Belgian beer has become a world cultural heritage

Belgium is known for its great beers, long brewing tradition and many breweries, they have more than 180! Some Belgian breweries are international giants, some are purely local in nature. The history of beer brewing dates back to the time of medieval monks, and beers are sung in many Belgian songs, just as Slovenians sing the praises of wine. The average Belgian drinks 84 liters of beer a year.

"We love our beer and appreciate its diversity"

And to all of this rich Belgian history and brewing culture, he has now given his nod as well Unesco, which declared Belgian beer an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, an achievement that the Minister of Culture of the Belgian province of Flanders Sven Gatz compared to a football victory in the World Cup. "We love our beer and appreciate its extraordinary variety that cannot be found anywhere else in the world," said Gatz.

In his statement, the UNESCO representative also touched on the pressing topic of excessive amounts of alcohol consumed around the world and emphasized that beer is not only intended for this: "Beer is also used for cooking, for the preparation of products such as cheese, and as an addition to dishes." The culture minister for the German-speaking part of Belgium also emphasized that the culture of beer drinking is really deep for Belgians Isabelle Weykmans.

Yvan De Baets, owner of a small Brussels brewery Brasserie de la Senne, said that with its decision UNESCO emphasized the tradition of the Belgians, which is closely related to beer. "We Belgian brewers are really happy," he summed up his feelings.

Most Belgian beers are stored in bottles

And some more interesting facts about Belgian beers:

• Belgian beers are mostly stored in bottles rather than cans, as the Belgians believe that the glass enhances the beer's taste.
• Throughout history, beer has been the drink of monks, the first beer sold dates back to 1861.
• In 2011, 18 monastery breweries were recorded in Belgium, many believe that monastery beer is of higher quality.
• Belgians have as many as 10 big beer festivals.