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Brussels Breweries Tattoo Tour 2025

Published on 8 July 2025

Hello beer lovers!

It’s almost time for my annual Brussels Breweries Tattoo Tour again! One day, seven breweries, seventy minutes in each taproom…

If you haven’t done it before: join me for one brewery, two, three, or all of them…

Just pay for your own beers—or buy some rounds—as you go, order something to eat when you get hungry, and have fun while showing some appreciation to our local breweries!

However, if you want a chance to earn the coveted Brussels Breweries Tattoo Tour patch, make sure you get your stamp card—and the first stamp—at the first stop (Cantillon) between 14:00 and 15:10!!

So here is the schedule for this Saturday, the 12th of July:

14:00-15:10 	Cantillon
			-walk-
15:15-16:25 	L’Ermitage
			-walk-
16:50-18.00 	Mazette (sharing platters, sandwiches)
			-public transport-
18.40-19.50 	Brasserie de la Mule (snacks, toasties)
			-public transport or walk-
20.30-21.40 	Brasserie de la Senne (full kitchen)
			-walk-
21.50-23.00 	La Source Beer Co. (pizza)
			-public transport-
23.30-…:… 	Brasserie Surréaliste

Map of the brewery locations:

See full screen

Event link: https://mobilizon.be/events/1b7e3e33-b071-4ce0-a5fb-1d112cb3a3b5
(On Mobilizon, the Fediverse platform to create, share and find events)

Update:

Three of the people who joined me visited all seven breweries, and earned the patch! Will you give it a try next year?

And here’s a video impression of the day:

Back in breeks…

Back in breeks…

Published on 1 July 2025 
Reached this post by just scrolling through my blog? 
If you want to read about this trip from start to finish, instead of in reverse order, click here!

All good things come to an end, and so did this trip… I rolled up my kilt again—the Eurostar metal detectors don’t like its buckles and pin—and for the first time in two weeks, I was back in breeks again.

After an early breakfast in the hotel I successfully finished the packing puzzle: even with an extra T-shirt, pyjama bottoms, silly kilt towel, eight new items of haberdashery—of which six for others—and a bottle of whisky, I was able to zip up my bag quite smoothly!

After chilling in the Avanti West Coast Lounge of Glasgow Central for a bit, the staff announced our train was waiting for us at platform two.

Five minutes after boarding I already had my first cup of tea, and I would be well catered to for the whole 4.5 hour trip to London Euston.

After arrival I quickly went to the lounge in Euston, mainly to use the toilet—too many people queuing to go on the train—and enjoy the air-conditioning for a bit. Apparently outwith Scotland, there’s some kind of heatwave!

On to BrewDog Camden then, mainly just because it’s BrewDog Camden, and of course to try some more beers.

Before heading to St Pancras International, I managed to squeeze in a new place for dinner: Beer + Burger. Don’t know why I postponed it for this long, since the beer selection is impressive! And the burger was tasty…

Then there was only the slightly delayed Eurostar, taking me back to Brussels and thus marking the end of this trip…

An Isle and an Inn

An Isle and an Inn

Published on 30 June 2025

Last full day of my trip, but I was not about to slow down! On this Monday’s schedule: a visit to the Isle of Bute, and my last run in Scotland for a while…

After breakfast at Social Bite—I really appreciate what they are doing for the less fortunate—I still had time for a coffee at Riverhill Coffee Bar, before catching my ScotRail train in Glasgow Central. 

I had to get to get onto a ferry in Wemyss Bay, but its train station actually was an attraction in itself! 

The CalMac ferry brought me from Wemyss Bay to Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute. It was quite windy on deck, so some people might have seen more of me than I intended! The risks of wearing a kilt…

The Bute Museum is a cute little museum, but you don’t need much more than half an hour to see everything. That meant I had to some time left to visit Bonnie Bling, a jewellery maker also serving coffee from the local Isle of Bute Coffee roasters. 

