Belgian beer looks chaotic from the outside, but there's a clear blueprint once you know where to look. This episode breaks down the core ideas behind the country's brewing culture and explains why Belgian brewers create beers that don't fit into tidy boxes. Ben and Andrew cover the four families of Belgian beer, the role of yeast, the country's approach to balance, and why sugar, glassware, and regional identity matter more than most drinkers realize.

We dig into insights from Stan Hieronymus, Pierre Rajotte, Randy Mosher, Michael Jackson, Jeff Sparrow, and others. By the end, you'll see how Belgian brewers let yeast lead the way, why they trust tradition over strict rules, and how centuries of local habits shaped some of the most expressive beer on the planet.

Perfect for brewers, drinkers, and anyone who wants to understand what makes Belgian beers tick.

Music

"Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RetroFuture Dirty

"RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/