Brasserie Saint-Monon
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California
4.03/5 rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
4.03/5 rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
A bonus on our Wakefield CAMRA 2004 Belgium Trip was a last minute phonecall & a hastily arranged trip to the Brasserie Saint-Monon, thanks to our colleague & full-time Master of the Mash for the TigerTops Brewery, Barry Smith.
After an early start to the day (we had spent a few hours at Brasserie Fantôme & its Café) we were very lucky to be allowed a special visit to the Brasserie Saint-Monon & its small Bar cum sampling room. Located in Ambly, a beautiful quiet village set in some lovely agricultural countryside in the north of the Luxembourg province of Belgium, the Sun was shining as we pulled up outside the Farm complex that houses the Brasserie Saint-Monon.
Part of the new wave of Belgium Breweries set up in the latter part of the 1990s, Brasserie Saint-Monon was founded in 1996, when it was originally called Brasserie dAmbly; indeed it was listed as such in some older Editions of Tim Webbs Guide. Beers at that time were then preceded with the moniker of Saint-Monon, a 7th Century Scottish Monk who lived near Rochefort. After time, it was decided that the Brewery would be renamed with the successful brand name of some of its beers, though my notes failed to make note of when the change actually happened but it was quite recently.
The Brewer, & owner, Pierre Jacob met us at the front of the large renovated, & recently extended, brick built barn building that houses the Brewery. Pierre Jacob set up the Brewery in the barn at the back of his Parents Farmhouse, & has subsequently turned it into a successful operation, allowing him (with his Brother) to completely renovate the building to its current condition. An old archway has been filled in with a large paneled window to form the entrance to the small Bar cum sampling room. This opens at various times, which currently change, but it is planned to settle these hours down & make this a regular Bar where passers by & visitors can sample the Breweries fares. The sign above the archway simply says FERME BRASSERIE whilst the windows have the words Brasserie Saint-Monon etched on them, together with a picture of the BS-M Logo, a Horse pulling an old style wooden built Brewery Dray complete with its mounted wooden Casks.
Inside the small long rectangular bar which now occupies what was once an archway, the walls are all exposed brick & stone. Lots of original Breweriana fill the walls, a full crate of old Rochefort bottles & a very rare Ekla Pils (long defunct) Brewery Tray (which incidentally is the same as the outdoor sign above Le Zageman in Brussels). The small bar counter is to your left, two taps for draft beer & bottles for sale. To the left a large arrangement & display in an alcove includes many of the bottled offerings from the Brewery, some still labeled as Brasserie dAmbly I noted. Saint-Monon also contract & special brew to order for a small range of Clients. Down the right hand side of the room are many chairs & benches together with some impressive home-made Tables made from large slices of tree trunks placed atop BS-M Plastic Crates maybe we will see this funky style of furniture in IKEA one day! The entrance to the Brewery is through a door at the back of the bar area, the restroom (singular!) is to the right at the back. The Brewery is a very clean & compact affair built on the gravity (Tower) principle with the main vessels above each other & as with many Belgium Breweries; they have their own bottling plant, which was proudly demonstrated in action during our Tour.
After the Tour we headed back to the Sampling room & partook of many of the Breweries offerings. S-M Ambrée, Brune, Au Miel (with Honey), Cuvée de la Jonquille (daffodils??), Rendux Brune, Saint Hubert Cuvée de la Chasse, Li Berwette, Li Berwette Di Noye (2003 Xmas), LAvinoise & a contract brew called La Malagne brewed exclusively for the Archaeopark in Rochefort amongst others. Samplers were available for the 3 regular BS-M beers, but we soon started buying the lesser seen contract brews & specials as our thirst grew & the sampling turned into something of a mini session.
As we were all leaving, we managed to see two generations of the Breweries transport. At the front a Toyota Corolla Rally Car, sponsored in part by BS-M sat proudly in the scorching Sun, then round the side of the Barn that houses the Brewery, there it was! The actual Brewery Dray that is shown on all the Breweries beer labels, & very impressive it looked, located in a partly covered wooden lean-too outhouse.
It appears that the small bar cum sampling room opens frequently, but (currently) at irregular times to allow sales of the bottled beers to the general public, as well as acting as a small get together for the locals. Hours are, as yet, not regular or advertised but will be we were told. So if youre passing, give them a call & if they are open pop by. The beers are extremely competent, the service friendly, the range is varied & the prices are a bargain!
