FROM a distance, the conical green plants reminded me of the rows of Fraser firs in the North Carolina mountains, but that didn't make sense here in the flatlands of western Belgium. I'd seen demonstration hops grown at American breweries, but never fields of them and certainly not more than 20 feet (6m) high.

We were on what we would thereafter call our "Stop and Smell the Hops" trip, a five-night tour combining two of our favorite things: bikes and beer.

As the planner of this little adventure, I was initially overwhelmed by the options. There are 168 breweries in Belgium and counting, many run by families for generations. Where to start?