and bars for.

Monday 28th of April 2008 11:56:04 PM

link
I went to this store in 2005 while on a beer tour of Amsterdam and Brussels. I found the selection staggering. Nearly immediately, we asked the owner if he was willing to trade for some American beers. (because that is the way I like to travel)

The owner welcomed us to the back part of the store and asked us to relax and he asked us what we would like to drink. All six of us ordered something eclectic and proceeded to enjoy ourselves.

Until he said that he would only give us one bottle for each bottle we wanted to trade. One of my friends is a former pro-brewer that had one of his GABF GOLD medal winning Belgian Strong 750ml bottles.

This arrogant Iranian expatriate insisted that though the American beers have come a long way. They were not Belgians and were not worthy of the same respect as Belgians.

Needless to say, my friend no longer wanted to trade his beer for anything in this store. Buy the way. If you go to this guy's www site and notice that he is still selling the Westviterlin beers. He is doing so by exploiting the good monks best intentions. Don't give this clown a cent.

He is ignoring the cease and desist order that the monks have had to level against him. Those are amazing beers BUT the monks don't want anyone exploiting them and making money off of them when they sell them at their pub for less than 4 Euros each.