Belgium is a country populated in the North by Flemish speaking people (basically Dutch) and in the South by French speaking people.

Belgian ales cover a large range of styles including Trappist, Abbey, Pils, Bock, Wheat, Blonde & Golden, Lambic, Amber, Tripel, Dubbel, Grand Cru, Flemish Red, Oud Bruin, Saison, Winter & Xmas and Fruit Beers.

Bière de Garde ("beer for keeping") is a strong pale ale or keeping beer traditionally brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. These beers were originally brewed in farmhouses (they are known as Farmhouse ales/Saison) during the winter and spring, to avoid unpredictable problems with the yeast during the summertime.

Trappist beers are made within the walls of Trappist monasteries under the supervision of monks. There can be no commercial investment. And a majority of the net proceeds must be given away. Abbey beers are made by commercial breweries with naming rights & recipes licensed from the abbeys. These are not beers made within the walls of the monastery.

Belgian yeast strains are very sensitive to temperature. Beers made with them must be kept above 18.4°C to avoid a stuck or slow fermentation.

The most common hops used are Belgian grown: Kent Golding, Fuggle, Brewer's Gold, Styrian Golding, German grown: Hersbrucker, Tettnang & Mittlefrueh with US and German grown: Magnum & Nugget. French grown Strisselspalt is starting to make a comeback in the French ales.