The abbeys of Affligem, Maredsous, and Orval are examples. Cheese is produced under the Chimay name across the road from the abbey, but production is lay owned and operated. The idea of marrying beer and cheese is a difficult notion for many since wine has such an entrenched hold on the relationship. But the virtue of beer with cheese is fundamentally the same as wine. An acidic drink perfectly balances its flavors and cleanses the palate of fat.
Most people assume wine is acidic but few realize that beer is as well.
However, the sour beers of Belgium such as lambic and Flemish brown ales have a pH around 3.4, more tart than many wines. Belgians consider beer an eminently suitable partner for cheese and no self-respecting Belgian would forgo his beer in order to afford himself the pleasure of a good cheese. The result of this pairing is alchemical, as the godfather of Champagne knew. Tartine au fromage blanc is the traditional accompaniment to lambics. Again, in typical Belgian fashion, the dish is delicious in its simplicity.