1. After 22 years, Rodenbach Brewery is closing its party hall Ter Eeste in Roeselare where many wedding parties were organized. Rodenbach wants to redefine their beer tourism offer. 2. In Memoriam Fred Waltman. My dear beer friend Fred Waltman passed away in 2023 and in order to commemorate him, KBF in Essen (Belgium) ordered a local brewery to make a special brew for this special person: Cuvée Waltman, a West Coast IPA aged on calvados barrels (9% ABV), got elected second best beer at the latest Christmas Beer Festival (KBF) in Essen. Cheers to you, Fred! 3. 3 Fonteinen might be in financial trouble since they dismissed many members of staff. Price for their beer increased by 30% in the past few months/years. 4. Brewery Hof Ten Dormaal received accounting and business advice in a TV program and is benefiting from the advice given. Hoping for their success in the future. 5. The amount of breweries in Belgium decreased down to 417 in 2023 (430 in 2022). Nowadays, breweries in Belgium are experiencing tough times. 6. The amount of cafés in Antwerp decreased by more than 40% in 15 years: from 420 in 2009 to 180 in 2024. Tough times, also for (beer) bars in Antwerp. 7. Belgium is known for its high taxes and excise. No excise is indebted for non-alcohol beer and the Belgian tax system is missing out quite some excise due to the increase of non-acohol beer volume.
1. De Gebrande Winning in Sint-Truiden was voted again as Best Beer Restaurant. I must say: it is always a treat to dine there: https://degebrandewinning.be/en/node/1 2. Recently, I received some beers from a very small brewery in Vosselaar. One was drain pour, the rest was more than 'just decent': https://foxtown.be/. And a nice tasting glass. 3. Duivelsbier is a dark brown strong ale (8%) linked to Carnival and a giant called Vaantjesboer; it is brewed since 1883. Brewery Boon in Lembeek started brewing this beer decades later and wants to relaunch this beer internationally by exporting it to Italy, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, South Korea. 4. There is a new stout in town: Gulden Draak Imperial Stout (12%) from Brewery Van Steenberge. 5. In Brussels, there is a political debate about the low number of visitors in the Brussels Museum Belgan Beer World. Ladida. 6. The High Health Commission has given an advice to prohibit any alcohol-related marketing and publicity and to determine a minimum price per alcohol unit (10 g of ethanol) in order to control damages from alcohol consumption. Belgian brewers are unhappy with the advice, indicating that these measures would jeopardize Unesco recognized Belgian beer culture seriously. 7. Braupakt, a collab brew between Brewery Sint-Bernardus and Weihenstephan 8. Laudatio for Frank Boon, giving him credentials for what he has done for Belgian beer culture throughout his career. He will receive a trophy called Het Gulden Hamerken. 9. Brewery Glazen Toren is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is forced to move the whole brewery from Erpe-Mere to Erembodegem due to lack of space at the old venue.
If everything works out, I'll be in Belgium for a bike trip in September, so the news is much appreciated. De Gebrande Winning looks like it could be on my route so might end up as one of my stops. Speaking of food and beer, has anyone visited Brouwerij Sint Idesbald or Mondieu in Koksijde? I just heard about them on Belgian Smaak and it looks like a great spot to spend some time. Beers look to be under Huyghe, though there's also brewing equipment on site.
I was there a few weeks ago. Not much to see at the “museum” for anyone who already knows anything about beer. The pull is the beautiful old Bourse building and the roof-top beer at the end. A tourist trap really. One that we went in for only after exhausting our to-do list
1. First Trappist Market next weekend, 06/07-06/09/2024 at La Trappe in Koningshoeven (Netherrlands), not only focussing on beer but also on cheese, chocolate, soap and bread. Also workshops on beer and food pairing. Launch of a new beer of Tynt Meadow. 2. Regardless of oversupplies of hops worldwide, a West Flemish farmer (5th generation) with confidence in the future is building a new hop field. His father built the last hop field in 1985. 3. Het Foederhuis in Rodenbach Brewery in Roeselare will be the new hotspot for food and beer 4. Brewmaster Rudi Ghequire retired recently after 42 years at Rodenbach Brewery. 5. Toer de Geuze 2024 was fabulous. Worth mentioning is Lambiek Brewery Den Herberg, especially their 2 super Oude Geuze blends Thevenet and Geus Genereus. 6. The Brewers's House (Brouwershuis) in Antwerp will become an educational beer center about (the history of) beer brewing. The house will re-open in 2027 (or later?) after restauration. 7. Brussels beer bar Gist is a collective café with 18 taps. 8. 25th Anniversary of The Musketeers Brewery (Troubadour beers). 9. Newly discovered breweries: Norm, Leopold 7. 10. De Oude Maalderij is closing down. Its founder sold his collection of aged beers (3000 bottles) to THE beer bard in Bruges, 't Brugs Beertje.
