With a recognised brewing tradition dating back centuries, Belgium is one of the world’s leaders in top-notch beers, with the likes of its white/wheat beers, lambics, gueuzes, faros, krieks, and brown, red and golden beers, not to mention good old pils. Perhaps most lauded for its Trappist beers, it is important to note that the actual ”trappist” designation has strict requirements – all steps in the production process must be carried out at the monastery that lends its name, under the supervision of the abbey’s monks. There are only seven remaining Trappist breweries in the world, six of which are in Belgium: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Achel. Abbey beers (a pure marketing term) take their names from abbeys, like Leffe, a product of the Belgian multinational InBev.

InBev has been present in Bulgaria since 1995, when it purchased Kamenitza. Other InBev holdings in Bulgaria are Slavena, Astika, Burgasko and Plevensko, along with the international Beck’s and Stella Artois.

Bringing together yet more world beer brands, on July 14, InBev bought the American icon Anheuser-Busch (maker of Bud Light, among others) for US$52 billion. The deal creates one of the world’s five-largest consumer products companies, according to InBev’s corporate website; the name of the new conglomerate will be Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Back home, on July 9, Kamenitza released its new brew called Kamenitza Lev, which aims to meet the young, modern Bulgarian beer drinker with a drier style, five per cent alcohol and 10.5° Plato. On the left photo: Kamenitza general manager Anatolii Popov and Belgian ambassador Philippe Beke share the fun.

On another happy note, a few quality Belgian beers are now available in Bulgaria – Sofia, specifically, unless you contact one of the nation-wide distributors – thanks to importer HaCaJo Distribution. Castle Brewer Van Honsebrouck products (Brigand, St Louis gueuze, and Kasteel blonde, brown and rouge) can be found at Elemag, at Sofia Milk and at Frodo Market outlets.