Proost!

We've drank our fair share of Belgian beer since moving here. Probably more than our fair share. I've often said that I never drank beer until we moved to Belgium. Oh, I tasted a few beers in my life, but never considered more than a sip. They simply weren't good.

But that's all behind me now.

There are plenty of official competitions for voting and declaring the best beer in the world. The overall winner for 2011 is a Swedish beer, Narke Kaggen Stormaktsporter which we haven't tasted - yet. The Belgian beer, Westvletern 12 came in at #2 and we've tasted a lot of it. It is a very good, dark beer.

In 2009, it was the same two beers at the top. Ironically, these same two beers held these same positions in 2010 - except in reverse.

And so it goes. Sadly, these particular beers are simply not available in the States.

However, you can drink some fine beers in the States and many are made right here in Belgium.

Just a short walk from Ross's apartment in Leuven, Belgium is the headquarters of AB InBev. In 2010, this huge company had over $36 billion in revenue. The Leuven brewery has been around since the year 1366 and the familiar Anheuser-Busch has been around since 1852.

They now manage over 200 beers including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Bud Light, Becks, Hoegaarden, Michelob, Leffe, Jupiler.

While living in the States, we usually drank wine (and an occasional margarita:) and we amassed quite a collection of bottle corks. They are still around somewhere.

Since living in Belgium, we began a collection of not only wine corks, but we've also kept every bottle cap for those beers we drink at home*.

*does not include those we drink at cafes, pubs, and restaurants. ha.

Ross got this idea to see which beers are our favorite. We had a lot of fun sorting them all out.

Ross's favorite is Grimbergen Blond. That's the bright yellow caps.

My favorite is Kwak. That's the 6 rows at the top. But, but, I don't drink all those others!

Jim's favorite is, well, he likes them all.

Even if you don't get a chance to sample a Kwak, a Grimbergen, or a Westvleteren - if you see Leffe on tap in the States, try it. You won't be disappointed.

Proost! aka Cheers!