By Molly Freedenberg

› molly@sfbg.com

My relationship with microbrews started early. Right around the time I got my first fake ID, my local liquor stores started carrying exotic, sophisticated alternatives to Bud Light and Miller Genuine Draft. Full Sail! Sierra Nevada! Newcastle! Who knew beer could be dark and complex, spicy and dry, or packaged in a 22-ounce bottle? (In those days, 12- or 40-ouncers were the only options. We also walked to school barefoot, uphill both ways, in the snow.) Almost overnight, I learned to distinguish between porters and lagers, pale ales and hefeweizens.

It wasn't long before I stumbled upon my first Belgian beer: Lindeman's Framboise Lambic, sweet as rapsberry juice and hearty as Guinness. I loved the taste, but I was even more enchanted with the story my know-it-all college roommate told: that this beer could only be made in one particular cave in Belgium, explaining both its distinctive taste and its high price tag.

It turns out my roommate's fanciful story was partly bullshit, but its essence was true. There's something special about Belgian beers — a combination of spice, place, history, and process — that is impossible to duplicate anywhere else. The framboise lambic I tasted in those days may not have come from one cave, but it most certainly was the product of special wild yeasts allowed to ferment in a nonsterile environment inside a barrel that had been used (thereby acquiring bacteria unique to its location) for centuries. Could you import the ingredients and make a similar product elsewhere? Sure. Would it be identical? Thanks to microclimates and different standards for brewing and technology, the answer is almost certainly no.

All of these factors, plus Belgium's historical dedication to the craft of artisanal beer, make brews from this region particularly distinctive — and also the Bay Area's favorite new trend in craft brewing.

Now it seems you can get Belgian beers almost anywhere (and, of course, even Budweiser is owned by Belgians now). You can order a Chimay at Revolution Café (3248 22nd St., SF. 415-642-0474, www.myspace.com/revcafe2006), Amnesia (853 Valencia, SF. 415-970-0012, www.amnesiathebar.com), or Lucky 13 (2140 Market, SF. 415-487-1313). Delerium Tremens is available at The 540 Club (540 Clement, SF. 415-752-7276, www.540-club.com), Hobson's Choice (1601 Haight, SF. 415-621-5859, www.hobsonschoice.com), and Thirsty Bear (661 Howard, SF. 415-974-0905, www.thirstybear.com). You can pick up a six-pack of Stella Artois at nearly any grocery or convenience store.

But the trend has hit enough of a tipping point that certain bars and restaurants are focusing even more intensely on brews from France's hat. The Monk's Kettle (3141 16th St., SF. 415-865-9523, www.monkskettle.com), the refreshingly upscale yet unpretentious new addition to the Mission's 16th Street corridor, offers 15 styles of Belgian ales, most of which are unavailable in other Bay Area bars (along with a surprisingly satisfying and fresh bar menu). La Trappe (800 Greenwich, SF. 415-440-8727, www.latrappecafe.com), with its café upstairs and beer cave downstairs, offers more than 100 varieties of Belgian beers. The East Bay's buzz is over The Trappist (460 Eighth St., Oakl. 510-238-8900, www.thetrappist.com), which has such a great selection and helpful staff that there are already complaints it's too small.

An even more casual option is the City Beer Store & Tasting Bar (1168 Folsom, SF. 415-503-1033, www.citybeerstore.com) on Folsom, where the after-work crowd gather to take bottles home or, for a $1 corkage fee, taste brews at one of the small café tables or the mini bar. For strictly take-home varieties, also try Healthy Spirits (2299 15th St., SF. 415-255-0610, healthy-spirits.blogspot.com) in the Castro.

New to Belgians? Or simply ready to move beyond the Stella-Chimay-Delerium trinity? Nat Cutler of Monk's Kettle's gives his recommendations:

If you like lighter American beers like PBR, Cutler suggests trying a White Beer, the Belgian version of a hefeweizen. Citrus characteristics, a bit of spice, and low alcohol levels make this an easy drinking beer. Try: La Grande Blanche, Blanche de Namur or Watou's Wit.

If you like the flavor and high alcohol content of red Chimay, take a chance on a pale ale style like De Ranke's XX Bitter or Poperings Hommelbier. Blue Chimay drinkers might prefer a strong dark ale like Trappistes Rochefore 8 or Gulden Draak. And fans of the elusive white Chimay might want to try a tripel style, such as La Fin du Monde or Westmalle Trappist Tripel.

Wine cooler, cider, and margarita lovers might lean toward the sweeter fruit-infused lambics. Many already are familiar with Lindemans or Saint-Louis raspberry and peach varieties, but the adventurous might also like offerings from Mort Subite, Belle-Vue, or Cantillon.

If you really want to go out on a limb, try some of Cutler's favorites. He recommends Flanders Red, a sour, fruit-infused reddish ale that's often described the most "winelike" of beers. Try Brouwerij Verhaeghe or Rodenbach Grand Cru. Another option is a dry, cidery Gueuze, made from a mixture of old and young lambics. Try varieties from Frank Boon and Cantillon.