Beer Temple to open in 2018

Grand Place, Manneken Pis and the Atomium – come 2018 and Brussels will boast another atraction: The Belgian Beer Temple. Launched by the City of Brussels, the Brussels Capital Region and the Federation of Belgian Brewers, and housed in the former Brussels Stock Exchange, the Belgian Beer Temple will be a visitor experience that is built on a grand scale to highlight all aspects of Belgian beer culture.

If all goes according to plan, in five years’ time the Belgian brewers will finally have their own showcase to rival the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam and the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh. Just a five-minute walk away from the Grand Place, visitors to the Belgian Beer Temple will be able to immerse themselves in this country’s love affair with its diverse beer styles.

In January 2012, the Belgian Beer Temple project was launched to develop the importance of beer for the Belgian economy and the international reputation of Belgium further.

The Belgian Beer Temple is not going to be a museum, says Krishan Maudgal, who oversees the project. What it will be is an interactive and dynamic environment in which to experience Belgian beers. The beer experience centre will stand out from other museums in that it will provide a symbiosis between education and entertainment.

The project is a collaboration between the public and private sectors, particularly between the City of Brussels, the Brussels Capital Region and the Federation of Belgian Brewers .

Currently, the legal structures are being put into place for the management of this public-private partnership .

It is assumed that the Belgian Beer Temple will attract up to 400,000 visitors a year and deliver a substantial boost to tourism.