After that Rothesay Castle finally reopened after its lunch break. Once again I was confronted with Norwegian king Hakon… In the courtyard they were even flying the Norwegian flag, alongside the Saltire and the Buteshire flag! 

After escaping from the prison pit, I headed to the Bute Yard. It’s a magnificent space, but a bit empty on a Monday afternoon, and no food vendors. Luckily the bar of the Bute Brew Co. was open, so I enjoyed a couple of their beers. 

After returning to the mainland, I skipped a train to have some fish & chips from Macari’s, a place that came highly recommended to me. No place to eat in inside, but luckily the seagulls left me in piece. 

Back in Glasgow I had just enough time to get changed in the hotel, and take the beloved subway—finally, because they were on strike when I wanted to use it—to Inn Deep. 

There I met up with the Glasgow H3—for the third time already—to run and drink with them alongside the river Kelvin and beyond. 

Since I still had all my packing to do, after the last beer at Inn Deep, I then went straight back to the hotel. 

Back to Lothian

Back to Lothian

Published on 29 June 2025

Even though I’m staying in Glasgow, this Sunday I headed east again, actually past Edinburgh, to Dirleton Castle in East Lothian…

I didn’t take the ScotRail train back to Edinburgh, and then a 90 minute bus to visit Dirleton Castle, though. I got up at 7.30 and travelled all that way, just to run with the Edinburgh H3, for the very first time! It was a lovely run though: very sunny, great sights, and we came very close to getting on some sandy beaches again! And it seems almost inevitable when running in Scotland: we passed yet another golf course… 

I didn’t stick around for lunch at The Castle Inn, since it would already take me long enough to get back to Glasgow. 

After a shower and change in the hotel, I had my highly necessary coffee at Laboratorio Espresso. Then I checked out the guest beer list at the Innis & Gunn Brewery Taproom. Well, it was short, this time…

For dinner I went to Buck’s Bar. Not sure why I put this place on my list, but I think The King burger on the menu had something to do with that: fried chicken with spicy peanut and sriracha satay sauce with sweet chilli jam.

The day ended with a couple of beers in very pleasant company at Stereo. 

Weaver’s Cottage

Weaver’s Cottage

Published on 28 June 2025

My Saturday in Glasgow was definitely a combination of new places during the day, and some old favourites in the evening… 

As nice as a full Scottish breakfast may be, when presented with the option, I like to try something more exotic every once in a while. As it happened, nearby Thai restaurant Chaophraya only very recently started serving breakfast! I ordered the Khai Krata fried eggs with Thai sausages, and was happily surprised. At first I thought the sauces were just ketchup and brown sauce, but oh boy, was I wrong: the red sauce was some kind of chili sauce, the brown one a spicy soy sauce. 

My next National Trust for Scotland destination was a bit out of town, so I had to take another Scotrail train to Milliken Park. From there it was a little bit of a walk to the Weaver’s Cottage. While they were originally linen weavers, they changed with market demands, and started weaving tartans as well, and many other things!

Back in Glasgow, I first had a stamp, a beer, and a smash burger in BrewDog Merchant City.

I then had some coffee at Off the Rails, and beer at Shilling Brewing Company. Their guest selection had definitely improved since the last time I was there!

It was about time I had some Indian food for dinner again, so hoping for a table, I went to the busy Chaakoo Bombay Café. In less than fifteen minutes they could seat me, so I could order and enjoy my Masahari, keema matar, mango chutney, and garlic naan. 

The highlight of the evening was without a doubt my visit to the Koelschip Yard. Refreshed from the outside, but still the very welcoming neighbourhood vibe on the inside. Once you’re dragged into a conversation with the regulars, you’re in it for the night. And the beer list is still banging, of course! 
Side note: In this bar where I drank Epochal beers for the first time, they haven’t got a clue what’s going on with them either! 

On my way back to the hotel, I made a last stop at The Pot Still for a wee dram. Truly a night well spent!