Belgo Belgian Craft Beer

Belgo was started in Ho Chi Minh City by two Belgians, Gauthier Lagasse and Francois Schwennicke, who saw common ground between Vietnam's beer-drinking culture and Belgium's. They opened their first pub in November 2016 and shipped a whole brewery from Belgium to Vietnam, which began brewing after import delays. The beer follows traditional Belgian methods and recipes, sometimes with Vietnamese fruit, under Belgian brewmaster Gert Keersmaekers, who trained at the Stella school in Leuven. Belgo bills itself as the first and only Belgian craft brewery in Vietnam. A standalone brewery supplies its own pubs as well as more than 200 bars and restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores in Vietnam, with sales in Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia and Singapore. In 2022 it made headlines with a vending machine on one of the city's busiest streets that took a can of mass-market beer in exchange for a Belgo.

The beers

• Belgo Blonde, Belgian blonde with two malts, two hops and a secret herb, 5.9%
• Belgo Amber, amber, 5.1%
• Belgo Wit, witbier with kumquat, Persian lime and cumin, 4.8%
• Belgo Saison, saison, 6.3%
• Belgo Royale, tripel, 7.6%
• Belgo Session IPA, session IPA, 4.9%

The range also includes an Artisan Pilsner at 5.2%, a low-strength Belgo Cherry, the dark Belgo Black and the 10% Belgo Full Moon, a spiced dark ale released as a limited edition, plus occasional Grand Cru bottles. Bottles and cans are sold in shops and online.

Where to drink it

The original Belgo pub is Belgo Belgian Craft Beer, Da Kao at 159A Nguyen Van Thu in District 1, with Belgian food such as mussels and frites. Other Belgo pubs are on Le Ngo Cat in District 3, on Phan Xich Long in Phu Nhuan (opened 2021) and in a colonial building on Ton That Thiep in District 1 (2023). In March 2026 a Belgo Brasserie opened at Central Groove in Bangkok. Elsewhere in Saigon, Belgo is a guest beer at Malt Saigon and BiaCraft (Thao Dien), and in Hanoi the Belgo range is on tap at Peachy Craft Beer and Coffee near Hoan Kiem Lake. All of these are listed below.