The Hollander Café at 2608 N Downer on Milwaukee’s East side is not a brewery. It is, however, home to the largest selection of Belgian style ales, Lambics, Trappist Ales and Witbiers that I’ve ever seen. It also features a European style outside dining area to match the selection of European brews.

I chose their sampler of drafts - Trocadero White from Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery, and Tripel Karmeliet, Delirium Tremens and Hennepin Farmhouse Ale, all from Belgium. All of these ales featured the crisp light hopped bitterness and coriander/fruitiness you expect from Belgian style ales. Yet each of these brews has a distinctive flavor. The Tripel Karmeliet blanketed the tongue with a creamy smoothness. The Delirium Tremens had the brightest flavor with the lowest level of sweetness and fruitiness. Milwaukee’s Trocadero White was very light bodied, the lightest of the bunch. The coriander overtones stood out in the Trocadero, and the palate was flooded with a broad range of nice crisp and refreshing layers. The Hennepin Farmhouse Ale had more hop bitterness than the others, but was well-balanced with overtones of ginger and citrus.

I’d recommend a stop at the Hollander Café if you enjoy Belgium-style ales. Their menu is filled with page after page of outstanding beers from this region of the world. The Café features a number of the more well known ales, such as Lindemans, Hoegaarden, Chimay and Duvel. However the strength of its menu is in the breadth of Belgians from small breweries and communities. If you enjoy this style of ale, go to the Hollander. You won’t be disappointed. You can get a good idea of what they offer by visiting the Cafe Hollander website.