After a walk in the countryside on a beautiful blue sky day. Mince Pie and Struisse Tjeeses Reserva, aged in Port barrels. Happy Boxing Day.

Happy Christmas Eve - De Dolle style.🍻🎅🎄⛄️

This years De Ranke Pére Noël in 75cl bottles is simply fantastic.

Lupulus Hibernatus is one of my favourite Christmas Beers. This one was cellared for 1 year. More rounded and mellow than fresh. The rich chocolate and coffee malts dominate, the cinnamon is nicely subdued. The beautiful dry mild bitter finish is emphasised. A superb beer.

Twelve Days Porter a hugely enjoyable Christmas Beer from Hook Norton Brewery.

Completed my @ssmcamra.bsky.social Winter Warmer Wander 2025 at Costellos Bar, Altringham with an excellent pint of Dunham Massey Dark.

Excellent @thornbridge.bsky.social Jaipur The Packstone Inn, Little Longstone today.

Excellent Bundobust festive Sprout Bhajis and Chole with Sierra Nevada Celebration. Great combination.

On the @ssmcamra.bsky.social Winter Warmer Wander. Very good JW Lees Plum Pudding Christmas Ale in the RainBar, Manchester.

Our traditional Christmas Beer tasting led by @beer4john.bsky.social in the @petersgatetap.bsky.social has just started. Another interesting selection this year. Sell out event as usual.

Wonderful combination.

Christmas is coming.

Lovely evening in our local. So fortunate to have a great pub with great beer in our village.

Fantastic afternoon in the Castle, Macclesfield. Great beer and company. Superb pub.

On Sunday had great fun opening 3 old Belgian Christmas Beers I had acquired. They were 75, 49 & 29 years old. The biggest surprise was the 75 year old was very enjoyable, even had some carbonation. The small Kerstbier & magnum were sadly way past their best but were interesting.

By tradition my last beer on my Belgium trips is a Rochefort 10. But since Christmas is approaching I default to an excellent St. Bernadus Christmas. You also get a bonus Christmas Mannekin Pis photo.

A beautiful morning here in Brussels and great meal and beer at Les Brigittines. Both the Razor Clams and the Pheasant were excellent as were the 2 Cantillon beers to accompany them.

As they have the best Christmas Beer list in town it was back to Poechenellekelder to end the night tonight.

Excellent lunch of Scampi and Mussels at Nordzee then over the road for a superb draft Zinnebir in Billie Bar..

Another great time at Poechenellekelder drinking Christmas beers, this time with my friends from home.

Back in a favourite bar. La Fleur en Papier Doré. Good to meet up with a friend from Stockport for a beer here.

Grand Place, Brussels looking great in Christmas celebrations tonight but can see why this years Manger scene is controversial.

Always fun to read other people's views on favourite beer cities.

More Christmas Beer fun in Poechenellekelder tonight.

Another fantastic time at the exceptional Grote Dorst. Great lambic and service await you if you come here. Highly recommended.

Another enjoyable visit to the excellent 3 Fonteinen Restaurant-Café. Great food and beer as always. And another stamp in the Lambic passport.

At Boerenerf. Another great visit to this fantastic blendery drinking their excellent beers.

Another great night sampling Christmas Beers at Poechenellekelder.

Another excellent meal and beer pairing at Gebrande Winning today. Venison carpachio and 5 year old Orval, Wild Duck with 3F Cuvée La Baronne and cheese plate with De Dolle Stille Nacht 2016. Superb pairings.

Now at Kulminator Antwerp. De Dolle Oerbier Reserva 2005 impressed. Stille Nacht Reserva 2010 was superb as was Stille Nacht 2008.

Arriving in Antwerp Station always impresses.

Excellent night at Brugs Beertje enjoying Christmas Beers together with @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social

Essential research at Brugs Beertje. Comparing Stille Nacht 2025* & 2017***. Both great but very different. 2025 vibrant fresh honey sweet, hints of stone fruit, lovely bitter sweet finish. 2017 is less malty sweet, peach & apricot flavours more developed, more complex & mellow.

At a very festive looking Cambrinus, Brugge enjoying their excellent Flemish Fish Stew and the scampi in garlic butter.

An excellent De Dolle evening in Nüetnigenough tonight.

It's been a good time at a very busy Grote Dorst today. Trying a variety of lambic beers as well as some vintage geuze and a rather rare Schaarbeekse Kriek produced in this local village of Eizeringen.

Now comparing Hop Harvest 2025 from draft (L) and bottle (R) at the De Ranke Taproom. They are both fantastic but the bottle just has the extra fresh hop character.

Great to be back at the De Ranke Taproom. Draft Père Noël with the snowy background seems appropriate for the first beer.

This years De Ranke Hop Harvest 2025 with freshly picked hop cones is tasting superb.

Beautiful, if very cold weather at 3 Fonteinen Lambik-O-Droom. Enjoyed some excellent vintage geuze beers from 2010, 2014 and 2015 this afternoon.

Great beer in a great place. At 't Parlement, Halle. So good to see it so busy.

Great pairing of Westvleteren 12 with 3 ice creams infused with Tre Fontain Triple, Lindemans Kriek and Barista Chocolate Quad. At (H)eerlijk, Ostend.

It's Game Meat season and here in Belgium they do it well. Superb pairing of Wild Boar fillet and Westvleteren 8. At (H)eerlijk, Ostend

Always appreciate getting the personal touch at Cantillon.

Christmas has indeed arrived (a bit early?) at De Dolle Brouwers. Great to see @6townsmart.bsky.social here.

Enjoying the first draft De Dolle Stille Nacht 2025. The first keg of the season has been opened at the brewery.

Enjoying the first draft De Dolle Stille Nacht 2025. The first keg of the season has been opened at the brewery.

Excellent fresh Westvleteren 8 and Coupe In De Vrede infused with the same beer. Superb pairing.

A good start to the day.

Cantillon 125th Anniversary Brew Day ends with a full coolship and a celebration Magnum of Lou Pepe Kriek 2011. Drank lots of great bottles today and met many friends from around the world.