The most common and renowned of the Trappist beers is undoubtedly Chimay. The brewery, founded in 1862, uses water from the well of the monastery bearing the same name. The brewery brews and sells three types of beer, all of which undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle for at least three weeks before going on sale.

Chimay Rouge (red) – 7% ABV, dark brown ale that has a sweet fruity aroma, and the flavor of roasted nuts. The beer is sold in 330 ml. and 750 ml. bottles and is called Premier.

Chimay Triple (white) – 8% ABV, a light cloudy ale, with a strong scent of hops and spices (black pepper, coriander) and a dry, bitter taste. The beer is sold 330 ml. and 750 ml. bottles and is called Cinq Cent.

Chimay Bleue (blue) – 9% ABV, copper-brown ale with an aroma of fruits and spices, gentle bitterness balanced with a little sweetness. The beer has a nice steady head of foam. This is the brewery’s flagship beer and is considered Chimay’s “classic” beer. The beer is sold 330 ml. and 750 ml. bottles and is called Grande Reserve. The large bottles have corks and the beer ages well. There are bars in Belgium offering Chimay Bleue over 25 years old!

Kasteel Donker – very strong Belgian ale (11% ABV) on a chocolate base. Has a full body and undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. Has a luxurious texture and appears dark with white-black creamy foam.

Kasteel Blond – strong ale (7%) – the Belgian blond. Has a gentle fruity scent, little bitterness and a light body. Has a clear golden color with a pristine white head of foam.

The flagship of the brewery – a dark lager that has won many awards and is the most-sold dark Czech beer in the Czech Republic and beyond.

This beer makes a harmonic combination of many kinds of roasted malt. Its brownish in color, has a caramel sweetness and unlike other dark beers its foam is also dark and tends towards mocha.

The name means “goat”, and as a lucky charm two goats run free in the rural brewery.

The beer comes in 330 ml. bottles (5% ABV) and 330 ml. cans (5% ABV).

4.4% ABV.

The first clear beer, made since 1842.

Made in Pilsen (hence the name) by Josef Groll. The meaning of the word Urquell is “from the original” and indeed pilsner is the original and inspiration for most lagers.

The pilsner is balanced and refreshing, made of soft water without minerals, prime barley and Saaz hops. It is a clear golden color and is characterized by a bitter flowery aroma of Czech hops, gentle malt tastes, a full body and moderate carbonation.

Pilsner Urquell is very good at mealtimes. The gas bubbles together with the bitter hops breakdown fats in the food and remove flavors, readying the mouth for the next bite or course.

The yeast, specially produced by the brewery, are its greatest secret, and are responsible for creating an alcoholic beverage that does not create headaches even after binge-drinking!

Today, the brewery continues producing ales by the same traditional methods of the past. The beers brewed at the brewery are highly lauded by beer lovers and have earned many awards from CAMRA, an organization promoting true English ales. A variety of beers are imported to Israel by Benny Krieger and are exclusively distributed by Norman Premium. Today, three of the brewery’s beers are available in Israel.

ESB – a stronger version (5.9% ABV) of pale ale obtained by using more raw materials. ESB stands for Extra Special Bitters and testify to this beer’s uniqueness which earned it many awards in England and around the globe.

The beer has a full, rich body and a deep mahogany color. Its aroma has hints of cherries and oranges and even toffee and caramel from the malt. The use of a mixture of four different types of hops is marked in the complex flavor of the beer, which carries traces of citruses (grapefruit, orange and lemon). The beer ends with a gentle, long-lasting bitterness.

It is a quiet, calm place with ancient traditions and customs, and so is the beer made there. Pure water  drawn from 150 meters underthe earth are the basis for St. Bernardus beer.

After brewing the beer is naturally aged and does not undergo filtering before being put into bottles or barrels. Due to the addition of yeast and sugar, the beer continues to ferment in the bottle, which is the reason for the nice head of foam and high alcohol content of the beer.

In the past, the brewery made beer for one of the most renowned Trappist monasteries: Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren.

St. Bernardus Prior 8

A dark reddish ale with a noted fruit flavor.

This beer is generously spiced and offers a perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness. 8% ABV.

St. Bernardus Tripel

Light amber ale with the scent of flowers and fruit.

This beer has a perfect harmony between malt sweetness and slight hops bitterness. Has thick concentrated foam and contains 8% ABV.

St. Bernardus Abt 12

This is the top beer of the brewery – a full-bodied beer, with a high alcohol content of 10% ABV and a dark ivory color. This beer also undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle.

This is the flagship beer of the brewery due to its one-of-a-kind aroma and complex flavor.

St. Bernardus Wit

A traditional Belgian wheat beer made with 50% wheat and 50% barley malt. The scents of oranges and coriander are prominent with hints of banana, and a taste will also discover refreshing lemon. It is unfiltered, resulting in a thick, cloudy and golden beer. It undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. 5.5% ABV.

4.4% ABV.

Staropramen Brewery was founded in 1869 in Prague and it produces the city’s flagship beers in the best of Czech traditions.

This beer has a fine balance between a blend of roasted malt sweetness and bitter Czech hops. It is dark chestnut in color with a thick, creamy head of foam. Staropramen – “Old Spring” – is a beer favored by the Irish. Proof of this is a loyal group of people called the “Staropramen Order”, who have composed an anthem for the beverage.