Brussels:  Beer has always been one of Belgiums biggest money-spinners but now Brussels is going a step further, announcing plans on Thursday to open a temple to the amber nectar in its old stock exchange building. The “Temple of Belgian Beer” project finds a use for the grand 19th century building near the Belgian capitals famed Grand Place, which is fronted by corinthian columns and resembles a classical temple.

The Brussels Bourse was abandoned by stockbrokers in 1996 after the computerisation of the financial markets and then became a site for temporary exhibitions.”Beer is to Belgium what wine is to France, it gives our small country a real identity,” Sven Gatz, the president of the brewers  federation said.

Belgium has around 150 breweries turning out anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 different beers ranging from red to golden ales and sour cherry froth, lagers to stouts and lambic beers.