Hop Duvel Ghent

If you’re into Belgian beer, Hop Duvel is the place to stock up. I remember the first time I went there, I walked through the doors and couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s more of a warehouse than a shop, and it’s piled high with crate upon crate of over 1000 beers, much more variety than you’ll ever find in a supermarket here. They have all the Trappists (but not always the elusive Westvleteren) and a large section dedicated to local beers (‘streekbieren’). And I like the prices too - depending on the beer, you can pay as little as 1-2 euros for a bottle, and if you buy more than 6 a discount kicks in.

Once you’ve finished looking round the beer section, definitely drop by the glasses and gifts. A lot of tourist shops in the centre sell the matching beer glasses, but of course they’re overpriced and they only have the big brands. Hop Duvel has a lot of lesser known brands so it’s a great place for a gift or souvenir. I always drop by if I need a housewarming present for beer-loving friends - their beautifully wrapped beer baskets always get oohs and ahhs at parties.

Hop Duvel also sells wines, home-brewing kits, various spirits, and has recently added a good range of gins, as this seems to be the latest on-trend aperitif in Ghent. For example, you can buy made-in-Ghent Ginderella which you won’t find in the supermarkets because it’s only sold in specialised drink stores like Hop Duvel.