USA & Belgium: Belgian beer expected to generate revenue of $3.3 bln this year in the US

U.S. sales of beers brewed in Belgium are expected to generate revenue of $3.3 billion this year, according to statista.com. That may seem like a huge amount, but many, and likely most, American consumers are unfamiliar with prized Trappist beers and other beers brewed in the small European country.

The U.S. beer market is huge, so the unfamiliarity may be understandable. Revenues from all beers sold in the USA this year are expected to exceed $133 billion, statista says.

Many Americans got their first tastes of Belgian-brewed beer after Stella Artois was imported into the USA. The lager was first introduced in 1999, says Pennsylvania importer LT Verrastro. The beer is now owned by Anheuser-Busch and brewed for Americans in the United States.

The influential website Beer Advocate says Stella Artois is “okay” and gives it a 72 grade on a 100-point scale, a score far below many of Belgium’s highest-rated beers.

Belgium’s Trappist beers score 93 and higher and are designated as “outstanding” and “world-class.” Brewed at abbeys, the country’s five Trappist beers are Chimay, Rochefort, Westvletern, Westmalle and Orval. All except Westvleteren can be bought at U.S. retail stores.

“Belgium's beer market is unique due to its long-standing brewing traditions and the presence of Trappist breweries,” statista says in its market report. “Trappist beers, brewed by monks within the walls of their monasteries, hold a special place in Belgian beer culture. These beers are highly regarded for their quality and authenticity, and they contribute to the country's reputation as a beer lover's paradise. The Trappist breweries adhere to strict production methods and use traditional recipes, ensuring that their beers maintain their distinctive character.”

Besides Belgium’s five Trappist beers, seven others sold by abbeys in other European countries carry an "Authentic Trappist Product" logo, according to the International Trappist Association. The seven are La Trappe and Zundert (both in the Netherlands), Mount St. Bernard (England), Mont des Cats (brewed by Chimay and bottled in France); Cardeña (Spain) and Tre Fontane (Italy).

Belgian-Style Ales is the USA’s largest online Belgian beer store and its best-selling product is a Belgian Classics Sampler, says Will Keller, the company’s founder and owner emeritus who recently sold the business. The sampler costs $42.95 and consists of six 11.2-ounce bottles. The six are St. Bernardus Abt 12 and five Trappist ales: Chimay Grand Reserve, Orval, Rochefort 10, Westmalle Dubbel and Westmalle Tripel.

“My favorite Trappist beers are Rochefort, especially the Rochefort 10, which is so strong and complex,” Keller says. “However, I enjoy lighter beers too, such as pale ales like Chimay Doree and Westmalle Extra.”

Keller says he founded Belgian-Style Ales after enjoying English and German beers imported into the USA in the 1980s and the explosion of the American craft beer movement in the 1990s.

“I became fascinated by Belgian beers and their tremendous range of styles — from quadrupels with a strength of 11% ABV to fruit lambics that are less than 3%,” he recalls. “Their brewing methods were fascinating, too, especially open vat fermentation, which incorporated nature’s flora. Also, many Belgian beers can be aged. Some have ‘best by’ dates more than 15 years away. That’s so different from the IPAs that fuel the American beer scene!”

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