Most beer lovers familiar with foreign beers, already know BrewDog, or at least have heard of it. The sometimes controversial Scottish brewery doesn’t only brew beer, it also runs a few dozen bars. Already quite a while ago, BrewDog Brussels opened right next to Central Station, but a recent change is finally turning it into the beer geek mecca it should have been from the start. The hoppy beers BrewDog is known for, are now fresher than ever, the Buffalo wings hotter than ever, and the staff is more passionate than ever. If you haven’t done so recently, now is the time to (re)visit BrewDog Brussels!
BrewDog Brussels opened a little over two years ago as a franchise, as was then customary for BrewDog‘s foreign bars. We were really excited at the time, but we quickly learned that a franchise bar isn’t quite the same as the real thing we had become familiar with on our trips to the United Kingdom: although the decor— repurposed gym floors and exposed concrete — looked the part, the R&B and DJ sets, the food choice, and the rather uninspired guest beer list made it clear we weren’t in the UK anymore. BrewDog‘s mission to make other people as passionate about great craft beer as they are themselves seemed to have been completely lost on the franchise. By the second half of 2017, there were hardly any BrewDog beers available — certainly not any special ones — the ones that were, too old — disastrous for BrewDog’s hoppy beers — and we all but stopped visiting BrewDog Brussels…
Then, in October 2017, we suddenly heard BrewDog UK bought the Brussels bar back from the franchisees. New beers were brought in — remember Collabfest? — a clearly visible sign was put up — unbelievable this hadn’t been done earlier — and new management — this time indeed bleeding craft beer, as the BrewDog charter states — took over. Changing habits and retraining staff takes time, and there are still some glitches every now and then, but the improvements since October are undeniable: the music is better, as is the food, the staff attitude, and — most importantly — the beer! Consequently, beer geeks slowly seem to be finding their way back to the bar again, but thirsty train travellers now actually notice the bar as well, and BrewDog Brussels finally starts to feel like a real BrewDog bar!
Most of BrewDog‘s ‘headliners’ are available all of the time now, a solid base to introduce newcomers to the sometimes overwhelming world of hops. Also usually available are the beers of the ‘amplified’ range, for those who dare to venture a bit further. But then there is the ever-changing offer of seasonals, small batches, prototypes and other only periodically available beers, that keeps visiting BrewDog Brussels interesting for regulars who still like to try new beers as often as possible. To have a new beer launch on the same date as the UK is a bit too much to ask for, but often it is only a matter of days before one can try the newest BrewDog creation in Brussels as well.
It’s nice to have some locally brewed beers on the guest beer list — especially for foreign visitors, who have come to know BrewDog bars as an excellent location to find some of the better local beers — but especially considering the sometimes rather steep price for those, locals will probably have those elsewhere. There are some beers from other foreign breweries available, like recently the English Siren Craft Brew or Italian Hilltop Brewery for instance, but it’s usually limited to just one beer of each brewery.
In all fairness: we understand the focus is on BrewDog beers now, and after two years of presenting patrons with something that was far from the best representation of those beers, that’s exactly where the focus should be. However, after enjoying some big tap takeovers in other — British — BrewDog bars, we’re anxiously awaiting the first real one in Brussels: there are 40 taps after all!
In the fridges you’ll find most of the beers that are on tap, in can or bottle — also for takeaway, with a discount — but some rarer beauties as well, like older Paradox beers or Dog B, Dog C or Dog D.
You can buy a 1l-growler — or bring one you previously bought — to have it filled with anything on draught, at 1/3 off, but since there’s currently no counter-pressure growler fill system, it’s best to consume the contents within a couple of hours.
The food menu had a complete overhaul, and is now similar to the menu in UK BrewDog bars with a full kitchen: a handful of different burgers — including the Cluck Norris burger, a recipe shortlisted for the Casual Dining magazine National Burger Awards 2018 — very hot Buffalo wings — although still slightly less hot than those intended for the Vindaloo-accustomed Brits — and the cheesiest mac n’ cheese we’ve tasted so far, and we mean that in a good way! Keep in mind the beef brisket burgers are served well done, if you don’t specify otherwise! The Sharing Super Stack — including both normal and sweet potato fries, wings, chicken strips, mac n’ cheese, corn on the cob, and two dips — is great if you can’t make up your mind, and easily feeds two, or provides a nice snack for a bigger group.
It’s nice to see there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu as well: one day we might try the Hail Seitan, we’ve even heard good things about it from carnivores!
A nice touch is the beer pairing suggestion for most dishes.
The changes this bar has seen over the past couple of months, are already remarkable, but undoubtedly there are still more to come. There’s a backroom not yet used to its full potential — but the hallway leading to it, has already been decorated in true BrewDog style by Craig Fisher — and the mezzanine level will very likely become a lot more entertaining. However, what matters most to us, is that they’ll keep up their efforts to bring interesting beers to Brussels; not just from their brewery in Ellon — although that should remain the priority — but from other interesting breweries along the way as well!
* Full disclosure: We’re both (small) investors in BrewDog PLC — or Equity Punks, as they’re called —which comes with some benefits, including discounts of up to 23,5% in BrewDog bars in the UK, Germany and Belgium. However, we’ve done our best not to let this influence our opinion on BrewDog Brussels, although we’re undeniably excited about the improvements.
If you’re interested to own part of BrewDog yourself and save a fair bit on your bar tab: you can do so now by investing in Equity For Punks V (open until 15 October 2018). Make sure to read the prospectus first, but if you do decide to invest, we would really appreciate it — and buy you a beer — if you’d use our referral code R088218 when filling out the shares application form (Tick “Yes” after “Were you referred by a friend?“).
tl;dr
Beers
- 40 pumps, although currently not all in use
- BrewDog headliners and amplified range
- BrewDog seasonals, small batches, prototypes & other periodically available beers
- A selection of Belgian and foreign guest beers
- Most BrewDog beers available in bottle or can as well
- For take-away as well! #TrainBeer
Bites
- Excellent burgers, (very) hot Buffalo wings, mac n’ cheese
- Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options
- Awesome Sharing Super Stack
BrewDog Brussels
Putterij 20 Putterie
1000 Brussel
+32 2 513 63 55
http://www.brewdog.com
brewdogbrussels
What have people been drinking here recently?
- Dan Paddock is drinking a Cuvée De Ranke at BrewDog Brussels
- Ruben Stevens is drinking a Brussels Sunshine at BrewDog Brussels
- peter johansson is drinking a Single Hop Simcoe at BrewDog Brussels
- Antoine Jacques-Jourion is drinking a Summer Leftover at BrewDog Brussels
- Benjamin Olmo is drinking a Double Hazy at BrewDog Brussels
- Mark Hepfinger is drinking a Double Hazy at BrewDog Brussels
- Mark Hepfinger is drinking a Fool’s Gold at BrewDog Brussels
- Mark Hepfinger is drinking a Brussels Sunshine at BrewDog Brussels
- Mark Hepfinger is drinking an Elvis Juice at BrewDog Brussels
- Mark Hepfinger is drinking a Wingman at BrewDog Brussels