Cantillon Lambic brewery and the Atomium

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On Monday we decided we would go see some museums only to discover that all the museums are closed on Mondays. We were finally able to get a map (since our neck of the woods wasn't on the map we got for free at the airport) so we decided to set off in search of the Cantillon lambic brewery. We started our walk from the Grand Place and amazingly managed to find the brewery without so much as a single wrong turn. Cantillon is a family run brewery that has been in operation since 1900. They still use the same brewing equipment and brewing methods and ardently defend the taste of their traditional lambic. Upon arrival we were given a spiel about the brewery before setting off on our self-guided tour. The spiel included the advice to 'forget what you know about what beer tastes like'. That immediately had me intrigued.

Lambic is a spontaneous fermented, unpasteurized beer that is aged for 3 years in oak barrels. The beer is cooled in a giant shallow copper cooling tank that is exposed to open air. Their literature describes the yeast as 'naturally occurring airborne yeast'. Unlike most lambics, Cantillon doesn't add sugar to their brew so the taste is quite sour compared to most beers.

At the end of our tour, we were able to taste the gueuze (the 'plain' lambic), as well as the raspberry and cherry versions (same beer with mashed fruit added). All were VERY different from 'normal' beer. I very much enjoyed their sour taste and more champagne-like mouth feel. We bought a bottle of the gueuze and cherry and headed back for D's nap.

After nap time, we jumped on the subway to check out the Atomium, a huge replica of an iron atom built for the 1958 World's Fair. You can pay to go inside the spheres (11 Euros each) and take in a view of the city, but since a storm was brewing (and that seems a bit steep) we passed and walked through the park instead. We took in the Prince's royal residence, the statue of Leopold, and what remains of the Japanese and Chinese pavilions from the fair.

For dinner Pat brought home rabbit in a peppercorn cream sauce, duck breast in prune sauce, a chocolate covered waffle, and coconut macaroons. Food coma.

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