Beer in Ghent: The Breweries and Bars Worth Your Time

This Ghent beer guide covers the city’s defining beer styles and brewing traditions, alongside a curated list of the best breweries and pubs. This city deserves your full attention if you care about Belgian beer.

Ghent is easy to fall for. Saint Bavo’s Cathedral and many churches dominate the skyline, medieval canals cut through the centre, and a large student population keeps the city feeling young. Wandering the pedestrian-only old town, with its cobbled streets and historic façades, is a wonderful beginning to the day. After a few hours of sightseeing, thirst inevitably follows.

During my most recent visit, I spent time exploring some of the best spots to drink beer in Ghent. These ranged from a historic brewery using gruut, a medieval blend of herbs and spices, to modern independent craft breweries run by passionate locals and international brewers. It was a reminder that Ghent’s beer scene is both deeply traditional and quietly innovative.

While I always enjoy tasting new beers when visiting a city, I am just as interested in understanding how they are made. Brewing techniques, flavour profiles, and local traditions matter in Ghent. So, feel free to stick around and learn a thing or two about the charming city and spectacular culture of beer in Ghent.

Brewing Heritage In Ghent

Beer has been part of life in Ghent since at least the 10th century, and likely earlier. At its height, the city was home to hundreds of breweries, many of them small, household operations run by local families.

Over time, that landscape changed. Innovations in industrial production, periods of French rule, and taxation on gruut herbs led to a decline in local breweries. Yet Ghent never lost its brewing knowledge. Today, a handful of producers continue to make beers that stand comfortably on the world stage. That legacy was formally recognised in 2016, when Belgian beer culture was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Religion also played a key role in Ghent’s brewing history. The Augustinian monks have brewed Augustijn beer at their monastery since the 13th century. At Saint Bavo’s Abbey, monks produced abbey beer for more than 600 years. That tradition was revived when Joeri and Lauren uncovered a 13th-century brewing method in Ghent University’s archives. Their response was BAVO Brown Abbey and BAVO Blond Abbey, now brewed at Iedereen Bavo in Evergem.

As for the key styles of beers in Ghent, expect to find traditional golden Tripels, rich and dark Abbey ales, Trappist beers, hop-free gruut brews, and refreshing witbiers. Alongside these sit modern microbreweries run by a new generation of brewers, experimenting with hop varieties, flavours, and techniques while respecting Belgian foundations.

If you want to explore Ghent’s beers in a specialist shop, De Hopduvel in Dok Noord is essential. They stock a staggering 900 beers (at least), including almost every notable brew produced in the city.

Where To Drink Beer In Ghent

Ghent has no shortage of excellent breweries, pubs, and canal-side bars. Whether you are in the mood for a classic Tripel, a hop-free gruut beer, or a modern craft IPA, these are the places I’d send a friend without hesitation.

There are plenty more spots to drink beer in Ghent, of course, but these are the ones I experienced first-hand. Some discoveries are best saved for the next visit.

Gruut Brewery

Ghent is known for its gruut-based beers, and this is the best place to try them. Founded by Annick De Splenter, a master brewer from a long-established brewing family, Gruut Brewery is housed in a renovated former tannery. Inside, mismatched wooden tables sit beneath low chandeliers, while eccentric details range from papier-mâché figures to zebra-patterned cows.

Gruut beers replace hops with a blend of herbs and spices, resulting in more earthy flavour profiles. The brewery produces five specialist beers: Amber, Blond, Brown, White, and Inferno. I tried the Gruut Amber, brewed in the English ale tradition without added sugar, offering a bitter edge balanced by caramel notes.

The brewery runs guided tastings lasting around 50 minutes, which include three beers. For a more hands-on experience, the Beer Alchemist session allows you to adapt Gruut Blonde to suit your own taste.

Dok Brewing Co

Located in the hip Dok Noord neighbourhood, Dok Brewing Co operates from a converted metal construction workshop with long communal tables, visible brewing installations, and a convivial atmosphere. It is run by four partners, with head brewer Janos De Baets bringing a strong focus on Belgian brewing traditions.

The beer range at Dok Brewing Co is broad and regularly changing. You will find Tripels, IPAs, wild-fermented sours, stouts, and well-crafted non-alcoholic options. The brewery also produces experimental brews in collaboration with international partners, keeping the line-up fresh.

House beers include Pils 13, Where Is Loca, and Dokkie. Where Is Loca is a 6.5% pale ale brewed with rye and oats, while Dokkie is a non-alcoholic IPA with notes of peach, white grape, and elderflower.

