Belgian Beer Abroad

What do people who don't live in Belgium know about Belgian Beer?

The world famous Belgian Beer


When you ask 'non-Belgians' what they know about Belgium, you're likely to get a response out of this list:

  • Beer - The variety of different beer styles is unmatched worldwide
  • Chocolate - Famous since the 17th century.
  • Waffles - Well-known for their larger squares and deeper pockets

But once outside Belgium, what exactly do they know about our beers, and what beers do they like? Help me find out by taking the survey. By responding to a few simple questions you can help me become a certified zythologist.

Take the Survey


The survey is anonymous and includes a few questions concerning the following topics. None of the information will be used for commercial purposes.

Click on any of the icons below to start the survey.

Results so far

Coming soon!

Here you can find the results of the survey so far.

What is Zythology


Definition:The study of beer and beer making, including the role particular ingredients play in the brewing process.
A zythologist is a student and connoisseur of beer who possesses knowledge of ingredients, pouring techniques and beer pairings. [From Greek zythos (beer) and logos (study)]

A zythologist specializes in 4 different areas:

Special Thanks go to


None of this was possible without the help of:
  • Wikipedia
  • Google
  • You!

    For taking the survey and asking your friends to do the same
  • Fien Creemers, Anke & Gitte - My wife and kids
  • All (Belgian) brewers that make those wonderful beers
  • Unesco: for recognizing the Belgian Beer Culture as cultural heritage
  • Janice Wood: for correcting my spelling and grammar mistakes

About myself


Contrary to what you might expect, I'm working in neither the beer nor food industry. I'm a hardcore IT-guy.
In my previous job, I had the opportunity to travel to other continents and to discover that in other countries people were loving Belgian beer.
For us, having Belgian beer was only obvious... the interest from other countries made me realize what a wonderful product we have.

My love for beer goes way back even before selecting a career.
The minimum legal drinking age in Belgium is 16. I couldn't wait that long so at around age 15 I tasted my first beer, one of the many sweet fruity beers that Belgium has to offer.

At first, I discovered more fruity beers before starting to appreciate the bitterness and capabilities of beer to quench your thirst. Even at that young age I was impressed by the many different flavors in beer without really knowing what I was tasting.
It was either good, bad, or it just ok.

I've been a beer drinker and lover since then. Luckily, I was always more interested in quality rather than quantity.

When a new millennium began, I figured it was time for a new hobby. A colleague at that time told me he was making his own beer. It piqued my interest and soon I was visiting the same store and started brewing my own beer. With the guidance of my neighbor, our 'brewery' expanded to a production level of about 30 liters per month. However, this became too time consuming so we decreased production and came close to a stop. From time to time, we still make a small brew for special occasions.

Later, I became more interested in food. And on a blue Monday, I started to take cooking classes together with a friend.
We attended those classes for seven straight years and ended up with a certificate of sous-chef.

After those seven years I was up for something new. Zythology, for me, is a way to link my passion for beer with the love for food.

In Belgium, Zythology is a legal profession, although there are not many practicing this as a full time job.
Nevertheless, the zythologist training enjoys a large following.
Even if we won't do this professionally, it won't stop us from promoting this wonderful thing known as
Belgian beer!

Feel free to contact me


If you still have questions or concerns after visiting this website, feel free to contact me.