A Toast to the Trappist Life
This Thursday, something sacred is brewing on the banks of the Ohio River.
Sure, Cincinnati has beer festivals. It has bourbon tours, breweries, tap takeovers, and more high-gravity pints than you can shake a pretzel at. But on May 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., something different is happening. Something reverent. Something imported.
Taste of Belgium at The Banks is becoming a Belgian monastery in spirit—and everyone’s invited for an evening that pairs ancient brewing tradition with modern patio vibes. And at the center of it all? A man so closely associated with Chimay beer that some suspect he may have been baptized in it: Luc “Bobo” Van Mechelen, Chimay’s longtime ambassador and unofficial “Monk Whisperer.”
Welcome to the most trappist-chic happy hour in America.
What’s So Special About Chimay?
To the uninitiated, Chimay might just seem like another import with a fancy glass. But to the beer world, Chimay is sacred ground—one of just 14 breweries on Earth allowed to carry the “Authentic Trappist Product” seal. That means the beer isn’t just Belgian, it’s monastically Belgian—brewed by monks inside the Abbaye de Scourmont, using centuries-old recipes and techniques, with profits supporting both the monastery and charitable causes.
In a beer landscape dominated by hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and hard seltzers, Chimay remains unbothered. Unrushed. Undiluted. Each variety—Rouge (red), Bleue (blue), Blanche (white), and Dorée (gold)—tells its own story of rich malt, deep fruit, and abbey-crafted balance. They’re not beers to chug; they’re beers to contemplate.
And while Chimay is often found in bottles on high-end beer shelves, there’s only one place in the entire U.S. where you can find all four Chimay brews on tap year-round—Taste of Belgium at The Banks in Cincinnati.
That alone makes Thursday’s event a rarity. But the presence of Bobo makes it unforgettable.
Who Is Bobo, and Why Does He Matter?
Luc “Bobo” Van Mechelen is something between a roving Trappist professor and a Belgian beer bard. For nearly two decades, he’s traveled the world championing Chimay—not as a marketer, but as a passionate storyteller, connecting people to the monks, the methods, and the meaning behind every pour.
He can speak fluent English, French, and Dutch, but his true language is beer. When Bobo talks about Chimay, it’s not salesmanship—it’s reverence. He’s been known to captivate tasting rooms and beer halls alike with tales from the abbey, bits of brewing lore, and generous helpings of laughter.
To meet Bobo is to be reminded that beer can be cultural, historical, even spiritual. That hospitality is a noble art. That drinking well is different than drinking a lot.
This isn’t your average “pint night.”
This is golden hour on the Banks, with river views and authentic Belgian glassware. It’s:
All four Chimay brews on tap—Rouge, Bleue, Blanche, and Dorée.
Chimay Flights, for those who want to taste them all in one sitting.
Free Chimay glassware with your purchase (while supplies last—don't lag).
Live beer chats with Bobo, where you can ask him anything from, “What food pairs best with Chimay Bleue?” to “Did the monks really invent this?”
Stories, selfies, and souvenirs you won’t get anywhere else.
It’s a come-as-you-are event for beer lovers, the beer-curious, and anyone looking to unwind on a Thursday evening with something more meaningful than your typical happy hour.
In a fast-paced, algorithmically curated world, Chimay represents something rare: intentionality. The monks who brew it don’t chase trends. They don’t launch seasonal flavors or viral TikTok campaigns. They just make beer—carefully, prayerfully, and with the understanding that good things take time.
Events like this give us a window into that philosophy. They slow us down, invite us to savor instead of scroll, and remind us that beer, at its best, is about community.
Bobo, with his warm Belgian heart and encyclopedic knowledge, is more than a brand rep. He’s a bridge between drinkers and the deeper traditions behind what’s in their glass. He’s not here to sell you on Chimay; he’s here to invite you into its story.
So this Thursday, skip your usual post-work bar stool. Instead, find your way to The Banks. Order something brewed by monks. Listen to Bobo tell a tale that starts in an abbey and ends with a toast. Take home a Chimay glass, filled with more than just beer memories.
And when you lift that glass again at home—whether days or decades later—you’ll remember a golden evening in Cincinnati where history, hops, and hospitality collided.
Santé, Cincinnati. You’ve earned it.