After renovation work costing €90 million that lasted more than 10 years, Brussels' long-awaited beer museum is finally ready. Belgian Beer World, as the centre for Belgian beer culture is called, is located in the neoclassical stock exchange building in downtown Brussels. The museum management hopes the attraction will soon become as important as the Atomium.
Starting Saturday 9 September, beer lovers can visit Belgian Beer World, an “experience centre” devoted to Belgian beer culture. For the price of 17 euros visitors can follow the interactive route on the upper floors of the stock exchange building.
"We are extremely proud," says manager Charles Leclef. "The decision to turn the stock exchange into a public space goes back 12 years. We had to find enough brewers who wanted to participate!"
In the end, around 100 brewers decided to take part. Although Leclef stresses that it is not an exhibition of brewers. "Belgian beer culture is central. That idea has remained intact."
90 million euros
The City of Brussels bought the Bourse building in 2011 for around €5 million. The project has a total price tag of 90 million euros, including more than 80 million for the renovation that started in 2019. In just a few years, the total cost exploded. In 2019, only €35 million was budgeted.
"It is an incredibly important building that has a place in the heart of all Belgians," say Brussels mayor Philippe Close (Francophone socialist/PS). "The 12,000-square-metre building hasn't been renovated since its construction. We had to make choices, but this is proof that Brussels can be ambitious."
Brussels Finance Minister Sven Gatz (Flemish liberal/Open VLD) also defended the project and its high price. "As Belgians, we are often happy to be among the sub top, but when it comes to beer, we are the best in the world."
The City of Brussels is paying about half the total bill, but the European Union, the Federation of Belgian Brewers and the federal government have also contributed.
Beer trail
Through the monumental central hall, visitors are led to the second floor, where the interactive beer experience route is divided into six zones, each with a separate theme devoted to beer culture.
After an introduction to “Belgitude” and a history of beer, visitors look inside the head of a brewer. There, they learn about the basic ingredients of beer, but also how brewers use their creativity to create new flavours.
All steps in the brewing process, including the four fermentation methods, are shown through installations, with digital projections regularly inviting visitors to interact. This ensures that visitors can follow the whole tour without a guide.
In one of the last rooms, a virtual bartender presents visitors with some questions. These should help you discover your favourite Belgian beer. You can then taste that beer on the rooftop terrace. "We guide visitors through the trail based on tastes," says Krishan Maudgal, the director of the Belgian Brewers Federation. "On the rooftop terrace there is a choice of 98 bottled beers and 49 draught beers."
Small brewers barely represented
Besides criticism of the high cost of the project, there was also disapproval of the fact that very few small and local brewers are represented. The beer wall, a wall of glass showcases with 1,100 beers on display, mainly features big household names such as Leffe.
"Belgian Beer World will mainly be the museum of the big industrial breweries, and a little bit that of the medium-sized ones, but not of small craft breweries," says Jean-Pierre Van Roy of gueuze brewery Cantillon. "It really means we are a bit out of place there."
Brasserie de L'Ermitage complained about the price Belgian Beer World charges to display a bottle of beer and a glass in its "beer wall": 1,500 euros.
Maudgal dismisses the criticism. "The museum is about Belgian beer culture and nothing else," he stresses. "It was never a story of big industrial breweries against small craft brewers. We invited all Belgian brewers to take part in the 'beer wall'. The fees are symbolic."
Also accessible without a ticket
Whether the new beer museum will be a success remains to be seen, but sights are high. The City of Brussels wants to make Belgian Beer World one of the city's main tourist attractions. "This will undoubtedly become as important an attraction as the Atomium," says Minister Gatz. "The museum is not only an attraction for people who love beer, but also for those who love architecture. People who enjoy both will be doubly rewarded."
By the way, peopke who do not necessarily want to visit the beer museum but want to discover the splendour of the interior of the stock exchange building do not have to buy an expensive ticket. The ground floor is freely accessible from 9.30am to 6pm via six entrances and can be used as a passage between the Beursplein and Grand Place. It is destined to become a new meeting place, as the steps of the stock exchange have been for years. By the way, those steps are accessible once again too.
After the museum closes, the roof terrace remains open and people without museum tickets can also enjoy the brews and the beautiful view.