In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst voted best bar in Belgium

The renowned In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst (Insurance against a Great Thirst) has been chosen as the best bar in Belgium by the influential website RateBeer.com.

The cafe, which specialises in the lambic-based beers for which the area in famous, is located in Eizeringen, a district of Lennik in Flemish Brabant. In de Verzekering also came in at the top of the list of the best bars on RateBeer in 2014 and 2015, second only to Kulminator in Antwerp.

RateBeer has given out annual awards since 2002, based on the votes of its members throughout the previous year. The site’s database contains millions of reviews from users all over the world, covering more than 470,000 beers from more than 26,000 brewers.

Also on the best bars list this year for Belgium is ’t Brugs Beertje and Café Rose Red in Bruges and both Moeder Lambic locations in Brussels.

Struise brewery in Vleteren, West Flanders, was named best brewery in the country, as well as taking five gold medals for individual beers. Their Cuvée Delphine was named best beer in Belgium. Struise also joined 3 Fonteinen of Beersel and Cantillon of Brussels in the Top 100 of the best brewers in the world.

In de Verzekering, meanwhile, is only open from 10.00 to 13.30 on Sundays, but still draws patrons from across the country as well as dozens of tourists every week to enjoy its special atmosphere and decor, unchanged for 175 years. It’s offering a bonus right now, however: In honour of its 175th anniversary, it will be open until 20.00 on Sundays until 26 March.

Photo courtesy De Standaard