Long time no post in this thread. Here we go. 1. Lindemans Pure Oude Geuze There are some tendencies in Lambiekland: - higher ABV - new types of fruit (rhubarb, figs, different kinds of berries and grapes) - older aged lambieks (up to 7 yrs, thanks to Covid-19) 2. Some new alcohol free beers, including from brewery Haacht and The Musketeers 3. New glass of Westmalle Extra 4. A few weeks ago, Westmalle could be booked for a visit from the public for the first time in 230 yrs. 1,250 duo tickets were sold out in 160 seconds. 5. Decrease in beer production and export in Belgium 6. Not beer news from Belgium but beer news anyway: hop production in Germany is bigger than in the US 7. Brewery Crow Mountain brewed a special liberation beer 80yrs after WWII: Maple Bier Tripel. 8. Belgian breweries are in financial trouble: 1) Haacht Co.Br.Ha. 2) De Struise Brouwers 3) En Stoemelings 4) Duvel
Demand dropping in Belgium AND abroad. In fact, it is a worldwide phenomenon. More breweries will follow in 2024..
1. I forgot to mention in my previous posts: August 16 is the patron saint for beer brewers: St. Arnoldus. Let us organise a worldwide tasting next August 16, i.e. in 2025. 2. Today, September 5, brewery De Brabandere has its 130th anniversary and its staff surprised the owners with publicity panels at bus stops, expressing congratulations. 3. September 6-8: Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels. Simultaneously (mere coincidence), Brussels Beer Project is also organizing a beer festival in Brussels called "Wanderlust" (50 breweries). 4. Bad news: brewery Het Nest (brewing playing cards beers) is cutting down on staff and beers and will mainly be focusing on low ABV beers, including 0.0% beer. 3 members of staff are dismissed, 4 will stay. I especially liked their high ABV beers.
4. Bad news: brewery Het Nest (brewing playing cards beers) is cutting down on staff and beers and will mainly be focusing on low ABV beers, including 0.0% beer. 3 members of staff are dismissed, 4 will stay. I especially liked their high ABV beers. Too bad for the employees.... ...and the bier... I enjoyed a couple last year, a Tripel and a Grand Cru... hope they retain some of the "cards"... Prost
Another in the litany of bad news. I agree about Het Nest. I always found their 10 of Clubs to be excellent and distinct, even as attention wandered away from the quad style. Their other stuff varied but a few stood out from the pack. Thinking about some of the other tough financial times, above, I'm not really terribly surprised by any. Struise in particular is, well ... I haven't thought about them in a long time. Then again, they were never as big in Belgium as in the US. (Not because they were unworthy.) And the Belgian beer brand (speaking generically) doesn't sell like it used to. So, if I'd thought of them, I'd've thought them vulnerable. A pity. Haacht and Duvel aren't going to go anywhere, even if they have to shrink, they have more than enough local market to carry on. En Stoemelings is disappointing, but it has always felt young and fragile, to me, even if they now seem like graybeards in Brussels compared to so many breweries that've opened here since they did. I like their stuff and would hate to see it disappear entirely, even if I'll stop seeing it in my grocery and stuff. I grabbed some bottles right before they announced selling off the equipment, as it happens. My god, if they completely disappear, will anyone take up their great bilingual motto — it's just soooo Brussel.(Feels like a double whammy, too, after losing the unrelated but favorite Stoemelings bar.) P.S. If any BAs are going to Wanderlust on Saturday, drop me a beer mail
- A new version of Gouden Carolus Indulgence, its 10th edition: Margaretha, a blend of the Gouden Carolus Classic (or Imperial Dark?) and a Flemish red brown beer, then macerated on sour cherries for some months. It is actually a collab brew between Het Anker (Mechelen) and Verhaeghe (Vichte). I suspect that there were no sour cherries involved, but I could be mistaking. - Brewery for sale: brewery Het Anker in Mechelen is looking for a new owner - annual proceeds: € 21 million (2023) - net profits: € 500,000 - staff: +/- 100 employees. The purchase/acquisitioning is in its initial phase and there are several different parties interested. Hopefully, it will end up in solid hands. - Rodenbach Brewery starts Blend Your Own Rodenbach. - Toerism Flemish Brabant is starting the Month of Lambic as of 10/25 until 11/24, organizing all kinds of tours, walks, expositions, brewery and blendery visits: https://www.toerismevlaamsbrabant.be/thema/maand-van-de-lambiek/
