04/07/2021
In the 1970s, light beer was served during school lunch
We all know Belgians love their beers, so something like this shouldn’t surprise us, right? In traditional Belgian culture, it was acceptable for everyone, including children, to drink a kind of light, ‘table beer’ as they drank their water and coffee. In fact, it was the norm until the 1970s, but it was eventually replaced by water and soft drinks. In the 21st century, many organizations tried to reinstate this custom citing that it is healthier than many types of soft drinks including juices which cause diabetes, cancer and all sorts of illness. For example, in 2001, a Flemish beer lovers’ club asked around 30 Belgian schools to change their fizzy drinks to this tafelbier or bière de table, beer with low-alcohol content (lower than 1.5%). Will it make a complete comeback? Only time will tell.
