Belgian Beer News (2023)

Some random Belgian beer news I found here in Belgium recently.
- Brussels Beer Challenge will be organized in the City of Turnhout in Belgium around the beginning of November 2023 in combination with the annual Turnhoutse Bierfeesten
- Publicity stunt: here in the supermarkets, prices for a bottle of Duvel (33 cl) went down and 1 bottle costs
€ 1.12
- Achel is no longer a trappist beer. The new investor will still be brewing Achel beer at the abbey without changing the recipe.
- New Lambic Breweries:
* Kerstemont in Dilbeek: his father is a fruit farmer and all fruit types (excluding apricot which comes from Italy) are coming from their own orchard (https://www.brouwerijkestemont.be/).
* Taymans in Jette: 6 brothers are creating a revival of their grandfather's lambiek brewery (https://www.brasserie-taymans-brouwerij.be/nl_BE)
- Café Trappisten Westmalle is celebrating its 100th anniversary (03/23/1923), creating a gin named '1923' (distilled Westmalle Tripel), by the summer a dark elixir based on Westmalle Dubbel and by September a distillation of Westmalle Dubbel & Tripel.

 

- Zythos Bierfestival 2023 will not be organized in Leuven but in Kortrijk. The City of Leuven withdrew its sponsorship and ZBF will relocate to Kortrijk (April 22-23, 2023).
- The Brussels beer bar Goudblommeke in Papier will re-open by mid May 2023 after its bankruptcy in August 2022 (including due to covid-19).
- Last year, a blend of several Oudbruin beers was brewed/assembled in the foot steps of Megablend Oude Geuze: Verzet Oud Bruin Megablend 2022 (sorry, not tasted yet)

 

32 Belgian brewers are touring the US in order to promote Belgian beers and to counter decreasing Belgian export figures to the US

 

8 days ago, I read a newspaper article about their roadtrip in the US: Belgian Beer Week USA. I cannot find any exact travel plan but they are visiting Florida and Washington DC
(Source: https://www.editiepajot.com/regios/9/articles/77621)

 

- The investor who purchased the Achel abbey guarantees to keep on brewing Achel beer (no longer a trappist) without changing the recipes. Wait and see.
- Because Westvleteren monks are tired of beerhunters and exhuberant prices for their beers, 240 000 bottles will be sold at normal prices in the Netherlands.
- Great beer restaurant in Antwerp: Restaurant Piétrain
- Today 5/26 in Europe: International Neighbors Day. I will sit on a chair on the sidewalk in front of my house, sipping, savoring and pooring some beers. Cheers to all!

 

Always welcome to sit at a table and taste beer together. Just pm me your travel schedule and I will see what I can do for you.

 

IMHO interesting Belgian beer news:
- In honor of the late 'Madame Rosa', a lady-brewmaster at Liefmans Breweries for decades who passed away in May 2023 and whose 'body beer' was Liefmans Goudenband, Liefmans Breweries will launch Madame Rose Kriek Brut Xtra in August 2023. The picture below is from a Belgian newspaper and the painting in the picture is from the sublime hand of Kris Herteleer (De Dolle Brouwers) depicting Madame Rosa (and not Rose!). Available at some Belgian supermarkets.

- Because the Westmalle tavern accross the road from Westmalle Abbey and Brewery is dating from 1923, 3 alcoholic beverages are launched this year: a gin '1923' distilled from Westmalle Tripel (launched in March 2023), a jubilee elixir based on Westmalle Dubbel (launched in August 2023) and a brandy based on both Westmalle Dubbel & Tripel (to be launched by end 2023). Collector's items at a capacity of 1923 bottles each. Only available at the (Brewery Shop and) Tavern.
- Rodenbach Brewery will be launching Rodenbach Evolved Grand Cru Aged For 10 Years in August 2023. I tasted it in June 2023 and this is a superb version full of tannines and some green apple flavors. Available at some Belgian supermarkets.
Cheers!

 

- Brouwerij Alvinne is celebrating its 20th birthday. Hoping for them to be around for (at least!) another 20 years. Hip,, hip, hooray!
- In Brussels, Belgian Beer World will be opening on September 9, 2023 in the former stock exchange building (Beurs/Bourse), close to defunct La Bécasse and Le Cirio (the latter well worth a visit to the porcellan/china bathroom being a classified monument, the 'john' I mean). I don't know what to expect from Belgien Beer World: https://www.belgianbeerworld.be/en?language_content_entity=en
- Not really Belgian beer news, but hell, anyway worth mentioning. The Bordeaux wine region in France is coping with great difficulties and many vineyards will be broken down due to the decrease of Bordeaux wine due to the French youth discovering beer (I don't know what beers they are discovering, though) and due to a decrease in demand from China. France will subsidize wine grape farmers to build down their fields and to convert wine into perfume and disinfectant.
- 3 Fonteinen is holding its Open Beer Days between September 1 & 3, 2023 in Lambik-O-droom: https://www.lambikodroom.be/en/OBD2023-EN.pdf. Pre-tickets sold out.

 

- That IS great news that La Becasse is not defunct. I made a mistake. A restaurant that goes by the same name got bankrupt and I anticipated wrongly.
- Duvel-Moortgat created Duvel Distilled: https://www.duvel.com/nl-be/het-bier/duvel-distilled-2023
- After gin and elixir, Westmalle created a distilled beverage based on both Tripel and Double.
- A collaboration took place between De Leite & Oud Beersel, creating 2 beers: Pipes & Barrels (Oud Beersel) and Barrels & Pipes (De Leite. A dark beer produced by De Leite was aged at De Leite and, separately, at Oud Beersel.
- Tourism Flemish Brabant is putting a spotlight on lambiek and geuze with a digital platform called Lambiekland in order to attract beer tourists to Pajottenland worldwide: https://www.toerismevlaamsbrabant.be/en/thema/bier/ and https://pers.vlaamsbrabant.be/lambiekland-moet-wereldwijd-toeristen-aantrekken

 

Long time no news from the Belgian front. Wrong!
- The company behind Westvleteren Brewery has a new CEO, being an external General Director with beer passion in the heart. He got appointed in order to face the challenges in fast-evolving times. One of the challenges will be compliance with complicated food regulations and QM. Because there are no young monks, Westvleteren Brewery contracted him externally. He will report to the abbot and assist the other monks in business interests. By appointing an external CEO, Westvleteren is copying Westmalle.
- The Sint-Sixtus Abbey has an equity capital of € 18 million. In 2022, gross margin was € 3.8 million; net profits were € 0.5 million. Regardless of these figures, the monks consider the brewery as a self-supporting business. The conveyer belt is only operational for 48 days per year. Ora et labora.
- Special Belge Taproom (Antwerp) is celebrating its 5 years anniversary. The micro brewery is 1.5 operational and its beer Al Blondy will be produced on a large scale. It is a 7% ABV blond hoppy beer brewed with 3 grains, including oats, and American hops (I am not sure which one(s)).
- Belgian Beer Challenge was organized in Turnhout. https://www.brusselstimes.com/428376/brussels-beer-competition-to-take-place-in-turnhout-this-year Even some restaurants were convinced to do some beer food pairings.
- The new award for lambiek & geuze promoting person/place 2023 goes to "Café In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst" (Eizeringen, Lennik).