No other country has as many different kinds of beer as Belgium. There are about 120 breweries in Belgium, brewing about 500 different beers. 

It is claimed that the research of a Benedictine monk, Father Arnold, in the 1000s is behind the monastery beers. He wondered why the wealthy burghers and aristocracy were noticeably less sick than the common folk.

He came to the conclusion that those who were better off were able to quench their thirst with beer instead of bad quality water. The cleric's solution naturally was to produce lots of healthy thirst quenchers for the common folk.

Father Arnold set an example by avoiding water and drinking beer (in moderation). Thanks to him, for example, a serious plague epidemic was conquered.

The English beer guru, Michael Jackson has stated that such an array of quality beers can be found in no other country than Belgium. This explains why Belgians drink the most beer in Europe surpassing even the English and Germans.