Belgian Independence Day is July 21. Who cares? Well, just about everyone who likes good beer. It's cause to celebrate at your favorite beer bar over the next week (starting Friday). More than a dozen beer havens will offer special releases and flights for Belgian Independence Week. Several bars, such as Pig & Fiddle, Buster's and Grumpy's NE will have Belgian glass giveaways. Flights and mini tap takeovers will be available at Muddy Pig, Happy Gnome, Blackbird, Devil's Advocate, Blue Nile and Acadia, to name a few (check with each bar for their schedule and offerings). My friends over at www.mnbeer.com have a complete list of events here. What can you expect at these bars? Here are some highlights from just one of the Twin Cities' most Belgian-y bars, Pig & Fiddle in south Minneapolis:

July 13: Release of Ommegang Biere D'Hougoumont
July 14: Duvel art glass giveaway – buy 2 Duvels, get a glass
July 16: Maredsous flight night
July 17: Ommegang flight night
July 18: St. Arnoldous Day beer dinner
July 19: Liefmans flight night
July 20: All flights available plus get a raffle ticket for every beer you buy.
July 21: Belgian Independence day Collaboration release night & commemorative glass give away.

There's also a bike bar crawl July 21. It starts at the Muddy Pig and will make stops at Harriet Brewing, Town Hall Tap and ends at Pig & Fiddle.

(Photo by Courtney Parry)