Last Visit: Sunday 11th April, 2004.
Apr 28, 2004After an early start to the day (we had spent a few hours at Brasserie Fantôme & its Café) we were very lucky to be allowed a special visit to the Brasserie Saint-Monon & its small Bar cum sampling room. Located in Ambly, a beautiful quiet village set in some lovely agricultural countryside in the north of the Luxembourg province of Belgium, the Sun was shining as we pulled up outside the Farm complex that houses the Brasserie Saint-Monon.
Part of the new wave of Belgium Breweries set up in the latter part of the 1990s, Brasserie Saint-Monon was founded in 1996, when it was originally called Brasserie dAmbly; indeed it was listed as such in some older Editions of Tim Webbs Guide. Beers at that time were then preceded with the moniker of Saint-Monon, a 7th Century Scottish Monk who lived near Rochefort. After time, it was decided that the Brewery would be renamed with the successful brand name of some of its beers, though my notes failed to make note of when the change actually happened but it was quite recently.
The Brewer, & owner, Pierre Jacob met us at the front of the large renovated, & recently extended, brick built barn building that houses the Brewery. Pierre Jacob set up the Brewery in the barn at the back of his Parents Farmhouse, & has subsequently turned it into a successful operation, allowing him (with his Brother) to completely renovate the building to its current condition. An old archway has been filled in with a large paneled window to form the entrance to the small Bar cum sampling room. This opens at various times, which currently change, but it is planned to settle these hours down & make this a regular Bar where passers by & visitors can sample the Breweries fares. The sign above the archway simply says FERME BRASSERIE whilst the windows have the words Brasserie Saint-Monon etched on them, together with a picture of the BS-M Logo, a Horse pulling an old style wooden built Brewery Dray complete with its mounted wooden Casks.
Inside the small long rectangular bar which now occupies what was once an archway, the walls are all exposed brick & stone. Lots of original Breweriana fill the walls, a full crate of old Rochefort bottles & a very rare Ekla Pils (long defunct) Brewery Tray (which incidentally is the same as the outdoor sign above Le Zageman in Brussels). The small bar counter is to your left, two taps for draft beer & bottles for sale. To the left a large arrangement & display in an alcove includes many of the bottled offerings from the Brewery, some still labeled as Brasserie dAmbly I noted. Saint-Monon also contract & special brew to order for a small range of Clients. Down the right hand side of the room are many chairs & benches together with some impressive home-made Tables made from large slices of tree trunks placed atop BS-M Plastic Crates maybe we will see this funky style of furniture in IKEA one day! The entrance to the Brewery is through a door at the back of the bar area, the restroom (singular!) is to the right at the back. The Brewery is a very clean & compact affair built on the gravity (Tower) principle with the main vessels above each other & as with many Belgium Breweries; they have their own bottling plant, which was proudly demonstrated in action during our Tour.
After the Tour we headed back to the Sampling room & partook of many of the Breweries offerings. S-M Ambrée, Brune, Au Miel (with Honey), Cuvée de la Jonquille (daffodils??), Rendux Brune, Saint Hubert Cuvée de la Chasse, Li Berwette, Li Berwette Di Noye (2003 Xmas), LAvinoise & a contract brew called La Malagne brewed exclusively for the Archaeopark in Rochefort amongst others. Samplers were available for the 3 regular BS-M beers, but we soon started buying the lesser seen contract brews & specials as our thirst grew & the sampling turned into something of a mini session.
As we were all leaving, we managed to see two generations of the Breweries transport. At the front a Toyota Corolla Rally Car, sponsored in part by BS-M sat proudly in the scorching Sun, then round the side of the Barn that houses the Brewery, there it was! The actual Brewery Dray that is shown on all the Breweries beer labels, & very impressive it looked, located in a partly covered wooden lean-too outhouse.
It appears that the small bar cum sampling room opens frequently, but (currently) at irregular times to allow sales of the bottled beers to the general public, as well as acting as a small get together for the locals. Hours are, as yet, not regular or advertised but will be we were told. So if youre passing, give them a call & if they are open pop by. The beers are extremely competent, the service friendly, the range is varied & the prices are a bargain!
Last Visit: Sunday 11th April, 2004.
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