The beer that requires footwear as a deposit

The classic Brown Bar in Ghent, Belgium has found a way to prevent the theft of glassware.

Dulle Griet

Probably the most popular bar in Ghent is Dulle Griet. A typical Belgian brown bar (dark walls, creaky wooden floors, old chairs, etc) with lots of added kitsch like dolls, not to mention shoes, hanging from the ceiling is filled with both tourists and locals.

There’s 500 beers to choose from at Dulle Griet, but most tourists come for just one; Max. The Max beer comes in a light and dark style, neither of which is particularly interesting from a flavor standpoint. What’s unique is the way it’s served.

When you order a Max, you have to surrender one of your shoes as a deposit. Apparently, so many customers were walking away with distinctive glassware the beer is served in, that they had to take this extraordinary step to keep the flagon from disappearing.

It’s easy to see why people wanted a souvenir stein from Dulle Griet. The glass is huge, maybe a meter in length and shaped like an elongated hourglass, held in place with a wooden frame.

We paid 14 Euro for one Max, which, frankly, is surprisingly reasonable considering that there’s over 2.5 pints in the monster container.

If you’re thinking that’s more beer than you want to drink, there are plenty of other options and it’s still fun to sit at the bar and watch people walk around with one shoe on and the other off like “Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.”

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird. He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.