Belgium: For Every Beer, There is a Glass

The beer in Belgium is remarkably and consistently great.  Should you get the chance to visit the country, you should be prepared to have a beer with every meal--or at least the meals that take place in the afternoon or later.  On a recent trip there I was not much outside of the sights that visitors would be attracted to--the Grand Palace area in Brussels and the incredibly charming town of Brugge--but it was remarkable how many people were sitting outside at all hours of the day and night, enjoying Belgian beer.

What is remarkable about the beer?  It is flavorful, it is the body, it is the breadth of choice that is available everywhere, and it is the ubiguity with which everyone seems to enjoy it.  The other very fun aspect of beer in Belgium is how it is served--it seems that most, if not all, beers have their own glass.  The perfect vessel in which to enjoy each particular beer is prescribed.  I thought the system that is recommended for wines was complex, but that doesn't hold a candle to the beer glass collection one would have to amass to be able to serve a wide range of Belgian beer correctly.