If you get hungry, head to one of the two on-site restaurants, RØK Barbecue or RØK Burgers. Every Saturday afternoon, Dok Brewing Co hosts open tours and tastings for anyone who wants a closer look behind the tanks and into the brewing process.

If you fancy a venue more central, they have a beerpub called Café De Welkom in Patershol near the Castle of the Counts and the Vrijdagmarkt. They serve up Dok Brewing Co beers alongside high quality canned craft beer from across the globe.

Dulle Griet

No visit to Ghent would be complete without a beer or two at the city’s most popular “brown bar”. For those unfamiliar with the term, a brown bar is a traditional Flemish pub, characterised by dark wooden furnishings, vintage décor, and more beer than you will ever manage in one visit.

Dulle Griet is located on the picturesque Vrijdagmarkt square, making it a popular stop for visitors to Ghent. However, this beer drinker’s haven is far from a tourist trap.

The pub offers more than 500 beers, both local and international. I recommend ordering the house beer, Max. When you do, the waiter invites you to take part in one of Ghent’s strangest pub customs. The beer arrives in a 1.2-litre boot-shaped glass. Before it is served, you hand over a shoe, which is placed in a basket and hoisted to the ceiling. Your shoe stays there until you finish the beer.

Dulle Griet has beer kegs are used as tables and surrounded by heavy wooden stools, while puppets dangle from the ceiling and retro alcohol signage lines the walls. This is Ghent at its most theatrical.

Artevelde Brewery

If you are searching for a brewery on the historic Botermarkt, look no further than Artevelde. One of the newest additions to Ghent’s beer scene, this microbrewery opened its doors in 2022. It is named after Jacob van Artevelde, a prominent Flemish merchant and statesman.

The brewery is spread across three floors, with bright tanks suspended above the bar, copper kettles on display, and a small terrace offering views over the city centre.

Three beers are brewed on site. Artevelde Grand Cru is a dark, reddish-brown Belgian beer with caramel notes, while Artevelde Gentse Wijze is a strong blonde known for its floral, lightly peppery aroma. Artevelde Gentse Leute completes the line-up, a fresh and fruity Belgian blonde.

Sharing plates are an essential part of the Artevelde experience. Opt for a cheese board from local organic producer Het Hinkelspel, served with Artevelde beer sausage and Tierenteyn mustard. Or you could devour a proper Gentse stoverij stew if you want something hearty before another round.

Stroom Brewery

For a more sustainable take on Ghent’s beer scene, Stroom is worth seeking out. This small microbrewery is run by a Belgian-American duo and operates entirely on renewable energy, and uses e-cargo bikes for delivering their brews across the city. 

While there isn’t a huge taproom, you are more than welcome to visit the tasting room on Friday and Saturday to sample their beer varieties on tap or purchase cans and refillable bottles.

What I like about this microbrewery in Ghent is that they collaborate with local artists who design their beer labels. The friendly owners also offer guided tours, which allow you to see how their beers are made from scratch. The tour also includes a tasting of 4 of their signature beers.  

Like many other microbreweries, Stroom has flagship beers, as well as seasonal and one-off brews. Try the Supreme, brewed with raspberries, or go for the Belgian Stars & Stripes, a West Coast IPA with intense citrus flavours. If thoughtful brewing matters to you, don’t skip Stroom.

Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant

The last spot on the list is a traditional pub set right on the canal in Ghent. Welcome to Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, an iconic beer pub known for its extensive draught beer selection and picture-perfect canal views.

You will find about 160 beers here, ranging from popular brews such as Delirium and Chimay to a few house beers. If you wish to try their own beers, order Gandavum, Klokke Roeland, or Mammelokker. They’re strong, so the staff caps it at three per person.

The interior is rustic and beautiful. And I hear they also have urinals from upcycled old steel kegs too. The place to be is on the terrace, though. If the sun is shining, there is no better place than sipping a beer watching Ghent drift by.

|| RELATED READ: ALTBIER CULTURE IN DÜSSELDORF

Beer Tours In Ghent

To explore beer in Ghent independently and at your leisure, check out the scenic craft beer walks map. Check ahead for any brewery tours at each venue.

Otherwise, if you want more than a simple brewery tasting, beer tours in Ghent are the way to go. Some walking tours combine carefully selected beers with local history and sightseeing, while others include food pairings that bring the city’s brewing traditions to life.

• Ghent Beer Guided Walking Tour
• Discover Belgium’s Beer World in Ghent with a Local
• Food & Drink Walking Tour in Ghent with Tastings
• Waffles ‘n Beer Workshop in Ghent

PIN To Explore Beer In Ghent